Return to Japan: a call for support and help!
I'm about to head to Japan via the Big Island with the intention to find allies and network with those passionate about sustainable living, permaculture, and peace-building. The current plan is to be on the Big Island for December, followed by Japan (mainly Tokyo and a bit in Kansai) for a few months, then back to the Bullcoks Permaculture Homestead for a final West Coast permaculture immersion.
By next summer or fall 2011, I will most likely be back in Japan with the intention to settle and activate there, super-charged with permaculture nerdyness.
I'm hoping to get some solid possibilities for a job/trade related to permaculture and peace work, a community to learn and grow with, and hopefully hopefully very hopefully land to continue my practice of natural farming and edible forest gardening around Tokyo. The megatropolis, Tokyo, is still a daunting place for me to attempt to live in, but since my family situation is luring me back there for at least 4 years, I'm hoping to transform my perspective with some help:)
My leads so far are:
-Permaculture Center Japan and Transition Japan in Fujino
-People in Andy's book A different Kind of Luxury: Japanese Lessons in Simple Living and Inner Abundance, CLICK HERE for more info
-Azby Brown, author of
Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan
-Natural farmer Mr. Kawaguchi-Bullocks' friend Mayumi Oda
-Old skool Japanese hippies in Izu
-a bunch of wonderful friends I met here and there
Any other suggestions?
I'm also considering the Sustainability Science Masters program at Tokyo University. A very new program taught in English that seems to be quite open for students to find their own direction. I'd like to pursue something along the line of community resilience and cultural regeneration (human ecology). At Nihon University there is a professor I met in Totnes England who runs a permaculture lab and is involved in Permaculture Center Japan, so I will definitely look into that too. My time learning and organizing at UC Santa Cruz was life transforming, and universities are a major hub for resources and change-makers.
If you can help me please contact me.
This is my Passion.
permacultivator (at) gmail.com [please put @ in place of (at)]
I'm feeling good.
I hope you are too.
Hi Lorax,
ReplyDeleteA couple of other potential connections to offer:
Last summer I visited Naoki Shiomi of the Half Farmer/Half X Institute outside of Kyoto. He's a great guy and I'm sure would give you many connections to folks and work possibilities around Tokyo/Kansai. Let me know if you'd like me to introduce you via email.
Also, when in Tokyo you might look up the Mark Notaras who works at the UN University and writes for Our World 2.0 (http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/). He's an urban gardener in Tokyo and a very nice guy, undoubtedly with good connections.
If you're ever in Kagoshima, you need to talk to Jeffrey Irish, an unlikely village head whom I met last summer while visiting my wife's family. I wrote about my visit with him on my blog a bit.
Azby Brown...yes, good idea, for sure.
And, of course, the folks in Andy's book. You're so lucky to have met with them... :-)
Good luck! I'm confident you'll find your niche.
Alan
Hajimemashite
ReplyDeleteWatashi no namae wa Abenk desu
Watashi wa Indoneshia jin desu
Watashi wa ANDALAS UNIVERSITY kara kimashita
Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu
Those are great leads! I read the Half farmer half x book, and would definitely like to meet him. Mark sounds awesome too. In fact, an Urban Permaculture teacher/artist is going to Japan and had asked me about places and people to connect with so maybe I can tie that all in together. I did happen across Our World website a few months ago and bookmarked it. Kagoshima is not yet on my radar but if I get a chance I'll take it. Thanks again for all this.
ReplyDeleteAbenkさん始めまして。
よろしくお願いします：）