News

Participants arrived in Osaka on the evening of the 14th and were welcomed by the Osaka YMCA.  On the 15th, they split into three study groups: One team visited Osaka Korea Town in Ikuno Ward. Participants learned about discrimination issues related to Zainichi Koreans. It was an opportunity to reflect on minority groups and identity. We were grateful for the opportunity to hear about our guide’s first hand experiences as well. Many were surprised to learn that these issues exist and how they take form in Japanese society. The issue of … Read more

At ARI, practical classes taught by graduates are held about four times a year.This time, two graduates from the Democratic Republic of Congo class of 2022, Shukuru and Mordekay, led an online class. They introduced methods for raising black soldier fly larvae. In fact, while at ARI, the two had first attempted this rearing as a personal project. Unfortunately, they failed at the time, but after graduation they tried again in their home country and were able to achieve success.Feeding on kitchen waste, these insects hatch from eggs into larvae … Read more

On November 13th, after being treated to delicious oranges at the farm of Mr. Shinobu Yamanaka, who has supported ARI across three generations, participants departed Hamamatsu and headed for Aino High School in Mie Prefecture.At that night, participants had a good time talking with Aino HS students. Along with a world map, they talked about their countries, what they like, and so on. Although, it was an optional for Aino HS students, many students joined this round table discussion. The next day’s main program began with fellowship – singing, dancing, … Read more

Among ARI’s curriculum, one of the most “delicious” classes is this meat processing class.Mr. Koide from Neu Frank Atelier Nasu comes every year as an instructor. Using ARI’s pork as the ingredient, he teaches participants how to make sausages, bacon, roast pork, and more.Processing allows for longer storage and enables selling at higher prices than raw materials. Therefore, these food processing techniques are a subject of deep interest for many participants.We sincerely thank Mr. Koide for taking the time out of his busy schedule to provide us with such important … Read more

On the morning of the 11th, participants departed from ARI and arrived at their first destination: the predecessor of ARI, Theological Seminary for Rural Mission in Machida, Tokyo. They learned about some traditional skills of water retention from the Edo period. Although it was short, they had a good time visiting the roots of ARI. After that, they moved to Hamamatsu, and the following day, they enjoyed fellowship with Seirei Christopher kindergarten, Elementary, Jr. high, High school and Global school jr. High school students. Playing different games, experiencing new ways … Read more

From November 4th to 7th, I was invited to speak a total of 10 times over 4 days: as a preacher for the Special Worship Service during the Autumn Religious Week at Doshisha Junior and Senior High Schools, for the Chapel Hour at Doshisha Women’s College, and as a lecturer for the Doshisha Junior and Senior High School Faculty Religious Education Workshop. The total number of students at Doshisha Junior and Senior High Schools, combined with attendees at other lectures and events, exceeded 5,000. It was my first time speaking … Read more

This year again, the hard work of our farm staff and volunteers bore fruit, yielding plump, sweet potatoes. The total harvest amounted to a whopping 916kg!!We store the sweet potato in a dedicated storage at the perfect temperature, so that they will sustain the community through spring.

On the 28th of October, I was able to attend the Sri Lankan graduates gathering held in Negombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka. Eight board members and associates from AFARI (American friends of ARI) also joined us, so many graduates gathered from all over the country. Including 27 graduates from 1977 to 2018 (one from Bangladesh) and their families, plus us -participants from the US and Japan- the total attendance exceeded 70 people. Prior to the gathering, we conducted field visits to three graduate projects funded by AFARI. On the … Read more

From the 22nd to 24th of October, ARI staff Osamu Arakawa and Steven Cutting attended the ECHO Conference on Agriculture and Community Development in Chiang Mai, Thailand and met over 20 graduates in fellowship and knowledge exchange. Over the 2-day conference, experts, practitioners of the field, and interested people were able to attend workshops, plenary sessions, and direct demonstration on ECHO’s farm, deepening their understanding and sharing their knowledge about community development and agriculture practices. Osamu emphasized the importance and opportunities of collaborations between ARI and other networks, pointing out … 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