Christian Otto

Director’s Report:On Tuesday (Oct.1), on a beautiful autumn day with the sky high in the sky, all community members at ARI worked together to harvest rice. It has been about 4 months since the rice was planted in early June. After surviving arecord-breaking heat wave, and receiving much love and care from the farm staff, theParticipants, and the volunteers, all the rice plants were harvested. The total area of ARI’s rice fields is about 1.8 hectares. Already 90% of the rice has been harvested by machine, and only about one-tenth … Read more

Director’s Report:A research project team on Dignity Education led by Associate Professor and Chaplain Jeffrey Mensendiak of Oberlin University visited ARI for three days from September 9. (Dr. Emi Hasegawa, Dr. Akiko Asai, and Dr. Misako Takizawa are the other team members.)Rev. Mensendiak, who translated a book on dignity (Dr. Donna Hicks’ book “Leading with Dignity”) into Japanese, developed his own dignity workshop, and has been conducting the workshop for ARI participants for the past 4 years. This year, in addition to the workshop to the ARI participants, a workshop … Read more

Director’s Report:An article about ARI was featured in the Japan Times on September 2.It is titled “Over half a century, seeds of change grow at a Tochigi farm”https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2024/09/02/our-lives/asian-rural-insititute-tochigi-namibia-cambodia-germany/The article describes what this year’s participant from Namibia (pictured) is learning, how the lives of the German volunteers of 2003 and the Cambodian graduates of 2010 have been changed by coming to ARI, and the significance of ARI’s training programs.Medeleine Cuckson, the author of the article, is a British national who stayed at ARI for a three-week Christian group leadership training in … Read more

Director’s Report:ARI’s Annual Report for 2023 FY was finally completed last month. It can be downloaded from ari.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cmyk-Annual-Report-JP-2023-online.pdf (available only in Japanese yet)The picture on the cover is by Ms. Han Sakawa, a year-long volunteer of 2023. For the last week, the Participants were divided into two groups, one in the Shonai region and the other in the Kawanishi region of Yamagata Pref., and spent the last two days visiting a natural farm, Ureshipamosiri, in Towa-cho, Hanamaki, Iwate Pref. Mr. & Mrs. Sakawa, the couple who started the farm are … Read more

Director’s Report:On August 23-24, I was invited by Dokuritsu Gakuen High School in Oguni-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, to help the faculty and staff learn about “visioning” (setting a vision of the school). ARI Participants visit the high school every year during ARI’s Rural Community Study Tour in Yamagata Prefecture, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to listen to the thoughts, wishes, dreams, and hopes of every member of the faculty and staff. I am grateful that I was able to touch even for a moment, the strength … Read more

Director’s Report:Thursday, August 22, I will be speaking at an event organized by the Maebashi Tomono Kai in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture. The title of the lecture is “Peace from the Soil”. The general public is welcome to attend, so please come if you are in the area!Zenkoku Tomonokai was founded in 1930 by readers of “Fujin-no Tomo”, a magazine first published by Motoko Hani. The aim is to nurture mutual friendship through “Fujin-no Tomo” and to grow by making the most of each other’s abilities.ARI and Tomono Kai share many … Read more

Director’s Report:Ms. Tomomi Ono, an Asahi Shimbun reporter has written many articles about ARI since she was assigned to the Otawara (Northern Tochigi) Bureau in 2021, and she will be transferred to the Tokyo head office on September 1st.Ono-san wrote about ARI’s events and covered a number of themes that touched the essence of ARI, such as radiation issues, organic farming, and servant leadership. She interviewed staff members many times and even attended classes. I am especially grateful to her for writing about me in the　“Hito (People)” section on the … Read more

Director’s Report:Ms. Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director of ARI, will talk in the Webinar of “New Age Asia Peace Academy (NPA)” on Tuesday, August 13. You can register for just one lecture (2,000 yen for a fee), so please join. (Japanese only.)To register, please visit the link in our profile.*If you register, you can watch the archive even after the event date has passed.[Summary of the event]Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 19:00-21:00　Lecturer: Yukiko Oyanagi (Associate Director of ARI)Language: JapaneseSummary: Through learning the purpose and history of ARI, its current activities (Rural … Read more

Director’s Report:Menstruation Hygiene Management (MHM) has been a focus of ARI’s gender class for several years.Today, a workshop on MHM was held for the entire ARI community.MHM aims to help menstruating women “stay safe and hygienic during their menstrual period”As prejudice, superstition, and lack of knowledge about menstruation limit the daily lives and rights of menstruating people, especially in developing countries,　the awareness and education of MHM has been growing worldwide in recent years,This year, Participants and volunteers played a central role in the organization of the workshop, and the men … Read more