I participated in Symposium on Creating Satoyama where People Live with Nature”

“3rd Symposium on Creating Satoyama where People Live with Nature” was held on March 7th 2015 at Misaki community center.

The theme was “Let’s hand over the rich nature and build the safe and secure agriculture for the future of children”

It started with a speech about “Biodiversity and creating strategy in Isumi-shi.”
And then messages were given from the citizen. After that the panel discussion was held with Mr. Inaba, a lecturer of organic rice growing.

Many people were interested and participated in the symposium.
There were also elementary school students and they were listening earnestly.

The message from the citizen was about creating satoyama, woodlands located near human habitat, exclusively in Isumi-shi.

Satoyama is an area where multiple environmental factors such as paddy field, vegetable field, stream, forest, and human are mixed.

In the symposium, I knew that the condition of satoyama in Isumi-shi was better among others in Japan.

People had been living in the environment with rich biodiversity in the old days, and the benefit of satoyama had been handed down, but now a lot of fields and woodlands of satoyama areas are abandoned and no longer cultivated or taken care. The influence extends even to the ocean.

But I knew that it is not too late yet.
For example, although the number of Miyako tanago (Japanese bitterling, fish) of nationally protected species is less than before, it is not extinct yet, and there is such fish in Isumi-shi.

Among these stories, the speech of Mr. Shinishi Tsurubuchi was very encouraging.
It was about what he felt about nature, relationship with people, and I felt his passion for rice-growing.

Afterward, 3 boys from 5th grade of Furusawa elementary school presented “Our wish” representing students.

Their frank comment regarding their fieldwork of rice-growing and observation on lives in the paddy field in the class was favorable.

I do not think that people know the nature very well just because they live in the countryside.
I felt the “real experience” is the most important.

The mood is different when children participate in the meeting!

The symposium was a good opportunity for me to see matters not as someone else’s business, but as my own business.

You can read the whole texts of “Isumi biodiversity strategy”.

( UI / Yasuko )

update : 2015/03/20 23:05
Category : Diary, town events

Isumi ranked high on the “Rural city people want to live in most” (Inakagurashi no Hon, February issue)

Our NPO has a monthly subscription to Inakagurashi no Hon (Magazine for Country Life).
Sometimes they feature our tours or events, and our relocation consultation in their magazine.

Our organization was selected as No.1 in the “Sufficient service for the people who relocate” among 68 of “Supporting organizations for country life” in the east Japan.

Isumi ranks number 37 on the “Rural city people want to live in most”.

I thought Isumi is one of the cities where people draw attention.

Recently I feel more people are visiting our office to inform us that they had relocated already or seek consultation before relocation.
Before April, the beginning month of a year in Japan, people may put an end to their previous life or start something new.

More young couples of 20s and 30s as well as single people come to seek our consultation.
Someone who participated in the seminar at Furusato Kaiki Shien Center, an organization which supports people who want to move to rural region, the other day may visit us in the near future.

A family, a couple in their 30s with a kid, who visited us on the other day may move to Isumi in the near future. They were saying that they had read a lot of information through internet or magazines, but once they physically visited the place and talked, the image became more realistic.

The other asked about property, grocery, driving, and childcare etc.

I myself visited this NPO of Isumi lifestyle Lab. four years ago before I moved Isumi.

It may require courage and be difficult to take action now.
But just visit here without hesitation.

( Chie / Yasuko )

update : 2015/02/19 16:21
Category : Diary, information

Workshop of Making New Year Decoration and Mochi-tsuki (pounding Mochi)

I participated in the workshop held at Yu ju Kan＠Kou Fu Rin

The workshop was provided by Mr.&Mrs. Sano (R Koubou) who enjoy the agricultural lifestyle in Isumi. We learned to make New Year decoration with the rice straw of red rice (ancient rice) named Kanniho, and then we did mocha-tsuki in the workshop.
They told us that it was the day of “Shogatsu-kotohajim (the day of starting New Year’s preparation.)” on the day of the workshop.
I think it was the best day to make New Year decoration.

First, Mr. Hiro Sano talked about the attractiveness of self-sufficient lifestyle and rice growing, and then we started to make rope with the rice straw.
Mr. Sano is very good at straw work, making animal of Chinese Zodiac every year.
Here is the sheep in Chinese Zodiac (2015 is the year of sheep) made by Mr. Sano.
It creates a lovely atmosphere.

It was also the first experience for me to make a rope with rice straw!
It seemed easy, but it was not!
When I actually tried to make rope using my hands, I did trial and error to figure out the knack of how to entwist the straw.
But I felt somehow comfortable.
I thought in old days, people might have made livingware etc. in this way using their own hands.
At least, it took shape of a rope!?
Everyone seemed to get intense to the work.

After that, we had a lunch time and then we did mochi pounding with red rice using a mortar and a pestle.
Children had been very looking forward to it ^^
For the first time I had mochi made of red rice.

Children also helped to make mochi round^^
It was really tasty with the special flavor! I was surprised.
The side dishes were Natto made using Mr. Sano’s rice straw, Ama-Natto (sweet natto), walnut miso, and hand-made pickle, etc.
The dishes were simple, but were slightly sweet and tasty. It made me feel happy.
The mochi was pounded with the right extent with some lumpy texture in the mochi left

I left the workshop after lunch, but everyone continued to make New Year decoration in the afternoon.
This is the finished piece! I hope everyone could make it nicely.

I realized the abundance of living with the benefit of the local plants.
There is a theory that the decoration made of rice straw is the “grain god” of rice, so it is meaningful to make it with rice straw. I also thought of utilizing the rice straw as a rice farmer.

( Shu / Yasuko )

update : 2014/12/26 15:31
Category : Diary, event reports, town events