Every October, ARI holds HTC (Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration). This year, it will take place on October 17th (Sat) and 18th (Sun). HTC is a day to share the joy of the harvest with everyone and God, and for the participants,
Thank you for your warm support for our Christmas & Winter Donation Campaign!
The Winter Campaign at ARI has now come to a close. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your heartfelt donations and words of encouragement.
The contributions we received will be carefully used to support the activities of rural leaders from Asia, Africa, and beyond, as they learn together and work toward self-reliance.
This winter has been a poignant reminder that our journey toward “That We May Live Together” is made possible only through your steadfast support.
In the coming academic year, we will continue to move forward, step by step, on the path to peace rooted in the soil. We look forward to your continued support.
At ARI, alongside the nine‑month Rural Leaders Training Program, we also welcome trainees from a variety of organizations, including sending bodies of overseas graduates and the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers.
One student from the specialized agriculture Ainō High School, Ōsuke, has been training at ARI since last spring. On January 27, he presented the results of his learning to the community. While living alongside people from diverse cultural backgrounds, he deepened his studies on the farm, focusing especially on pig raising.
Another long‑term farm trainee this year, Kōshi, is a Catholic priest and a 2006 graduate of ARI. At a traditional farmhouse in Shinshū, he provides a place for farm work and community gatherings. To independently manage his own farm, he returned to ARI to learn how to operate agricultural machinery.
ARI Farm Manager Sakurai said of trainees like Ōsuke and Kōshi, “Eating is at the core of human being. There is no greater joy than producing the food you eat yourself. I want people with passion to come and learn as much as they can.”
As an open learning community, ARI will continue to offer learning opportunities to people from all walks of life in the coming year. Contact us if you are interested in training at ARI!
On January 17th, we successfully held ARI Friends Day with the generous support of many people. Thank you very much to everyone who attended!
Training Assistants Veh and Jeremiya hosted a talk session, where they shared stories of their powerful work and passion within rural communities in their home countries. Many attendees also enjoyed the cakes they made and sold as the culmination of their training.
Many first-time visitors participated in Tree Climbing®, immersing themselves in nature within our forest. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jun Tree Service for this programming.
Current working visitor Frisly Soberanis screened the short documentary film “Ways of Knowing” for which he was producer and editor. The film depicts the indomitable spirit of the Navajo people who persevered against the effects of uranium mining by the U.S. government and others on their sovereign land.
Finally, the Ohinata Marche team enlivened the Koinonia Hall with their wonderful products.
It was a day that truly highlighted our connection with our friends who support us in many different ways. We will continue to cherish and nurture these encounters and connections with you.
On January 19, ARI community held its New Year mochi(rice‑cake)pounding. Students from St. Olaf College, who are currently training at ARI, joined in as well. Taking turns with the kine (mallets), everyone warmed up as they pounded the rice, and then enjoyed the freshly made mochi together.
St. Olaf College’s (Minnesota, USA) fifth January special program at the ARI, since 2016, began on January 13 with 20 St. Olaf students and two faculty members. Focusing on the theme of Japanese food, agriculture, environment, and sustainability, the program involves living at the ARI while fully utilizing its curriculum and environment. This includes visits to farms and facilities, as well as field studies such as learning about the Nasu Canal.
On 17th January, the group travelled to Fukushima Prefecture to learn about the realities of the effects of the Nuclear Power Plant’s accident following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the path to recovery in the affected areas. The guide was Dr. Hideki Ishii of Fukushima University, who provided explanations and answered questions meticulously. The photograph shows the front of Futabaya Ryokan (Inn) in the Odaka of Minamisōma City. We had lunch there and heard from the landlady, Ms. Tomoko Kobayashi. Accompanying this tour I was struck anew by how unique the scars of the Great East Japan Earthquake in Fukushima Prefecture are, and the path the people have since followed. It was a day that also deeply impressed upon me how that journey continues, day after day, to this very moment.
Today, our entire community came together for a grand spring cleaning ahead of Friends Day. We dusted the walls, cleared away cobwebs, and used shovels to scrape off the ice from the shaded areas on the grounds and the path leading to ARI.
While the weather looks promising for the weekend, we recommend wearing shoes with good grip (deep treads) if you are concerned about slippery spots.
All of us in the community are looking forward to seeing you there!
About ARI Friends Day: https://ari.ac.jp/en/friends-day-2026/
We’ll be sharing the beautiful scenery of ARI Campus in Nasushiobara and the “now” of our farm.
We hope these glimpses of daily life at ARI bring you a moment of peace and make you feel connected to us.
Please check out our Stories (and Highlights)!
Thank you for always supporting the Asian Rural Institute. We are thrilled to announce that ARI has been awarded the “Grand Prize” in the General Category of the 15th Kubota-Mainichi Earth Future Award, organized by The Mainichi Newspapers.
This award honors organizations and individuals tackling the 21st-century global challenges of “Food,” “Water,” and the “Environment.”
We were recognized for:
🌱 Practicing a life of “Living with the Soil” with rural leaders from developing countries for about 50 years.
🌱 Maintaining a food self-sufficiency rate of over 90% through organic, chemical-free, integrated farming.
🌱 Our diverse efforts in gender equity and peacebuilding.
This achievement is thanks to all of you who support us.
🎥 Online Livestream Announcement The “Award Commemorative Activity Report Meeting” will be live-streamed on YouTube on Saturday, February 14th. Please tune in to watch ARI’s presentation and talk session.
■ Commemorative Report Meeting Date & Time: Feb 14 (Sat) 14:00–16:30 (JST) Stream URL: https://youtube.com/live/Esh_i9X7f8Y
Related Article: https://www.mainichi.co.jp/event/aw/chikyumirai/
We will continue to build the foundation for “Living Together.” Please “Like” and share this post to share this joy with as many people as possible!
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Join the ARI life with family and friends!
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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.
