Want to take a break from your daily work or studies for a while?Thinking about how you want to live your life?Want to encounter things you’ve never experienced before? Volunteering at ARI is a perfect opportunity for you! Why not
Want to take a break from your daily work or studies for a while?
Thinking about how you want to live your life?
Want to encounter things you’ve never experienced before?
Volunteering at ARI is a perfect opportunity for you!
Why not take part in our work while living an agriculture-centered life in a multicultural community?
There are many ways to get involved, including farm work, cooking, office work, and more!
Duration: 2 months to 1 year (preference given to those who can stay 9 months or longer)
Start period: Year-round
Application deadline: One month before your desired start date
For details and how to apply: Please see the link below.
Volunteer – Asian Rural Institute
5 participants of MESA (Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture) program are currently taking part in a short-term training at ARI.
This program brings together people working in the agricultural sector in the United States. Participants include individuals who have worked for years on farms that practice seed collection, those working on organic farms, and the accompanying professor who teaches agroecology. They are interested in the organic farming, community, and leadership practices implemented at ARI. They study and work on the farm together with ARI participants and occasionally attending sessions just for themselves. They also share their experiences and learn from one another during breaks.
(By Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director / Curriculum Assistant)
Our participants’ May essay topic was “Food,” and it truly highlighted their interest in nutrition! My nutrition classes aim to add a valuable dietary perspective to the agriculture and community improvement work that many participants are already doing, making their efforts even more impactful.
Participants started by reflecting on their own daily meals, learning everything from the basics of a balanced diet to climate-resilient, nutrient-rich crops, as well as the specific nutritional needs of different genders and age groups. Of course, the real practice happens outside the classroom through daily cooking and eating three meals a day.
My hope is that the participants will deeply understand the importance of nutrition through both knowledge and hands-on experience and ultimately use what they’ve learned to uplift their communities.
(By Ikumi Kanamori, a staff member of Foodlife, FEAST)
The 3rd Organic School Lunch Forum is coming to Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, on Saturday, July 25th, and Sunday, July 26th! This inspiring event will feature an incredible lineup of speakers, including Hiroyuki Tateno, the President of the Rice Research Center, along with various sectional meetings and organic farm tours showcasing cutting-edge organic school lunch and environmental initiatives from Japan and South Korea.
We are especially thrilled to announce that Yoshihiro Kimijima (Kimiji)—a former ARI volunteer from the class of 2010—will be a featured speaker alongside his peers!
Kimiji wears many hats: he runs “Tsukinoco,” a cozy farmhouse stay and natural yeast bakery in Motegi-Machi, Tochigi, while also inspiring the next generation as a Garden Teacher for Edible Schoolyard Japan and serving as an official “Life with Agriculture” Advisor for Tochigi Prefecture.
Sectional Meeting: “Edible Schoolyard: How Can We Create Learning Opportunities About Food, Agriculture, and the Environment with Children?”
Time: Saturday, July 25th, 16:00 – 18:00
Advance registration is required to attend. For more details and to sign up, please visit the official website:
https://www.city.oyama.tochigi.jp/sangyou-sigoto/nougyou/page008968.html
Early in 2025 I had the chance to spend some days with our Graduate Roy David. During that time, I learned, first hand, about the plight of the Adivasi people of India, also known the forest dwellers, or tribals. Roy David spent his whole life advocating for the rights of the Adivasi, never fearing danger nor seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Last month, I came to find out those days were more precious than I could imagine, because I will never see him again. He passed away of a heart attack May 16, 2026.
You can relive my time with Roy David on days 8-12 of the Travelogue, South India and Uttarakhand, in the Rural Leaders Blog.
https://ari.ac.jp/en/blog/ruralleaders/travelogue/south-india-and-uttarakhand
(By Steven Cutting, ARI Graduate Outreach)
ARI community came together to participate in the rice transplanting activity. At ARI, we believe that community means working together, sharing responsibilities, learning from one another, and supporting each other with respect and care.
