Easter / Travel Expenses Campaign begins!

March 17, 2025
Makiko Abe

As spring arrives, preparations are in full swing to welcome new participants to ARI!

This year, we are launching three seasonal campaigns to deepen engagement with ARI’s mission and share the impact of our work. This year, we are launching special content and a giving page for you to learn more about ARI, our graduates, and the communities they serve.

Our first campaign is the Easter / Travel Expenses Campaign, which begins today and runs through the end of April. This campaign will highlight the journeys of ARI graduates from Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America—shedding light on both the challenges and the unexpected joys of joining our training program. You’ll also hear from ARI Staff as they prepare to welcome new participants.

Many of the Participants who come to study at ARI face significant financial barriers to travel. While we provide scholarships and seek donations to support them, rising fuel costs and currency fluctuations have dramatically increased the price of travel to Japan.

Before 2020, the total cost of travel was around 4 million yen (27,000 USD), but in recent years, it has nearly doubled. In FY2022, it reached 6 million yen (40,500 USD), and by FY2023, it climbed to approximately 8 million yen (54,000 USD).

Through this campaign, your donations will directly support covering the travel expenses for Participants, helping them overcome financial barriers to join our program.

For over 50 years, ARI has been able to continue its mission thanks to your generous support. Your contributions have empowered countless community leaders to bring sustainable change to rural areas worldwide. We humbly ask for your continued support as we work together to equip the next generation of leaders.

Click here to make a donation: https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/easter2025

There are also opportunities to connect with us in person! Join us for the Opening Ceremony (April 12) and Used Book Market (April 18-26).
All are welcome to come and meet our new Participants and be a part of this exciting season.

Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.