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
A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your incredible support and encouragement! Our Spring Campaign, which began in March, has finally reached its final day.
The Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is a community where rural leaders from Asia, Africa, and around the world gather to build a society where we can truly “Live Together.” Your generous donations provide the vital strength needed to support their studies in social issues and leadership, as well as their hands-on training on our organic farm.
Your single step today connects to a giant leap for leaders who will transform the future of rural villages worldwide.
Thank you so much for your support.
This spring, ARI is reflecting on climate change through the stories of our graduates.
For our third feature, we highlight ARI’s activity for climate change.
At ARI, we have the Climate Change Action Committee, a voluntary group of staff members which include our director. They work on various projects to protect the environment, both within ARI and in the local community.
Key achievements from last year include:
• Creating educational panels about Hügelkultur*.
• Reducing plastic use in agricultural activities.
Manosi Abe Chatterjee, our Curriculum Coordinator and a committee member, says:
Moving forward, the committee plans even more unique projects, such as better utilizing the forest next to ARI and raising funds through recycling. We hope to achieve our actions and uphold our committee’s motto: “Slow, Simple, Small”.
Slow = follow the rhythm of nature
Simple = understand what is enough
Small = act locally
*Hügelkultur comes from the German word for “hill or mound culture” It is a farming method where you grow vegetables and plants by layering logs, branches, leaves, and compost into a mound.
☆ Easter & Spring Fundraising Campaign
Join us to support leaders who work to heal wounded land!
https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/a-time-to-heal-spring-2026
We are excited to announce that our Spring Used Book Market has officially begun!
Come browse a huge selection of books and discover delicious products from ARI.
Fri, April 17 – Sat, 25 *Closed on Sun, April 19
OPEN11:00-16:00
On Saturdays and Wednesday, we’ll be serving our famous Curry and Chai!
Special Event: Ohinata Marche (Tomorrow, April 18)
Tomorrow only, the beloved local Ohinata Marche joins us at the book market.
At the ARI booth, we are excited to offer fresh, never-frozen pork blocks! You can also enjoy a variety of goods from eight wonderful local vendors, including Kotori Coffee, Nashimoto Oil Shop, and Asha. In the afternoon, please join us for a special poetry reading by Arthur Binard.
This collaborative event is for one day only, so don’t miss this wonderful opportunity!
Check the link for more details: https://ari.ac.jp/en/used-book-market-spring-2026/
This spring, ARI is reflecting on climate change through the stories of our community. For our third feature, we highlight John Nyondo (Class of 1983) and Judith Daka (Class of 2001), a dedicated couple working in Zambia.
Facing a severe food crisis caused by intense droughts, John and Judith are applying the organic farming techniques they learned at ARI to sustain their community. Their inspiring journey was recently featured in Asahi Shimbun Digital “with Planet” (April 7th).
Article Title:“Changing the Soil to Save Lives: Japanese Organic Farming in Food-Crisis-Stricken Zambia (Part 1)”
We extend our deepest gratitude to journalist Mr. Ken Fujitani for traveling to Zambia to capture and share their powerful story.
Read the feature article (Japanese): https://www.asahi.com/withplanet/article/16479021
☆ Easter & Spring Fundraising Campaign
Join us to support leaders who work to heal wounded land!
https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/a-time-to-heal-spring-2026
As I hear about the increasingly chaotic state of world affairs and the various news stories where life is treated with such disregard, my heart grows heavier and heavier… However, at the recent opening ceremony, I was able to regain my hope. “They will beat their swords into plowshares / and their spears into pruning hooks. / Nation will not take up sword against nation, / nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). Ms. Mochizuki from Zenkoku Tomo-no-Kai, who delivered the congratulatory address, quoted this biblical passage displayed at the United Nations Headquarters and shared with us the importance of working toward «peace from the soil ».
Hearts that yearn for peace, hearts that continue to seek the wisdom of living together, hearts that wish to cherish the earth and food… There are people connected by the same heart and soul, and ARI’s mission is supported by such people. Convinced of this, it was a wonderful day when I felt a refreshing breeze. I was also very happy that local high school students attended the ceremony.
April 9th was the day we’d all been waiting for—Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) day!
After finishing our morning class and work, we hopped on a bus to a nearby park. We enjoyed a delicious lunch made with love, followed by relaxing walks under the cherry trees and energetic games like soccer and volleyball.
To wrap up the afternoon was all about bonding! We had a blast with group activities: a puzzle race to piece together the ARI Mission Statement, a high-speed name-guessing game, and “value-sharing” sessions where we explored each other’s perspectives.
It was a wonderful day to deepen our friendships and get to know one another even better!
On the pleasant day of Saturday, April 11th, our 54th opening ceremony was successfully held for 22 incoming participants and 2 training assistants (TA). After the participants and TAs delivered their self-introductions in their newly acquired Japanese, we were privileged to hear inspiring congratulatory addresses from the city mayor of Nasushiobara, Mr. Michitaro Watanabe, Ms. Nobuko Mochizuki from Zenkoku Tomo-no-Kai, and ARI Chairman of the Board, Toshimasa Yamamoto.
We extend our deepest thanks to all scholarship foundations, supporters, and members of the ARI family around the world for your prayers and well-wishes.
We look forward to your continued partnership and support in the coming year!
What kind of images come to mind when you hear this theme? While everyone’s personal experience with climate change may vary, this spring, we hope to reflect together on global issues and consider what we can do in our daily lives.
Throughout this month, we will be featuring stories of our graduates and ARI’s own initiatives to tackle environmental challenges.
Our second story features Catherine Mtambo (2012 ARI Graduate).
Catherine from Malawi, aims to “move people from dependence to independence.” she works with 102 rural area groups of about 25 members each and regularly visits families in their homes to teach them about sanitation, business, and integrated household farming. One of their creative initiatives is planting trees.
Wandering around the village, we soon found the tree nursery, where they are growing Acacia, Mtete, Ndia, Atanga, and Guava – all local trees. This activity started in 2020, and everyone is happy about how much trees have improved their lives. “Here, every house has a tree” and every household plants five trees a year. They provide shade and serve as windbreaks. Some have fruits or medicinal properties. Branches can be trimmed for firewood, fencing, or roof thatch. Seeds can be sold and leaves become compost! There is nothing bad about planting trees and the only thing that limits their numbers is they don’t have enough tree tubes for the seedlings! “The relationship between people and trees is very important. That’s why we plant.”
Everyone has a backyard garden complete with banana trees, and people readily share the suckers (needed to plant more bananas). Why do they do this? “Because nature was meant to be shared,” they shouted.
(Excerpt from “Rural Leaders: Malawi, Day 15 by Steven Cutting)
☆ Easter & Spring Fundraising Campaign
Join us to support leaders who work to heal wounded land!
https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate/a-time-to-heal-spring-2026
【Series of the articles】
Living Kindly on Wounded Land: Our Initiatives ① Roy David (India)
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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.
