Raku Izawa

Happy New Year! After our students completed their programs and returned to their home countries late last year, the campus has become quiet. However, there are no holidays for the lives on our farm. ☀️ Currently, our small team of dedicated volunteers is taking full responsibility for caring for the goats, pigs, and chickens. Even on this freezing New Year’s morning, we are deeply encouraged by the lively sounds of the animals and the devotion of the volunteers. 🐐🐖🐓 Though our numbers are few, the spirit of celebration is as … Read more

Since our last year-end update received so many “Likes,” we decided to add a special alternative version! 🎥 Year-End Update (1): “Gift of Hope” Reel + This Year’s ARI Song! We have uploaded a new version of the “Gift of Hope to Bring Back to the Community” Reel to Instagram and Facebook, now featuring a special soundtrack. The song is “Monene,” an African Gospel song that became the “Song of the Year” for ARI. The participants sang it during their Study Trip and at the commencemnet ceremony to share with … Read more

Graduate Departure 2025.12.16-17.

Last week’s community event brought us up to the Nasu mountains, where we enjoyed snow-viewing. For many of our participants, it is the first time to experience snow and being in such cold temperatures – the second the less pleasant one. All community members enjoyed playing in the snow, building snow-people and some snowball fights. In the view of the white environment suddenly the joy of playing like a child gets reawakened in everyone. This was rewarded with hot chocolate and the great view. To warm ourselves up we gathered … Read more

Hello from ARI. Starting this week, we are launching a new series on our Facebook and Instagram Stories, capturing daily life on the ARI campus through photos! “Daily Life” at ARI: A Charm That Captivates ManyWe often receive wonderful comments from volunteers and visitors to ARI, such as: “I love the life and atmosphere here.” “It’s so healing to see the fields and the changing seasons.”Therefore, to share this charm with more people and convey what ARI is like “right now,” we decided to deliver photos that capture ARI “in … Read more

We were blessed with good weather, which had been our biggest concern, and HTC2025 was a great success. Hearing so much positive feedback from all of you has filled our entire team with happiness and a sense of accomplishment. It also provided an excellent opportunity for us to put the servant leadership we have learned into practice. Although there were occasional clashes, as everyone was giving their absolute best, it was an HTC full of learning. We discovered new sides to our teammates and even learned about our own previously … Read more

Once again this year, the rice paddies at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) ripened to a beautiful golden color. Our entire community—participants, volunteers, and staff from countries across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Japan —came together for the annual rice harvest! The small seedlings we planted in the spring grew strong under the summer sun, bearing a rich and plentiful harvest. Under a brilliant clear autumn sky, we all got muddy together, carefully cutting each stalk by hand with sickles. Songs and dances in many languages filled the air, … Read more

The summer donation campaign, Peace from Food, that started on August 1 has come to an end today.ARI has had the opportunity to think and share about peace with many people through the familiar theme of “food,” which ARI holds dear to its heart!We sincerely appreciate your warm support. At ARI, the rice harvest has begun. And next month on the 18th and 19th, we are going to have the Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (HTC).Please come to ARI and spend a moment with us as we celebrate and give thanks for … Read more

Mr. Toru Sakawa of the Natural Farm Ureshipa Moshiri

Associate Professor and University Chaplain, Rev. Jeffrey Mensendiek, at J. F. Oberlin University