Christian Otto

The Western Japan Study Tour (WJST) continued with meaningful experiences Seirei Gakuen at Hamamatsu and Aino High School at Mie, offering ARI participants valuable insights into cultural exchange and community engagement. The day began at Hamamatsu, where we were warmly welcomed by a third-generation ARI supporter, who generously gave us a large supply of oranges! The participants were thrilled. From there, we safely arrived at Aino High School, where a teacher and former ARI volunteer guided us on a campus tour. This year, ARI Japanese graduates also joined us for … Read more

The Western Japan Study Tour (WJST) has provided ARI participants with valuable experiences in community engagement and cultural exchange. On our first day, we visited the Theological Seminary for Rural Mission (Noden), where we received a warm welcome from the staff. In a special gesture of hospitality, they served homemade curry, a delightful change from the usual bento lunches. We were also given a brief tour of the campus grounds and had the chance to experience a short Zazen meditation, which provided a moment of reflection in a tranquil environment. … Read more

Director’s Report:We welcomed Ms. Keiko Holmes, a British resident who has worked for reconciliation between Japanese people and British POWs (prisoners of war) and their families by the former Japanese army. We heard about her 30-year journey of reconciliation. This was Keiko’s third visit to ARI. Her testimony of how many people’s hearts that had been closed tightly and wounded by the war were healed by Keiko’s who has walked with God side by side, and their lives were transformed by being set free from hatred and enmity, shows us … Read more

On October 28 and 29, the Asian Rural Institute hosted a biogas workshop led by Mr. Kuwabara, an engineer and organic farmer from Ogawa Town, Saitama. This session was a follow-up to the participants’ visit to Mr. Kuwabara’s farm in June, where they first explored biogas technology. During the workshop, participants learned how livestock manure could be processed to generate renewable energy, offering a sustainable alternative for energy production. Mr. Kuwabara demonstrated the use of a plastic biogas chamber, explaining how the process also produces an organic liquid fertilizer, enhancing … Read more

Director’s Report:I contribute an essay titled “Where God, Soil, and People Cross” in the quarterly review of “Worship and Music” No. 203 (published in October 2024 by United Church of Christ in Japan Publishing Section). This issue is a special issue on “Creation and Environment,” and I was asked to write an essay from the “site”. I introduced ARI as the one and only “environment” where God, soil, and people cross, and concluded by saying that in this unique environment, “we should spare no effort to “live together with other … Read more

Last Friday, the Asian Rural Institute held its annual sweet potato harvest. It was a sunny day, and the good weather lifted everyone’s spirits as participants, staff, and volunteers worked together in the fields. The harvest event brought the ARI community together, and everyone enjoyed digging up the bright purple potatoes, which had grown well this season. Throughout the day, laughter and teamwork filled the fields, making the harvest both a productive and joyful occasion. This yearly tradition reminds everyone at ARI of the importance of community and teamwork in … Read more

Director’s Report:In October, in addition to ARI’s biggest event, Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (HTC), many special lecturers came to our campus to give classes.During the hectic schedule, I was fortunate to travel to give lectures in many places; I went to Keiwa Gakuen University in Niigata Pref., Aoyama Gakuin University (Sagamihara Campus), and Yamanashi Eiwa University in Yamanashi Prefecture. I also gave an online class to the 2nd year students of Keisen Women’s College in Tokyo. The themes were “Servant Leadership” and “Peace from the Soil”. Tomorrow, I will talk about … Read more

ARI recently hosted Tony Rinaudo from World Vision Australia, who held a transformative workshop on Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Known for his innovative work in restoring degraded landscapes, Rinaudo shared practical steps on how communities can regenerate land by managing existing tree stumps and root systems, rather than planting new trees. ARI participants, representing rural leaders from across Asia and Africa, learned hands-on techniques to apply in their home countries. Rinaudo’s approach emphasized simplicity, low-cost implementation, and its potential to empower communities facing environmental degradation. By managing natural resources … Read more

HTC 2024 at ARI: A Wonderful Day of Food, Fun, and Community

Director’s Report:On October 4th, I was invited as a speaker for the Chapel Assembly Hour at Keiwa Gakuen University in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, to give a lecture titled “Peace from the Soil. The audience consisted mainly of about 100 first-year students (plus online attendees). Keiwa Gakuen University is a Christian liberal arts university with about 700 students. Their vision is “contributing to the local and global community by educating citizens with an international outlook who will serve others and lead a sustainable society.” I strongly felt that the university … Read more