Talk, thought and action

We recently held our company-wide seminar, an annual event, this year in Kunisaki and welcomed Walk Japan staff from Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, USA and other regions of Japan. We were also honoured and delighted to welcome Shin’ichi Tsuji (a.k.a. Keibo Oiwa) to join us as guest speaker. Tsuji san is a cultural anthropologist, environmentalist and founder of the Sloth Club, the leading Slow Life environmental group in Japan. He authored the influential book Slow is Beautiful (スロー・イズ・ビューティフル), which has been acclaimed as the bible for the Slow Movement in Japan, and become the leader of Japanese activists for a fairer and more sustainable society.

Slow is Beautiful

Tsuji san at Koumori-tei surrounded by Mihoko & Paul Christie

Tsuji san teaches International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo and his interests encompass the environment, food culture, socially responsible business, grassroots activism and distinct ethnic societies including African Americans, Jewish, Native Canadian and his own compatriots, the Japanese. He brought these broad interests to bear on his presentation to us which, amongst many other things, made us think more deeply about our Community Project and how we can make it a more progressive, meaningful activity both locally and in wider society. An early result is that we are determined to incorporate the Project more into our tours for schools and the Kunisaki Trek. We have been bringing schools to Japan for over 16 years and the first came to Kunisaki in November 2013. More schools look set to follow in 2014~15.

With everyone gathered in Kunisaki we took the opportunity to guide them through our Community Project to deepen their understanding of what it is and how it helps underpin our commitment to our tours, Japan and society in general. After visiting Koumori-tei, a Japanese farmhouse refurbished as our main office, Tsuji san left us with great words of encouragement and, through him, some extremely valuable connections to others who are similarly working at grass-root levels.

Tsuji san counts among his friends renowned Canadian science broadcaster David Suzuki, with whom he collaborated on the book The Japan We Never Knew - A Journey of Discovery (a.k.a The Other Japan); C. W. Nicol, who is very well-known in Japan as an environmentalist, passionate restorer of the nation’s woodlands and founder of the Afan Woodland Trust; Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine and the head of Schumacher College in the UK; and the scientist and environmental activist Vandana Shiva.

Another milestone in our Community Project was reached when we gained ownership of our first paddy fields. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, the aged owners were unable to look after them anymore and without us taking them over there is no one else to do so. The paddies would have been left fallow and eventually fallen into overgrown disuse. And secondly, through doing so we have established credibility with the local government, which is vital in further developing the agricultural side of our Community Project.

The rice seedlings have been planted and, with the summer weather now beginning in earnest, our fields will become a green haven for waterborne wildlife including frogs, dragonflies and egrets.

Update: A stone wall & a new home

The final stone

In Puzzled in stone, posted in May 2012, I wrote about progress in building a stone wall in the grounds of Koumori-tei, Walk Japan's main office in Japan. It was finished, finally, over the recent new year; fully one year later than my original optimistic thoughts of completion by the end of 2012. Starting in June 2011, the whole edifice has taken two and a half years of intermittent toil between my regular job at Walk Japan; the heat and humidity of the summer months when it is too enervating to attempt much labour; rainy days when it impossible to see how well or not the stones are placed together; and, also, those times when I just could not face another day of the seemingly endless task of adding yet another stone.

The wall retains a grassy bank...

and provides a more comfortable access route to Koumori-tei.

This summer the grass will return to the bare earth...

and the wall will soon look like it has been here for many years. 

I estimate about 100,000 stones, all placed by hand, were used in construction. 99% of these are smaller ones hidden behind the front stones and are vital in maintaining the integrity of the structure. With a bit of luck the whole wall will remain standing for over 100 years and now finished my thoughts turn to other projects.....

A new house

In Decay and renewal, posted one year ago, I highlighted the mouldering state of a great swathe of the Japanese housing stock and how this is impacting rural communities. Contrary to the situation I wrote about then, however, we have been lucky enough to purchase an empty and spacious property in the village. This is the second one to come into our hands, the first being the old farmhouse in the same neighbourhood we have renovated for use as our office.

The house is largely hidden by a verdant garden.

A single-storey dwelling that is surprisingly large inside.

The latest building, which is in a grimy but good structural condition, came at a price so cheap that it belies the image of Japan as one of the most expensive countries in the world. Now, though, we have to spend several times that amount to make it a home for our growing family and to accommodate visitors. Our priority is to turn it into a space that not only appeals to us but will also intrigue others who love the idea of the countryside but do not want to give up their urban comforts. The premise being that through this and the other things happening with our Community Project we want as many people to see, understand and, hopefully, act on the great potential of Kunisaki and other struggling rural areas of Japan.

Properties in rural Japan are generally notorious for being fairly basic and draftily cold in winter. Currently, we are poring over books and magazines for ideas and inspiration ahead of preliminary building work due to commence in April. From time-to-time we will provide updates on progress.

P.S. Since we bought this property another has also been offered to us. Any takers?