Interview with Mr. Shinobu Namae (Chef of Michelin 3-star restaurant “L’Effervescence”, Supervisor of bakery “bricolage”)

ARI Family Series Vol. 3 Mr. Shinobu Namae (Crowdfunding Project Supporter)

We spoke with supporter Shinobu Namae to coincide with our autumn crowdfunding campaigns. Mr. Namae is the chef of Michelin 3-star restaurant L’Effervescence and supervises the bakery Bricolage.

Please check the ARI crowdfunding project: https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari

• Thank you for your support of our crowdfunding campaign. In the past, you have donated proceeds from events to ARI, and you also supported our travel expenses campaign in July. What was the impetus for your support of ARI?

I didn’t know about the July campaign until I saw the Instagram of my friend Shina Tsuyuki, an environmental activist whom I respect and admire very much. I am deeply supportive and hopeful of her activities and have been influenced by her.

Her sincere message resonated with me, so I decided to support ARI crowdfunding.

• You have used ARI’s pork at events before. How did you hear about ARI?

My relationship with ARI originated with my connection to the Nasu area, because of the many producers from whom I purchase ingredients for our restaurants.

We purchase vegetables from Narusawa Vegetable Garden and Kaneko Farm. We get strawberries from the nearby Ezure Farm. We get dairy from Shirin no Bokujo Farm and Ima Farm (Mr. Takahashi). The miso I use at home is prepared every year at Hinoya Miso shop.

Also, I am a personal fan of Rakuda bakery, which is also associated with ARI, and I collaborated with them at a festival hosted by Shozo. Rakuda baked bread for us when I opened our own stall then.

We had two dinner events at Chus about 5~6 years ago. On those occasions, we were able to purchase pork from ARI.

• You are traveling all over the world with your passion for food and your commitment to various social issues. Could you tell us about what drives your work at L’Effervescence?

L’Effervescence is a restaurant. The word “restaurant” means “recovery” in French. We imagine our restaurant as a “place to recover” or “a place to cheer up”. Our restaurant is a place where our cuisine can revitalize and restore the spirits of our guests.

• ARI grows organic vegetables as part of its training of rural leaders. Since our food is for self-sufficiency, it is not in “perfect” shape and has some insect bites. How do these vegetables look to you, Mr. Namae?

Food can be divided into two categories. One category has a rich flavor by itself and is tasty when tasted as is. The other is something that can be modified to bring out its potential value. I like delicious food. People want to eat a variety of delicious foods. In a region like Japan, which is long and varied from north to south, there is a wide variety of delicious ingredients.

ARI’s ingredients also have their own cooking methods. I believe that the chef’s skill lies in cooking in a way that suits the ingredients.

• You seem to be committed to environment and social issues. How did you gain awareness of these issues?

I majored in political science in university and was interested mainly in the politics and history of developing countries. I think the root of my interest is the question, “Why is the world so unfair?” Over time, I have developed a certain interpretation – remembering that there are some differences within the social structure of a free society – that the important thing is to respect and help others.

I believe that the ability to respect and help others has contributed to the development of human society on earth. There are many different ways for each person to do this, but as society becomes more individualized and isolated, we need many suggestions on how each person can interact with society and make it better and more sustainable. I believe that many people are at a loss as to what to do.

When we hold charity events at our restaurants, many people agree with us. We would like to continue “fostering a sense of place” in such opportunities.

ARI’s Peace from the Soil and That We May Live Together

Thoughts from an interview with Mr. Namae

Fermentation, L’Effervescence, and ARI

Speaking with Mr. Namae was like hearing one long tale, about the various connections based on Nasu area food, weaved together with connections to issues with Ms. Tsuyuki and his own considerations of fairness. It made sense that those who support charity at the restaurant would sympathize with him.

Mr. Namae spoke about fostering a sense of place. The French word “Effervescence” means fermentation in addition to vivacity, unbridled excitement, and bubbling. The name of the restaurant, L’Effervescence, reflects this meaning.

