Agricultural Trainee, Akita Momiyama #2

We will continue introducing Mr. Akita Momiyama (hereafter called ‘Mo’)!

JEN: Could you explain how and why you ended up training in Iketani?

Mo: Agriculture can be interpreted in more than one way. I was originally interested in “rice terrace” and “hilly and mountainous areas.” Therefore, I consulted an NPO, Tanada Network, and they introduced the Iketani Village to me.

JEN: I heard that your training term in Iketani is two and a half years. It sounds like a long time.

Mo: At first, I was planning to come here last October and stay to get training until this November. However, I decided to extend my training term since I really believe in Iketani’s activities and its stance. I am now planning to stay until March 2011.

JEN: What are your objectives of the training?

Mo: Farm families are called “hyakusho,” meaning various (a hundred) people with their own different names. Indeed, I feel that their lives cannot be successful unless you do everything you can to help. Raising crops is not enough. As hyakusho, my tasks widely cover sales, accounting, machine reparation, agricultural road paving, and interpersonal relation-building. I also feel that we should appreciate the blessing of nature as much as possible by not wasting these home-grown vegetables. I would like to experience all that’s necessary to earn an agricultural living and learn farm families’ mindset.

JEN: I see. After listening to your explanation, it seems agriculture is very different to the stereotype that many people have, ’agriculture = raising crops’ in mind.
Please give me your typical daily schedule.

Mo: Villagers’ schedule is pretty regularized.

Agricultural work before breakfast
8:00 a.m. agricultural work
(10:00 a.m. break)
12:00 p.m. lunch break and nap
13:30 p.m. resume to work
18:30 p.m. dinner

After this, I participate in the Village Revitalization activities and meetings. My daily tasks are agricultural work, sales of rice, and preparations for events.

That’s all for today so we will deliver the final report about him next time!