The Latest

ARI Graduates gathered at the ECHO conference held in Thailand.

From the 22nd to 24th of October, ARI staff Osamu Arakawa and Steven Cutting attended the ECHO Conference on Agriculture and Community Development in Chiang Mai, Thailand and met over 20 graduates in fellowship and knowledge exchange.

Over the 2-day conference, experts, practitioners of the field, and interested people were able to attend workshops, plenary sessions, and direct demonstration on ECHO’s farm, deepening their understanding and sharing their knowledge about community development and agriculture practices.

Osamu emphasized the importance and opportunities of collaborations between ARI and other networks, pointing out how ECHO provides an opportunity to bring together graduates and motivate them, while also profiting from ARI’s big network of graduates worldwide.

Many thanks to American Friends of ARI for the financial and logistical support.

[New Series] Launching This Week: “ARI Campus Scenes”!

Hello from ARI. Starting this week, we are launching a new series on our Facebook and Instagram Stories, capturing daily life on the ARI campus through photos!

“Daily Life” at ARI: A Charm That Captivates Many
We often receive wonderful comments from volunteers and visitors to ARI, such as: “I love the life and atmosphere here.” “It’s so healing to see the fields and the changing seasons.”
Therefore, to share this charm with more people and convey what ARI is like “right now,” we decided to deliver photos that capture ARI “in the moment,” such as:
Lush green campus scenery
Scenes from the fields where participants, staff, and volunteers work together
The beautiful, changing colors of the seasons
Our livestock animals
Snapshots of community life

Please enjoy the “atmosphere” and “daily rhythms” of ARI—things that cannot be fully conveyed in words alone—through our Stories.

▼ View our Stories via our profile (icon) on each platform. You can also check our Highlights!
Instagram: [Instagram]
Facebook: [Facebook]

We hope you look forward to our daily posts!

The Used Book Market has started

Today, the fall Used Book Market started!

Best sellers, paperbacks, picture books art books, and many more, all donated from across Japan, will be available for 100 yen and up.

On November 1, 3, and 8, come enjoy Indian curry and chai produced by our skilled ARI chef.

Fall is the season for reading. Why not seek out new words in the quiet former Missionary House, away from the noisy world?

Fri, October 31 – Sat, November 8 *Closed on Sun, November 2

OPEN11:00-16:00

Venue: Former Missionary House (adjacent to Nasu Seminar House) 420-33, Tsukinukizawa, Nasushiobara, Tochigi

Indian Curry & Chai Sales November 1 (Sat), 3 (Mon), and 8 (Sat) *No curry or chai will be served on Fridays this time.

Curry: 700 yen

Chai: 300 yen

Bring your own tableware and get 50 yen off all menu items.

Books to donate are welcome!

Proceeds from the used book fair will be used for ARI’s training programs.

Disaster Preparedness Training at ARI

ARI conducts evacuation drills three times a year for the entire community.
For many international participants and volunteers, this is their first experience with disaster preparedness training.
Therefore, learning how to respond when a disaster strikes is critically important.

That day, following an evacuation drill, we conducted a shelter management simulation based on the scenario that ARI campus became an evacuation shelter. We thought together about the responses required in an emergency, using a game-like method.

Only 4 days left until the Used Book Market!

Best sellers, paperbacks, picture books art books, and many more, all donated from across Japan, will be available for 100 yen and up.
On November 1, 3, and 8, come enjoy Indian curry and chai produced by our skilled ARI chef.
Fall is the season for reading. Why not seek out new words in the quiet former Missionary House, away from the noisy world?

Fri, October 31 – Sat, November 8 *Closed on Sun, November 2
OPEN11:00-16:00
Venue: Former Missionary House (adjacent to Nasu Seminar House) 420-33, Tsukinukizawa, Nasushiobara, Tochigi

Indian Curry & Chai Sales November 1 (Sat), 3 (Mon), and 8 (Sat) *No curry or chai will be served on Fridays this time.
Curry: 700 yen
Chai: 300 yen
Bring your own tableware and get 50 yen off all menu items.

Books to donate are welcome!
Proceeds from the used book fair will be used for ARI’s training programs.

Life at ARI: The eyes of the people

We received wonderful photos taken by students at the Nippon Photography Institute in May.

Each year, they visit ARI for a week to live alongside the ARI community and practice their photo-taking skills.
Thank you so much for portraying ARI through your fresh, outside perspective!
We look forward to your visit next year!

The next issue of Take My Hand

This month, ARI will publish the next issue of its English-language newsletter, Take My Hand.

We’ll be looking at ARI participants and graduates working to nurture the next generation of rural leaders, thanks to the training they received at ARI.

Want to know more about how ARI’s leadership model impacts future generations? Receive the next issue with a donation to ARI’s US partner, American Friends of ARI. Follow this link to donate!
https://ari.ac.jp/en/donate-from-usa/

Thank you for coming to ARI Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration! 🌾

We were blessed with good weather, which had been our biggest concern, and HTC2025 was a great success. Hearing so much positive feedback from all of you has filled our entire team with happiness and a sense of accomplishment.

It also provided an excellent opportunity for us to put the servant leadership we have learned into practice. Although there were occasional clashes, as everyone was giving their absolute best, it was an HTC full of learning. We discovered new sides to our teammates and even learned about our own previously unknown strengths.

Now, this year’s participants are set to graduate in about two months. While we are sad to leave ARI and the friends we have spent this time with, we hope you will look forward to our future endeavors around the world after graduation! (HTC Coordinator Naoshi Kawatsuki)