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
“Nutritious meals nourish both body and soul.”
So says Debora, an ARI graduate who now volunteers. She repeated these words carefully and emphatically, time and again.
For Debora, eating is not merely an act of survival. It is a vital practice that cultivates inner peace.
In a painting she created, vibrant fruits like mangoes, bananas, and dragon fruit—grown in her homeland of Indonesia—are vividly depicted.
Being nourished—it nurtures not only the body but also the soul, and it creates connections between people.
This simple yet truly vital lesson is what we are learning from Debora.
Interviewed & Written by Konoha Yamanaka (ARI Volunteer)
Click here to read the series of articles
“Peace from Food” Cooking for Peace Vol. 1
“Peace from Food” Cooking for Peace Vol. 2
“Peace from Food” Cooking for Peace Vol. 3 ← Now, you’re here.
We have uploaded more details about the Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (HTC) on the following page. Please check it out!
Here is the information on the above page.
Dates: October 18 & 19 (Sat & Sun) 10:00-15:30
Theme: Sowing the seed of love for a peaceful tomorrow
Time Schedule:
10:00 Entry open
10:15-11:15 Harvest thanksgiving worship
11:30-15:30 Food stall, stage performances, games, etc. open
Shuttle Buses:
Departure from Nasushiobara Sta. West Exit (bus rotary): 09:45
Departure from ARI: 15:30 and 16:30
Parking: Karino Kominkan (Tsukinukizawa 231, Nasushiobara, Tochigi)
Shuttle buses are available to the venue.
* Please bring your own tableware.
Cooking together, sharing laughter, and working hand in hand—
a meal made with many hearts brings more than just nourishment.
This month, the FEAST members, who regularly prepare delicious meals for the Koinonia Dining Hall,
are leading an art project called “Cooking for Peace”
Through their artwork, they express the idea of peace through food.
Each piece reflects a unique perspective—please take a moment to explore their creations!
https://ari.ac.jp/peace-from-food-cooking-for-peace-vol-1/?ari=news
Once a week, as a special feature, we will share messages from supporters of ARI.
In this fifth installment, we introduce a “Food is …” message from Rev. Jeffrey Mensendiek, at J. F. Oberlin University.
“Food is… Life with Dignity”
For me, food is life with dignity. Food brings security and is a fundamental source of peace.
At Asian Rural Institute, we have been offering the Dignity Workshop for eight years as part of our curriculum for participants. The workshop is led by Associate Professor and University Chaplain Jeffrey Mensendiek of Obirin University, who is also the translator of Donna Hicks’ book Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict (published in Japanese as 尊厳のリーダーシップ by Shobunsha).
Dignity Workshop held at ARI: Japanese-Language Dignity Workshop – Asian Rural Institute
Peace from Food Donation Campaign
August 1(Fri) – September 21(Sun), 2025
Campaign site: https://ari.ac.jp/donate/peace2025/en?ari=news
From August 1, Asian Rural Institute is running the “Peace from Food” Donation Campaign.
Throughout the month of August and September, 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.
Participants accompanied by staff visited two areas of Yamagata. – Shonai region, and Okitama region. Both groups enjoyed learning from farmers with long experience in organic farming and community development. Some were surprised about low input compost, others about the involvement of women in farming and food processing, and overall each participant was inspired by the passion and commitment of the people. The two groups later met in Iwate to learn more about Permaculture and livestock raising. It is important to note that climate change is a critical and growing concern for farmers. Our hope is that this learning trip continues to be a space for both our participants and hosts to share information and ways to adapt in these conditions. We are grateful for each farmer, organization and school that welcomed us warmly.
In the heat and humidity of mid-summer, working outside on the farm becomes a great challenge — so much so, that ARI arranges its schedule to take advantage of cooler times.
In July and August, weekdays start at 5am, a practice we call “Sunrise Farm”. Each morning, we harvest vegetables and pull weeds while it’s still cool, helping to reduce physical strain, then take a rest when the sun is strongest.
Sometimes it’s tough heading out so early, but we’re happy to feel the soft glow of the rising sun, and the awakening of life in our fields — what we’ve come to ARI to train for.
Before ARI, Mako Masukawa once worked in the kitchen of a top restaurant in Kyoto. Now, she volunteers at ARI, helping with meal preparation.
She shared: “If everyone could eat delicious food, I don’t think wars would happen.”
When she worked in high-end cuisine, Mako was always busy and had to push herself through work, even when experiencing deep frustration. After a certain point, she asked herself, “Was this the kind of cooking I truly wanted?” That moment led her to the decision to come to ARI. Now, as a volunteer, she faces “cooking” once more, continuing her search for the answer to the question, “What is ‘delicious’?”
This painting, created by Mako, embodies such thoughts.
For delicious food to be born, clean air, clean water, and clean soil are necessary. Cooking isn’t just about filling stomachs; it’s where the cook’s heart, the local environment, and wishes for peace all converge.
As these small thoughts accumulate, and from her hands that cook, a gentle peace spreads.
Interviewed & Written by Konoha Yamanaka (ARI Volunteer)
Click here to read the series of articles
“Peace from Food” Cooking for Peace Vol. 1
“Peace from Food” Cooking for Peace Vol. 2 ← Now, you’re here.
Once a week, as a special feature, we will share messages from supporters of ARI.
In this third installment, we introduce a “Food is …” message from Rika Mezura of Yotsuba Co-op.
“Food is… Life”
To me, food is what builds our minds and bodies. “Chisan-chisho,” or local production for local consumption, is what creates peace of mind. I believe that trust in our food comes not just from safety, but from being able to trace its story back to the source. To nurture healthy minds and bodies, to protect the value of what we eat, and to deliver true peace of mind to our customers, we put importance on local production for local consumption to ensure traceability.
What is Yotsuba Co-op? We promote direct-from-producer sales and local production for local consumption, delivering safe and trustworthy ingredients to your home. Based on our own unique product standards, we prioritize domestic products and exclude imported ingredients, food additives, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as much as possible.
Announcement Yotsuba Co-op will be participating in the Asian Rural Institute’s Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration Day. We invite all who are interested to attend. ARI Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration Day Announcement Page: https://ari.ac.jp/htc-2025/
Peace from Food Donation Campaign
Starting Friday, August 1, 2025!
Campaign website: https://ari.ac.jp/donate/peace2025/en?ari=news
From August 1, 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.
Watch all our online events again!
Join the ARI life with family and friends!
We're looking for on-campus volunteers
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.
