Learning From Nature

By: Kenji Mizumura

This week's article comes from Kenji Mizumra, a local working at a non-profit organization in Niigata. We hope you find it informative and inspiring!

One year has passed since I came to Niigata. Now I can hear the footsteps of spring beyond 3 meters of snow wall. One year ago, after 3 years of working in Tokyo, I decided to escape from rush hour trains. My mentor said “live life on the edge.” So I wanted to move to deep countryside. Now I live in Tochikubo village, Minami Uonuma and work for NPO ECOPLUS where I pursue “learning” and “happiness.”

I studied history and communication at the International Christian University. My main interest was “narrative”; how people build their stories and share with them with others. I also dipped into philosophy and negotiation. After graduation, I had been working as a researcher on foreign energy issues. I climb mountains, play guitar and ride a motorbike.

Tochikubo village is located in Minami Uonuma city. The 10 minute drive from Shiozawa station shows you varying scenery. The village has four beatiful seasons. About 200 people (60 households) make their living in the small village located at and altitude of 600 meters. Surrounded by nature, people farm rice and vegetables and fight against 4 meters of snow in the winter. Young people are going leaving the village and the village is aging. Traditional knowledge is going to disappear in few years.

NPO ECOPLUS offers people chances to learn from nature, to learn about a different culture, and to experience people’s lives. We offer programs such as rice farming, countryside short stays, and outdoor adventure experiences. We focus on the pedagogical affordance of place and community. Just a few decades ago, most of people in Japan lived in harmony with nature in rural areas. As cities developed, people gathered into big cities and it seems that they have lost their connection to the land. Big cities have also lost their uniqueness and now they all look similar. In Tochikubo, there is no convenience store, but they know how to feed themselves, how to live by themselves. I am happy to be part of the community and experiencing the living.

-- Mizumura-san invites Niigata JETs to take park in registered NPO ECOPLUS's programs. Please check out the website for the upcoming vegetable picking tour here.