For “Snowbusters”

Winter is around the corner in the Iketani Village at this time of year, and the locals start reaping buckwheat and making dried persimmons.

Little amount of food is necessary in Iketani because most households in Iketani are comprised of husband and wife. Still, they grow slightly more vegetables than they need so that they can offer them to the volunteers to eat after“Snowbusters”, an annual winter program. “Snowbusters” became a vital event for both Iketani and JEN. The villagers tellJEN that “we are happy that volunteers eat the vegetables we grew.”

Volunteers stay in Iketani for approximately three days, but this short stay in fact encourages the villagers to do agricultural tasks. Generally, first snow of the year is in the middle of November. They are gradually preparing for the long coming winter.