During the rice transplanting process, people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds worked side by side. Each person brought unique experiences, leadership qualities, ideas, and strengths. We listened carefully to the instructions, cooperated throughout the entire process, and supported one another from beginning to end. Through teamwork and mutual encouragement, we successfully completed the work while enjoying the experience together.
Rice is one of the most important staple foods in the world, providing daily nourishment for billions of people. By transplanting rice seedlings, we are contributing to the growth of a crop that sustains families and communities. This activity reminded us of the importance of patience, hard work, teamwork, and respect for nature.
More than planting rice, we were planting seeds of friendship, understanding, and community spirit. Every seedling we planted represents hope, food security, cooperation, and a brighter future for all.
When we plant rice together, we are not only growing food—we are growing hope, friendship, and a stronger community.
(By Rice Transplanting Coordinator: Sujana, Naing)
Participants successfully completed their first presentations at ARI! Their presentations explored the issues they hope to address in their communities, the work they are doing with their Sending Body organizations, and what they hope to gain during their time at ARI.
Some of the key issues that stood out included the need for safe and nutritious food grown without chemicals, safeguarding minority communities, and increasing income generation, among others.
There were many original and creative presentations that highlighted both their deep passion for their communities and their strong community engagement skills. As Curriculum Coordinator, I was especially impressed by how, in just eight minutes, each presenter was able to transport us into their community and help us understand both its challenges and its strengths.
I also felt that their presentations—and the hopes they carry for what they want to learn at ARI—were a call, one that we as an ARI community are invited to respond to together.
On May 12th, I attended the 43rd Niwano Peace Prize Presentation Ceremony held at the International House of Japan. This year’s recipient is Mr. Benki Piyãko, a spiritual leader of the Asháninka indigenous people from the Brazilian Amazon. He is also widely recognized as an environmental activist, human rights defender, and social entrepreneur.
The Niwano Peace Foundation stated the following as the reason for his selection:
“The people of this region have endured immeasurable hardships caused by the destruction of the forests and the damage inflicted by invaders. For the past 15 years, Mr. Piyãko has led numerous initiatives for environmental protection and reforestation to defend the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous inhabitants. His unwavering dedication will surely be carried forward long into the future in our collective fight against climate change. As a guardian of the environment, his efforts to nurture the bond between humanity and nature resonate far beyond his local community, influencing people across the globe.”
Mr. Piyãko took the stage adorned in traditional attire, his face painted with red pigments and his head graced with a magnificent crown of bird feathers. Wearing a long ethnic robe that reached his feet, he first looked up toward the firmament to offer a prayer.
He began his address with these words: “Thank you for standing with me at the doorway to life.”
Although Mr. Piyãko does not read or write, his words seemed to possess a mystical power that guided us toward a spiritual communion.
“Those who love life, love the land.” “The spirits have no words, but they have bonds.” “We must protect our wisdom and pass it on to the next generation.” Each of his words had a crystalline resonance that seemed to permeate the entire hall.
As I serve as a director of the Niwano Peace Foundation, I was entrusted with the role of Master of Ceremonies for this ceremony. Thanks to this opportunity, I was blessed with the distinct honor of speaking directly with Mr. Piyãko and even taking a photograph with him.
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This is where the community gathers to share meals and fellowship together. More than just a dining hall, it also serves as a venue for events, meetings, and learning activities. Koinonia is a Greek word meaning “fellowship” or “sharing.”
At peak times, meals are prepared for as many as 100 people at once. Students, staff, and volunteers all take part in cooking and meal preparation. The kitchen is not only a place for preparing food but also a space for learning, serving others, and building relationships within the community.
Participants attend classes in these classrooms throughout the training program. The library contains a wide range of English and Japanese books, audiovisual materials, and magazines covering agriculture, social issues, community development, and many other fields of study.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.
Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.
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.
The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.
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.
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.”
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 are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.
