{"id":751,"date":"2022-02-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/?p=751"},"modified":"2023-02-06T09:38:16","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T08:38:16","slug":"guest-contribution-think-small-what-i-am-doing-in-this-small-town-in-kochi-prefecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2022\/02\/18\/guest-contribution-think-small-what-i-am-doing-in-this-small-town-in-kochi-prefecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Contribution: Think Small! What I am doing in this small town in Kochi Prefecture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>by Bobby Okinaka<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My name is Bobby Okinaka. I am 52. I am an American, but a long-time resident of Japan. In April, 2021, I moved with my wife and young son from Tokyo to the middle of Shikoku Island. This place is called Niyodogawa-cho. It is a region of many steep mountains and clear blue rivers. The town is actually a number of smaller towns joined together to reduce administrative costs known as the <em>gappei <\/em>system. Today, its population is 4,968. The main industries are logging and tea. At one point, its peak was 26,000. There was a copper mine that has since closed. And on the sides of the mountains that got the most sun, they grew the paper mulberry plants for <em>washi <\/em>paper. Today, there is only one paper maker left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"689\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"752\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-1.png\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-1\/\" class=\"wp-image-752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-1.png 689w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-1-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-1-334x300.png 334w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"689\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-2.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"753\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-2.png\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-2\/\" class=\"wp-image-753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-2.png 689w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-2-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-2-334x300.png 334w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em><strong>A view of one area of Niyodogawa-cho. This place is called Ikegawa. Another area of Niyodogawa-cho is called Choja. The terraces are not in use anymore because no one can farm them.<\/strong><\/em><br><em>Copyright Bobby Okinaka 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How did I end up in Niyodogawa-cho? A few years earlier, a friend of mine from university moved here from California to open a craft beer brewery. Located deep in the mountains, it\u2019s safe to say his beer has the most naturally pure water in Japan. Since the birth of my child, I had been looking for an opportunity to live in the countryside. I think it\u2019s a good life for little children and it would be better for our health as well. When I visited my friend, I was introduced to some people from the town office and they let it be known that I could apply for the Regional Revitalization Corp (<em>Chiiki Okoshi Kyorokutai<\/em>). So I went back to Tokyo, packed everything up, and we started our new life in the countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"603\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-3.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"754\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-3.png\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-3\/\" class=\"wp-image-754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-3.png 603w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-3-269x300.png 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"509\" height=\"457\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-4.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"755\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-4.png\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-4\/\" class=\"wp-image-755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-4.png 509w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-4-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-4-334x300.png 334w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><strong><em>The new craft beer brewery and tap room. The brewery is called Mukai Craft Brewing. On this day, a taco truck from Kochi City came by. The second picture shows why we call the waters &#8220;Niyodo Blue&#8221;.<\/em><\/strong><br><em>Copyright Bobby Okinaka 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My role is to do activities that enrich the town is some manner. They asked me to teach English at the local schools and support various town activities, but for the most part it\u2019s up to me to find my mission and ideally, a way to make a living, so that I will continue to live here after my three year stint is up. Initially I thought about working with tourism. I thought it would be nice to open a guest house. The major attraction in this area is the tranquil color of the river water they call, \u201cNiyodo Blue.\u201d We are only an hour from Kochi City, so it is easy for visitors to come here and play in the river. I am also interested in sustainability. So I started composting. In the spring I am looking forward to experimenting with growing vegetables with microbes. I hope to start a community composting program. I learn everything about composting and gardening from YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The internet has changed country living. 30 years ago, I lived in another rural area of Japan as a member of the JET Program. Back then I felt very isolated. Today, I feel like life in the countryside is not much different from the city. I can buy everything I need online. I can get my favorite American television shows. I can communicate easily with family and friends. Of course there are some inconveniences, especially the lack of restaurants, sporting events, museums and live concerts. But I can exchange that for riverside barbecues, gardening and camping. And instead of seeing stars on a stage, I can see real stars in the night sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"616\" height=\"821\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"756\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-5.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-5\/\" class=\"wp-image-756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-5.jpg 616w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-5-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"322\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-6.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"757\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-6.png\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/bobby-6\/\" class=\"wp-image-757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-6.png 322w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-6-270x300.png 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 322px) 100vw, 322px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em><strong>Me helping pick konnyaku plants from a field. The farmer has retired and the field is unattended. I took the tubers to the elementary school where the kids learned how to make konnyaku <\/strong><\/em><br><em>Copyright Bobby Okinaka 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Together with one of my coworkers, we started an oral history program. We interview people from the community and record their life stories. Our goal is to create an exhibition about a small town in Japan. We will combine their voices with an examination of rural problems and the regional revitalization strategy. We will also imagine the future through the lens of sustainability. About sustainability, I believe the solution for many global problems can be found in the countryside, albeit on a small scale. Farmers can change their practices to build healthy soil. It will increase water holding capacity and end the use of chemical fertilizers that wash into the oceans. Healthy soil means that more carbon can be sequestered into the earth. Healthy soil means that the fruits and vegetable are rich in nutrients and full of flavor. Also, the countryside has the promising potential to be an energy solution. They have the space for renewable energy production. The costs are getting cheaper, the technology is proven. If the rural regions make clean electricity to meet the demands of power-hungry cities, they will never be short of funds again. With all our mountains and rivers, this place is an ideal condition for micro hydropower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"651\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-7.png 651w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-7-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2022\/02\/bobby-7-334x300.png 334w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><figcaption><strong><em>A closed schoolhouse. What do you think it can be used for? <\/em><\/strong><br><em>Copyright Bobby Okinaka 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope to show our exhibition in cities around Japan to challenge the common perceptions of the countryside. People say the countryside is dying; I say it is full of opportunity and this is a way to show them. In addition, using my connections in North America, I hope to bring the exhibition to Los Angeles and Toronto. We may be a small town, but I think our story is worth sharing, much like this website. After the exhibition, rather than start a guesthouse, I have a big idea to convert a vacant schoolhouse into a campus for university students. They can come to the countryside and do remote learning. The added value will be that we can provide daily English lessons. There will be an organic farm for students to grow the food they will eat. The students can volunteer in the community as farm help, coach sports to the local kids or help the seniors. In exchange the seniors can pass along their knowledge such as traditional dance, woodworking and cooking. The facility will be powered by a micro hydropower turbine and solar panels. Hopefully, this idea can become a reality. After the global pandemic, please come and visit Niyodogawa-cho and let\u2019s have a craft beer by the river!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Bobby Okinaka is a member of the Chiiki Okoshi Kyoryokutai Program in Niyodogawa-cho, Kochi Prefecture. He is on a three-year mission to help revitalize the Japanese countryside. You can find him on Instagram at slowinjapan. For tourism information about our area, please visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/niyodoblue.jp\/en\/\">https:\/\/niyodoblue.jp\/en\/ <\/a>Domo!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Bobby Okinaka My name is Bobby Okinaka. I am 52. I am an American, but a long-time resident of Japan. In April, 2021, I moved with my wife and young son from Tokyo to the middle of Shikoku Island. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2022\/02\/18\/guest-contribution-think-small-what-i-am-doing-in-this-small-town-in-kochi-prefecture\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":759,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions\/759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}