Fermentation is also an important concept at ARI.

We make use of fermentation when we use local resources that we receive from neighbors who help us. For example, we nourish our pigs and chickens with fermented feed made from local bean curd from a local tofu maker, and school lunch residues from the local elementary school, as well as from our own school kitchen.

ARI participants learn about integrated farming, including the use of indigenous microorganisms collected from the forest to make bokashi fertilizer. ARI is aided by these local resources and practices as a community for rural leaders to learn from and bring back to their own communities.

Food Sovereignty and Peace from the Soil

ARI’s food self-sufficiency rate is over 90%. We consider food sovereignty on the basis of this practice. ARI’s concept of food sovereignty is the right to choose for ourselves what to grow, what to eat, and how to live.

The process of choosing what we eat for ourselves, looking beyond food sovereignty to energy sovereignty, will become a part of our participants’ lives as they return to their home countries and face the oppressed in the midst of starvation and civil war.

Fermentation occupies a significant place in the cycle of life that supports this process. We could even consider that Mr. Namae, who uses ARI’s ingredients, may have already joined the ARI cycle. Also, all of our supporters who eat and live together with us are part of this cycle.

ARI describes this process as peace from the soil, and we seek world peace by living and eating together with oppressed people and farmers who stand on the soil. ARI seeks to nurture grassroots leaders who will, in turn, foster self-reliant communities in rural areas of the world, confronting social challenges such as hunger, poverty, and conflict. We do this by embodying and systematizing the cycle of food and life into a training program.

Similar to what ARI expresses in its motto as That We May Live Together, Mr. Namae says to respect and help others, and gives form to this expression in L’Effervescence or Bricolage, where we eat together.

Please support ARI’s crowdfunding campaign to enhance the environment for developing leaders to create “peace from the soil” in developing countries.

Shinobu Namae Crowdfunding Message of Support

For ARI’s philosophy of building world peace, we at Effervescence enthusiastically support this project.

Shinobu Namae｜L’Effervescence Chef / Bricolage bread & co. Supervisor

———- ——— ————————-

Restaurant L’Effervescence is a fervent supporter of ARI’s philosophy of building world peace. We share with ARI a belief in the importance of agriculture and food to realize world peace, and we actively practice methods of regenerating an exhausted nature, society, and culture through our daily restaurant business. We treasure growing together, sharing wisdom and joy, and treating others with kindness. We are ready to continue collaborating to build a brighter future. We hope you will join us in supporting our efforts.

———- ——— ————————-

Biography

Born: February 16,1973 BirthPlace: Yokohama

1996

graduated from university (political science of developing countries) and started working as a chef

2003

joined “Michel BRAS TOYA Japon” （and staging at Laguiole/ France)

2005

became Sous chef of “Michel BRAS TOYA Japon”

2008

joined “The Fat Duck” in Bray, Berkshire, England, as Sous chef / pastry

2009

back to Japon

2010

opened Restaurant “L’Effervescence”

Reference

L’Effervescence +81 (0)3 5766 9500 (leffervescence.jp)

Bricolage bread ＆ co. -ブリコラージュ ブレッド＆カンパニー

narusawa saien – 無農薬野菜　成澤菜園 (jimdofree.com)

農のいえ 金子

森林ノ牧場 – 那須の自然と人とジャージー牛の牧場

那須高原今牧場｜今牧場チーズ工房

那須の味噌日野屋

RAKUDA(@rakuda.b) • Instagram写真と動画

SHOZO COFFEE

Chus チャウス | おいしい・たのしい・があつまる。那須の大きな食卓。

ARI has launched two commemorative crowdfunding campaigns.

ARI has launched two commemorative crowdfunding campaigns.

We are running an international travel support campaign on GlobalGiving https://goto.gg/60943 .

In Japan, we are running a campaign to support training and educational content on ReadyFor https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari !

