Raku Izawa

“Peace from Food” Donation Campaign Starting Friday, August 1, 2025!▶ Campaign website: ari.ac.jp/donate/peace2025 From August 1, the Asian Rural Institute is running the “Peace from Food” Donation Campaign.Throughout the month of August, we are sharing voices from our community members and supporters on Instagram and Facebook Stories, centered around the theme “What does food mean to you?”All past stories can also be viewed on our Instagram Highlights. Once a week, as a special feature, we will also share messages from supporters of ARI. Week 1: Student Christian Fellowship (SCF), Tokyo … Read more

August 1st

August 1 through September 20

At ARI, we hold a Mini Eco‑Tour on Campus every other month, always on the fourth Saturday. During the tour, program participants walk around campus discussing and learning about topics such as “sustainable agriculture and life” and “why learning about rural development around the world is important.” 1. Campus Tour (11:00 –) Program participants visited the organic farm, livestock areas, and compost facilities where rural community leaders from around the world live and farm. It was a 90‑minute experience strolling through fields, livestocks, and natural cycles—an intuitive way to connect with … Read more

This Summer, Join ARI’s “Peace from Food” Donation CampaignThe Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is holding its summer donation campaign under the theme “Peace from Food.” We warmly invite your support and participation.ARI is a training ground for rural leaders from Asia and Africa, equipping them to serve their communities through sustainable agriculture and grassroots development. Rooted in the belief that “the more you cultivate, the more people and soil flourish,” ARI trains leaders who learn through food—developing not just farming techniques but also community resilience, by respecting local resources and … Read more

Happy New Year! Even after the Class of 2024 has gone home, ARI staff and volunteers continue working and living on the campus. Including for New Years! To celebrate, community members prepared traditional Japanese New Years food, Osechi. Designed to celebrate the new year and wish for good harvests in the coming seasons, each item on the plate has its own meaning. Even in a smaller gathering like now, ARI community members enjoyed feast and fellowship to welcome the new year. We look forward to a healthy and fruitful 2025, … Read more

On Saturday, December 14, the 52nd commencement ceremony was successfully held and the participants graduated. The first group of Asian graduates will return to their respective countries on December 16, and the second group of African graduates will return to their respective countries on December 17. Knowing that they will not see each other again, they bid farewell to each other and return to their communities around the world, encouraging each other about their respective works in which they will serve. Please remember these graduates as they continue to work … Read more

Cheese and Whey Festival (@cheese.and.whey_festival) – Instagram photos and videos Cheese studios and popular restaurants from all over Japan will gather in Nasu. We are going to present you 2 days of tasty cheese and whey festival! Cheese and Whey Festival vol.2Dates: November 3 (Sun.) and 4 (Mon.)Time: 9:00 – 16:00 (Food will be served from 10:00)Admission: FreeLocation: @goodnews_nasu Cheese and Whey Festival vol. 2,” an event to enjoy cheese and whey in its entirety, which attracted about 4,000 visitors last year, will be held! | Press Release by Cheese … Read more

While participants are busy preparing for Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration, we are pleased to present the October issue of Japanese Newsletter Asia-no-Tsuchi. The topic is “Climate Change and Climate Justice”. Dr. Yoshiyuki Nagata of the University of the Sacred Heart, a leading expert on climate change and ARI board member, wrote the preface to this issue. In a special feature titled “Farmers Fighting Climate Change,” we interviewed Japanese graduates, former staff members, and lecturers who are working in agriculture in Japan about the current state of climate change and their efforts … Read more

Bishop Rev. Jintaro Ueda, who served as ARI’s director from 1994 to 2000 and board member from 1994 to 2008, passed away on Monday, April 8, 2024. He was 83 years old. Current director Tomoko Arakawa reflects on her memories of Rev. Ueda: “He was my first director when I joined ARI as a staff member. He had a great deal of international experience, spoke fluent English, and was very knowledgeable about the church situation in Asia and Africa. He also loved music and played the piano very well. He … Read more