This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), organized together with Kyodo Gakusha since 2000, a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who want to learn farming, who want to live in the nature, etc. They have 5 communities in Japan incl. Maki and Tateya and grow animals and vegetables in ecological, organic way.
Maki is located in a very isolated area (not accessible for cars and we have to walk 4 km in the mountains!), so it once became an abandon village in 1970s and then, was revived by Kyodo Gakusha. Over 10 people incl. 2 families were living till several years ago, but less and less in these years (almost nobody in the winter), so vols. are needed even more!
Tateya is located on the hilly (less than Maki, but still a bit isolated) area where 30-40 members live and mainly do rice farming as well as growing cows and chicken.
*Outcome of this workcamp: In 2023, we had 4 short term workcamps and 1 LMTV project with 13 vols. who greatly contributed to their protecting the houses, farming and caring animals that was difficult to finish by the time they needed without volunteers! See the long-term goal of this project as Local SDGs made by the previous project leader at https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/2019-ep3-188767935 (only in Japanese, sorry, but you can still enjoy the pictures!)
İş Tanımı
Volunteers will stay and work in Maki for some days and Tateya in other days. The work will be mainly helping organic agriculture (cutting thatch, harvesting/ threshing rice, selecting beans, taking care of goats, cows and chicken) and also carrying the things from the town to Maki, renovating the trails on the way, helping the house works especially cooking, etc. Be ready to work for quite a long time (05:30-18:00 with some brakes) and hard!
Konaklama ve Yemek
Maki: Volunteers will sleep in a few rooms of the volunteers' house that is a very beautiful cultural heritage and equips the basic facilities such as water, electricity, toilets and a bath room! They will have meals, meetings and social life with Kyodo Gakusha members in the main building (just 30 meters far). Meals will be cooked by together with the members by turns. Sleeping bag is not necessary.
Tateya: Building for volunteers and a few members, 5 min. walk from the farm. Meals will be usually cooked by volunteers by turns. Sleeping bag is not necessary.
Konum ve Serbest Zaman
Both are located in the beautiful places near “Japanese Northern Alps”. Maki is in about 900 meters asl. and there is something remained here that most of Japanese areas have lost in modernization. Tateya is surrounded by the farms and 40 min. walk from the train station.
Notlar
Study theme: Similar type of communities in each country and their networking
Other activities: Exchange program, Excursion on a free day (possibly to Hakuba, a famous tourism spot), etc.
Other: The popular documentary film for this place was broadcasted in 2015 at arayashiki-movie.jp/en/.
Konuşulan Diller
English
En Yakın Terminal
The nearest international airport is Tokyo (NRT or HNH). From Tokyo to the meeting point near the project, it takes 5 hours by express bus. Volunteers need to arrive at the airport in Tokyo by the end of Oct. 15 and can leave there from the beginning of Oct. 25.
