The Latest

A Sweet Day in the Fields: ARI’s 2024 Sweet Potato Harvest

Last Friday, the Asian Rural Institute held its annual sweet potato harvest. It was a sunny day, and the good weather lifted everyone’s spirits as participants, staff, and volunteers worked together in the fields. The harvest event brought the ARI community together, and everyone enjoyed digging up the bright purple potatoes, which had grown well this season.

Throughout the day, laughter and teamwork filled the fields, making the harvest both a productive and joyful occasion. This yearly tradition reminds everyone at ARI of the importance of community and teamwork in growing food. At the end of the day, the ARI community celebrated their hard work and shared the harvest’s success.

Director’s Report: October Highlights – ARI Director’s Talks on Servant Leadership and Peace

Director’s Report:
In October, in addition to ARI’s biggest event, Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (HTC), many special lecturers came to our campus to give classes.
During the hectic schedule, I was fortunate to travel to give lectures in many places; I went to Keiwa Gakuen University in Niigata Pref., Aoyama Gakuin University (Sagamihara Campus), and Yamanashi Eiwa University in Yamanashi Prefecture. I also gave an online class to the 2nd year students of Keisen Women’s College in Tokyo. The themes were “Servant Leadership” and “Peace from the Soil”. Tomorrow, I will talk about “Building a society that we all can live together” at the Kaminokawa Town Lifelong Learning Center in the central Tochigi prefecture. Next month, I will be going to Kinjo Gakuin University in Nagoya City (Photo: with President Dr. Aiko Kanayama (right) and Dr. Rev. Jiro Shimotao (left)).

Tony Rinaudo’s FMNR Workshop at ARI: A Path to Land Restoration

ARI recently hosted Tony Rinaudo from World Vision Australia, who held a transformative workshop on Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Known for his innovative work in restoring degraded landscapes, Rinaudo shared practical steps on how communities can regenerate land by managing existing tree stumps and root systems, rather than planting new trees.

ARI participants, representing rural leaders from across Asia and Africa, learned hands-on techniques to apply in their home countries. Rinaudo’s approach emphasized simplicity, low-cost implementation, and its potential to empower communities facing environmental degradation. By managing natural resources effectively, participants can enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and increase crop yields.

Rinaudo’s message connected faith and responsibility, inspiring participants to see land restoration as both a practical and spiritual responsibility. Equipped with FMNR skills, they left with renewed hope and the tools to make a tangible difference in their communities.

HTC 2024 at ARI: Living today’s challenge for tomorrow’s harvest!

The 52nd Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration at the Asian Rural Institute last weekend was a great success, filled with joy, connection, and festivity. With this year’s motto, “Living today’s challenge for tomorrow’s harvest,” everyone’s efforts over the past months truly shone, and the campus buzzed with excitement.

People from near and far came together to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The delicious food, featuring flavors from around the world, was a standout. Each dish reflected our global community, prepared with care and love. It was a reminder of the powerful impact of collaboration and embracing today’s challenges.

The performances, alive with music and dance, were equally memorable. These cultural displays celebrated diversity, bringing smiles to faces and filling the air with happiness. The unity among us showed how much we can accomplish together.

A heartfelt thanks to all who contributed during the worship service. Your generous donations will support displaced people in Myanmar, offering hope and relief in tough times. We deeply appreciate your kindness and compassion.

Thank you to everyone who took part, helped, or joined in the celebration. HTC 2024 wouldn’t have been the same without you, and we’re already looking forward to next year. Together, we’re planting seeds today for a better harvest tomorrow!

Director’s Report: Keiwa Gakuen University Hosts ARI Director for “Peace from the Soil” Lecture

Director’s Report:
On October 4th, I was invited as a speaker for the Chapel Assembly Hour at Keiwa Gakuen University in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, to give a lecture titled “Peace from the Soil. The audience consisted mainly of about 100 first-year students (plus online attendees). Keiwa Gakuen University is a Christian liberal arts university with about 700 students. Their vision is “contributing to the local and global community by educating citizens with an international outlook who will serve others and lead a sustainable society.” I strongly felt that the university and ARI have something in common with this vision in terms of philosophy and values.
In the past, students from the affiliated Keiwa Gakuen High School used to visit ARI for work camps, but especially after the earthquake in 2011, there has not been much traffic. This time, I visited the university for the first time in 10 years and was able to update information.
Photo shows President Aiko Kanayama (right) with Professor Jiro Shimotao (Christian studies, left). In front of a large world map in the cafeteria.

October issue of Japanese Newsletter Asia-no-Tsuchi. The topic is “Climate Change and Climate Justice”.

While participants are busy preparing for Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration, we are pleased to present the October issue of Japanese Newsletter Asia-no-Tsuchi. The topic is “Climate Change and Climate Justice”.

Dr. Yoshiyuki Nagata of the University of the Sacred Heart, a leading expert on climate change and ARI board member, wrote the preface to this issue.

In a special feature titled “Farmers Fighting Climate Change,” we interviewed Japanese graduates, former staff members, and lecturers who are working in agriculture in Japan about the current state of climate change and their efforts to overcome it.

ARI’s Japanese newsletter Ajia-no-Tsuchi, which is sent to our supporters in Japan, especially those who donate to ARI or purchase ARI products, is now available online at our website. Please take a look at it, if you are curious about our newsletter written in Japanese, as it describes a lot of what is happening at ARI.

Downloads – Asian Rural Institute (ari.ac.jp)

Director’s Report: ARI Celebrates the Completion of the 2024 Rice Harvest

Director’s Report:
On Tuesday (Oct.1), on a beautiful autumn day with the sky high in the sky, all community members at ARI worked together to harvest rice.

It has been about 4 months since the rice was planted in early June. After surviving a
record-breaking heat wave, and receiving much love and care from the farm staff, the
Participants, and the volunteers, all the rice plants were harvested.

The total area of ARI’s rice fields is about 1.8 hectares. Already 90% of the rice has been harvested by machine, and only about one-tenth of the total area has been harvested by hand. In the past, a larger area of rice was harvested by hand, and the rice was also hung up on a rake, but the total area harvested by hand has decreased as the total area of rice paddies has increased. In recent years, however, a small ceremony led by the Participants has been held before the rice harvesting begins. This year, I gave a short speech, cut a tape of flowers woven into a rope, and then put the sickle into the first rice plant. This was followed by a lively Filipino “rice harvesting dance”.

After about three hours of work that day, all the rice harvesting was completed for the year.

The total yield was about 8 tons.
With a grateful heart, we will enjoy this precious rice for a year with the members who worked hard this year and the members of the next year who are yet to be discovered.