ARI Family Blog

Thank you so much for supporting the Asian Rural Institute throughout this year! For our final post of the year, we have two special updates for you. 🎥 End-of-Year Update (1) New Reels on Instagram and Facebook! We have posted a special compilation of the daily Stories we shared throughout December. This video brings together all the smiles of our 2025 graduates as they share “the gift of hope they want to take back to their communities.” Please don’t miss it on our reel! 💻 End-of-Year Update (2) Christmas & … Read more

On December 24, the online news site Catholic Japan News published an article titled “A Community that Cultivates the Soil and Shares the Table: Asian Rural Institute – Training Servant Leaders for Rural Communities.” The piece warmly and carefully portrays the daily life of participants nearing graduation, their classes, and the final presentations at ARI, accompanied by photographs. It is written in a way that is accessible even to readers learning about ARI for the first time.We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the journalist who created such a wonderful … Read more

After the graduates had left, the now smaller ARI community held its traditional Christmas celebration. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in His favor!”Luke 2:14

Graduate Departure 2025.12.16-17.

By God’s grace, 27 participants successfully completed the Rural Leaders Training Program in 2025.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supported the nine-month training program in various ways!

Over the past few days, ARI hosted the Class of 2025’s final presentations. Each of the 27 participants told their learning experiences at ARI, and what they seek to accomplish when they return home. Overcoming nervousness, each stood before all their classmates, staff, volunteers, and supporters. With carefully designed posters, they confidently addressed the audience, presenting the challenges facing their communities and their concrete plans to address them. One participant began his presentation by saying, “Before coming to Japan, I thought I knew about my community,” but by leaving his … Read more

This year’s training program is now coming to an end. Last week, Acivo (Class of 2000), a graduate from Nagaland, India, conducted classes for participants. The lecture content was highly practical and based on her own experiences. For instance, she discussed income generation. In fact, many graduates often face this challenge to generate income immediately after graduation. Living in villages in developing countries, where ties with family and relatives are strong, they always bear responsibilities and the associated expenses, such as supporting their families and sending siblings and children to … Read more

When you hear the word “coaching,” what image comes to mind?At ARI, which emphasizes leadership training, we value not only equipping leaders from various countries with the skills to coach others, but also helping them recognize and enhance their own inherent abilities as leaders.Ms. Morikawa, who has been involved with ARI since 2012 following the earthquake and has provided annual training for ARI staff ever since, is a personification of inclusiveness. There is much to learn simply from her atmosphere alone.We hope this class, which connects with previous learning on … Read more

On the morning of November 17th, participants arrived at Moji Port in Kyushu aboard a ferry and then traveled by bus to Minamata. Although they had studied Minamata disease beforehand at ARI, visiting Minamata had a profoundly different impact on them. Upon arriving in Minamata, they first heard from Mr. Matsuki, a former Minamata City government employee. He worked with the mayor to rebuild connections within a broken community. Minamata residents had many issues – one of them was mistrust among those who were direct victims and those who could … Read more

In early November, a two-day biogas class was held with Mr. Kuwabara from Ogawa Town, Saitama Prefecture as the instructor. Biogas is a biofuel gas derived from organic materials such as food waste, paper, and livestock manure. The residue after fermentation can be used as fertilizer or compost, making it a waste-free process. For this reason, it has gained attention in recent years as a means of generating renewable energy.Every year, during their observation trip to Ogawa Town in June, participants visit Mr. Kuwabara to learn about his unique biogas … Read more