– Summary from GlobalGiving Project –

Donations to this project are eligible for a 50% match as part of the September 2023 Little by Little campaign! until September 22, 2023, at 23:59:59 EDT

https://goto.gg/60943

Support Rural Leaders in Training Connections

by American Friends of Asian Rural Institute

Transportation is the most significant barrier to attending the Rural Leaders Training Program. Without funds to support travel to the Asian Rural Institute, rural leaders cannot participate and transformation cannot occur.

Eight out of ten participants return to become rural leaders implementing sustainable agricultural strategies in their community, impacting hundreds. Travel is the first step in building leadership in sustainable agricultural development, the building block of society.

Please use this as one of the means to walk together in the circle of ARI together! We look forward to your participation.

\\ ARI’s 50th anniversary echoes loudly! Today, Thursday, September 28, 9:40AM Japanese radio program “OH! HAPPY MORNING” interview onair //

In two newspaper articles published on Monday, September 25, Director, Tomoko Arakawa, spoke about ARI’s goal of peace.

Our unwavering mission is to continue our spirit of sharing – both food and life with all who come to ARI. Peace at ARI is best experienced through this perspective of placing importance in “eating” and “living”. The seeds of ARI’s peace are planted and shared by “servant leaders” (leaders who serve) who practice “equality” and “deep listening” which we hope will take root in rural communities around the world.

Raimei Sho, an editorial in the Shimotsuke Shimbun on September 26 (Tue.), introduced the founder, Toshihiro Takami, as an “indomitable fighter” whose passion has been passed on to the graduates and staff of the institute.

To share about this continued passion to reach out to rural communities, ARI staff, Kai Shinoda will also be interviewed about the 50th anniversary and crowdfunding efforts on the JFN radio program “OH! HAPPY MORNING” on Thursday, September 28 at 9:40 a.m.

https://audee.jp/program/show/27266

Summarized from Interview of Tomoko Arakawa, Shimotsuke Shimbun titled “50th Anniversary of ARI,” and lecture at Takasaki Church of the United Church of Christ Japan (UCCJ) on September 24 (Sunday), covered by Jomo Shimbun.

Seven days have passed!! commemorative crowdfunding campaigns are underway!

ARI has launched two commemorative crowdfunding campaigns.

We are running an international travel support campaign on GlobalGiving https://goto.gg/60943.

In Japan, we are running a campaign to support training and educational content on ReadyFor https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari!

– Summary from GlobalGiving Project –

Donations to this project are eligible for a 50% match as part of the September 2023 Little by Little campaign!  until September 22, 2023, at 23:59:59 EDT

https://goto.gg/60943

Support Rural Leaders in Training Connections

by American Friends of Asian Rural Institute

Transportation is the most significant barrier to attending the Rural Leaders Training Program. Without funds to support travel to the Asian Rural Institute, rural leaders cannot participate and transformation cannot occur. Eight out of ten participants return to become rural leaders implementing sustainable agricultural strategies in their community, impacting hundreds. Travel is the first step in building leadership in sustainable agricultural development, the building block of society.

Please use this as one of the means to walk together in the circle of ARI together!

We look forward to your participation.

September 18-22 — ARI Crowdfunding Matching Campaign!! 🏆🌾

This week, ARI crowdfunding matching campagin will commence. Donations will be matched 50% until September 22!

Since 1973, the Asian Rural Institute has been training leaders from around the world on how to make sustainable impacts in their community. Our graduates build peaceful, resilient societies. They grow local food through organic agriculture, and facilitate community development across diverse cultures.

Our three values of foodlife, servant leadership, and a community of learning are what the world has come to require even more in these times of great uncertainty. This year marks 50 years of triumphs and struggles, and we hope for 50 years of more good work, and another 1,300 graduates of our program. To make this a possibility, your financial support is highly appreciated.

During September 18~22, Global Giving will match 50% of donations to ARI! Each contribution, big or small, that you make this week helps us tremendously! Many thanks to our US partner American Friends of Asian Rural Institute for facilitating this campaign.

