Eighty-one years have passed since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.Today, we’d like to share a message from Mr. Thomas Mathew, a graduate of ARI from India, who visited Hiroshima during the WJST in 1988—an experience that profoundly influenced
On June 18, we were thrilled to welcome over 20 members of the Industry Co-Creation (ICC) community and local friends to ARI! ICC is a network of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and producers from across Japan who gather to learn and co-create new industries.
As part of their fieldwork in the Nasu area, they also made a stop at ARI.
Associate Director Oyanagi and I guided them on a campus tour, introducing ARI’s daily learning and sustainable practices. Following this, Tomoko Arakawa, our Managing Director, shared ARI’s philosophy of “Servant Leadership” and discussed the challenges we face.
We received wonderful feedback and inspiring ideas from the members, such as:
“Servant Leadership is exactly what modern corporate management needs.”
Potential collaboration for corporate training programs.
New ways to share our graduates’ stories.
For over 50 years, ARI has nurtured learning for living together. Inspired by these new connections, we will continue to share our values with the world! Thank you so much to everyone who visited us!
(By Takashi Yamashita, Head of Fundraising and Domestic programs)
At our recent “Morning Gathering,” I shared my thoughts on “the meaning of waiting.” While I am by no means good at “waiting,” I have come to understand its importance at various turning points in my life.
During a tree-planting project in Tanzania I participated in my twenties, I learned the hard way that because we prioritized efficiency and immediate results, the trees we brought and planted failed to take root in that land or among the people. In contrast, native trees grow slowly but steadily extend their roots until they reach the groundwater, and thereafter, they bring blessings to that land for a long time.
Waiting for things that seem incomprehensible at first glance. Waiting in situations that seem to offer nothing but suffering. Even now, I am not good at waiting. However, I feel that what shaped me and deepened and strengthened the roots of my life were those times of “waiting” when things did not go as I had hoped.
With the cooperation of the Ecumenical Relations Committee of the National Federation of UCCJ Women’s Society, ARI has been running the “Kyodan Homestay Program” in the Tokyo metropolitan area since 1973. In June, just as the participants are starting to get used to life at ARI and begin to feel homesick, it all begins with the simple phrase, “Let’s go to ‘Japan’!”
Rather than expecting anything special, host families welcome our participants as if they were “a daughter or son studying in Tochigi who has come home for the weekend.”
Some participants shared their fun memories with us: “I rode the subway!” “After church, I went to see the ocean.” “I helped wash the dishes.” “I went to a park—I forgot the name, though.” “I was surprised at how energetic they were, even though they were over 90!” “They taught me how to count in Japanese: ‘ichi, ni, san…’” and so on.
(By Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director / Curriculum Assistant)
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)
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.
