RE: Looking back and looking forward, Part 2a: Farming in Japan, The Tough Stuff
This was a great read Nick. I understand your frustrations working in Japan. For all it's focus on efficiency, Japan is very inefficient. I have worked & lived there off and on for a long time.
The part about organic farmers not using organic seeds worries me. When my family lived in California we raised our kids on organic foods. Now that we are back in Japan my wife likes to buy organic still, but how organic is it?? Even worse, the food from Fukushima is now almost revered!
It may have been before your time there, but Tetsuan Dash use to have an organic farm in Fukushima. Each episode they would focus on growing food, making pottery, etc. the old fashioned way. I clearly remember an episode in which the pests in the field were dealt with by using ducks, frogs and small fish. The animals would eat the pests and fertilize the soil with ya know. It was eye opening to see there are natural ways to do things on smaller farms. I understand it's not practical on larger operations though.
Anyway, looking forward to the rest of the series. Followed and upvoted. Best of luck to you.
Sure I know Tetsuwan Dash! Used to love that programme: so sad they lost it all to the radiation... I actually came across it looking for a Japanese equivalent to River Cottage, an ongoing series done by a British chef who moved to the countryside some twenty years ago now. Actually, I've been coming to Japan pretty much regularly for the past twenty years now, ever since I studied it at university, so we were probably both in the country at the same time at some point or other. I actually wrote part of an essay on aigamo ducks once. While I won't be using them myself, I will be using chickens to do pretty much what you described: control pests and fertilise the soil all while they make eggs! It's too bad I didn't know about you (I just wasn't paying attention...) when I lived in Tokyo: those meetups you guys are organising look good fun!
If you're looking for organic food grown from organic seeds in Japan, I've come to the conclusion that you're best buying vegetables grown in natural farming (自然農 or 自然栽培) NOT organic agriculture. If you're looking for somewhere to set you on the right track, try Natural Harmony in Ginza: they have a shop with a restaurant above that's expensive but serious. And if you're looking for a magazine on the subject, I recommend 自然栽培...
Thanks Nick. I'll pass this on to the Mrs. I was always impressed when I saw the grocery stores adding pictures and bios of the farms the food was coming from. You'd never see that in California.
Perhaps I just missed it, but where are you thinking of starting your farm? In Nagano too?
The meet ups are just beginning. Maybe you and some of your friends could start a chapter in your area?
I'd love it if we could start one up in Nagano (yes I live in Nagano, now, in Saku: my farl's just west of the city itself, just outside Mochizuki if that means anything) but so far I haven't found anyone else in the region. I was hoping to steal @kafkanarchy84 away from Niigata, but it looks as though things are really moving up there so I guess I'll have to do my own recruitment ;)