12 Sept 2017

The Beautiful Community in the Eastern Hills of Iwamizawa City, Hokkaido, Japan

Rainy days such as today give me time to sit, focus, and regroup my thoughts and activities to be done. I am happy to be able to write again after weeks of busyness here in the land. I have planted strawberries and garlic for next year's humble income and prepared the shiitake logs.


Strawberry seedling mulched with straw


Preparing beds for garlic with straw as mulch


Shiitake fungi spreading beautifully on the logs

I am finally done with some of the biggest field jobs that I have to do for this year so now, I can move on to finishing my tiny house! But, before that, I have time to write on this blog.

I have searched far and wide in Hokkaido and in other parts of Japan for a place where we can settle and start the homestead but many were not very welcome. Many were doubtful of our intentions and did not provide any full help. There are thousands of hectares of unused farmlands that are left abandoned and sadly, many towns leave them as they are. Many government officials that we have encountered looked at it as troublesome and thought that it is not worth the effort to fix the documents of the land. When we were already desperate, we encountered this land here. I was not expecting any help from the community because of my previous experiences but once I approached the local office, the people  were welcoming and helpful. The current local community developers, who are now my good friends, invited me to events in the community to get to know them better. I met the local farmers and artists living in the town. Many of the people who live in this town are builders and DIYers(do-it-yourself builders).

I met this farmer who owns a big orchard, though they are not growing organically, they help the people who move in to this town by providing part-time jobs. Last year, I was saved financially by helping in their farm. The best thing was, they told us to work in our own time. We can decide for ourselves what time or day do we want to work. I was able to work on my land on sunny days and work on theirs on rainy days. They also gave me advice on the climate on this area, places where I can buy cheap materials, and showed me some available lands.

I also met this old guy who also grows shiitake mushrooms in this community. This guy is like my grandfather! He visits me regularly to check on my shiitake and provides me with helpful advice. He showed me all the ropes around growing shiitake and other wild vegetables. Even though I will be growing the same mushroom, which makes me a potential competitor, he still shared with me all his mistakes, his successes, and showed me the beauty of doing things small-scale.

There are also local people who moved in to this community recently and are helpful in all ways! They tell me what available materials that I can procure, such as tiles, firewood, bathroom, windows, and many more! It's almost as if I don't have to spend much money on materials. 

Many of these people who have moved and are starting to move in to this community are people who have built things for themselves. Who chose to do it with their own hands rather than paying somebody else. Many of these people have evidently suffered in their lives and are now reaping the harvests of their hard work. I can feel that this community will become brighter and warmer by the year. Though not all of them are aware of the things that I am aware of, I'm sure we are all guided to gather here on this community. 

There is this wonderful Japanese phrase that are commonly uttered here "住めば都" (Sumeba Miyako). It translates as "as you live(in that place) it becomes your home". This is true in its entirety. I was a foreigner, an outsider, but the land accepted me, the people accepted me, and I can definitely say that this is my home now. No amount of missile from North Korea will make me leave this place for this is the place where the next of my kin will be born. This is the place where I shall see them grow along with the children of my friends who are moving in to this place. This is the place where we can show that there is no need for fancy slogans, forceful gatherings, or egoistic "alternative" lifestyle facade to gather people in a community. The attraction of people in this community may have been started by a family, quietly, patiently living in this small town. Through their mindful silence of satisfaction, joy, and hard work, the people slowly arrived and now I have also arrived.

I will not say "Come move in here" or "This is the best place in the world". This place is the one that I can Love with my whole self and I can help make this the best place for people like us. This place is the one that I can put my effort in to fostering and beautifying not because I want more people to come but to simply revive the beauty of this Yezo (land in Ainu language). As this place beautifies and energizes, people with the same wavelength come.

Maybe someday, I can be like the farmer and the old guy who helped me and be an Angel for other people. I am sure that the small and humble steps we are making are making thunderous sounds in the Universe.


Someday from one, there will be two, and three and four people on this land