Follow this link to our Global Giving page, and please share with your friends!

50th Anniversary Foundation Day! Ceremony live-streaming now! Crowd Funding Started!

The 50th Anniversary Ceremony is now being live-streamed.

・Program：
13:00-13:45　50th Anniversary Worship Service
Preach：Rev Robert Witmer, UC Canada (Former Director of Theological Seminary for Rural Mission）
14:00-15:45　50th Anniversary Commemorial Service
Keynote Speech：Ardhendu Chatterjee (India, 1976 ARI graduate, Founder of  DRCSC), Tomoko Arakawa (Current Director of ARI)

Commemorative crowdfunding has started!

If you would like to support ARI with a small donation and spread the word, we will be collecting donations through the NGO-focused crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving. Funds will be used to support future participants’ travel costs. https://goto.gg/60943.

For those within Japan with Japanese credit cards, the platform ReadyFor is crowdfunding for educational support costs. https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari (Japanese only)

Finally, ARI hosts many commemoritave and collaborative projects on and off campus. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact us at [email protected].

Please use this as one of the means to walk together in the circle of ARI! We look forward to your participation.

The 50th anniversary celebration and crowdfunding begins tomorrow at 12:45pm!

After years of ideas and preparation, tomorrow will officially mark the 50th anniversary of ARI.

We have worked together for fifty years with our brothers and sisters, leaders of rural communities around the world, to build a future of peaceful, sustainable rural life. This year, we have imagined this effort under the motto of, “Learning Together for a Rural Future”, divided amongst five broad areas: “Peace from the soil,” “Foodlife,” “Climate justice and climate action,” “Education,” and “Organization”. For this year’s celebration, we have envisioned the future fifty years of ARI, step by step.

Guest speakers and graduates from around the world have arrived, participants this year are hard at work preparing their local dishes to enjoy with our guests, and decorations from regions all over decorate Koinonia, ARI’s dining hall. The whole campus is aflutter with preparations.

While we would love to have the whole ARI community with us on campus, we understand many people come from far away, so we have prepared a live-streaming service for the event. Please join us online with the global ARI community.

https://ari.ac.jp/en/50th-anniv

50th Anniversary Commemorative Site

If you would like to support ARI with a small donation and spread the word, we will be collecting donations through the NGO-focused crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving. Funds will be used to support future participants’ travel costs. https://goto.gg/60943.

For those within Japan with Japanese credit cards, the platform ReadyFor is crowdfunding for educational support costs. https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari (Japanese only)

Finally, ARI hosts many commemoritave and collaborative projects on and off campus. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact us at [email protected].

Please use this as one of the means to walk together in the circle of ARI! We look forward to your participation.

Two days to go! Preparations are well underway for the 50th anniversary ceremony and the release of the second crowdfunding campaign!

We are just two days away from our 50th Anniversary Ceremony on Saturday, September 16th.

ARI graduates and their families, 18 in total, have arrived safely at ARI to attend the 50th Anniversary Ceremony!

Their nostalgic visit back is a great opportunity for our past and present to interact on a campus that has changed since they were here.

Please take a look at the live online streaming of the ceremony! Please click the link below to access the site!

ホーム

・Program：
13:00-13:45　50th Anniversary Worship Service
Preach：Rev Robert Witmer, UC Canada (Former Director of Theological Seminary for Rural Mission）
14:00-15:45　50th Anniversary Commemorial Service
Keynote Speech：Ardhendu Chatterjee (India, 1976 ARI graduate, Founder of  DRCSC), Tomoko Arakawa (Current Director of ARI)

In conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Celebration, we will also launch a campaign on domestic and international crowdfunding platforms.

In Japan, ReadyFor https://readyfor.jp/projects/ari is a campaign to support training and educational content,

Overseas, GlobalGiving https://goto.gg/60943 will be raising funds through a campaign to support travel expenses. Please join us!

We also have many commemorative and collaborative projects both on and off campus.

If you are interested, please contact us at [email protected].