Ten Thousand Things
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"Ten Thousand Things" is a Buddhist expression representing the dynamic interconnection and simultaneous unity and diversity of everything in the universe.

Bring Your Own Chopsticks: EARTH & PEACE FESTIVAL in Tokyo on Nov. 11 & WWOOF (glocal organic farming holidays) in JAPAN

“Society changes by each and every person putting a seed into the Earth”
*Please bring your own bag, chopsticks, cup & plate."

Martin Frid provides details on Operation Seedling's EARTH AND PEACE FESTIVAL at his website KURASHI - News From Japan, a great source of English-language ecological news on Japan:

"Operation Seeding is a campaign that started at the traditional bean-throwing festival on February 3, 2007. Now it is time for our harvest festival. The Earth & Peace Festival will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2007 at Shiba Kouen in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

"A live, open-air concert has been organized by the singer Yae, who practices farming in Kamogawa, Chiba prefecture. A spectacular and wonderful show will be presented by musicians and special guests on a stage with a solar power system. At the bamboo tent area you can enjoy and see the potential of farming by strolling along the farmers’ market, with booths explaining agro-tourism, fair trade, food mileage, etc. Of course, you can taste delicious and soul-warming food and drinks in the food area.

"By linking ”Earth & Peace” to ”Farming Happiness” we can feel our connection to the Earth, while promoting a safe and sustainable lifestyle. This festival will bring to each and every person a sense of joy of living with the Earth."

* The festival will be held regardless of rain or bad weather.

Place:Shiba Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

MORE Festival Details: access, musicians, speakers, food stands, at Martin Frid's site.

Josie Steenhart's July 2004 "The Good Life: Organic Farming in Japan" on WWOOF (Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms) JAPAN in Kansai Scene magazine is a terrific source of information on this grassroots alternative holiday program that began in England in the 1970's, is now a transnational phenomenon, with plenty of opportunities for weekend organic farming in Japan:

"...I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days at a WWOOF host establishment in Hyogo prefecture. Earth Farm is an organic farm dedicated to building a self-sufficient and independent farming village. Set deep in the wooded hills near Wakayama, Earth Farm is run by Omori Masaya and his six children aged between 14 and 25. At the time I visited (early spring) a goat, three rabbits, five ducks, two cats, two dogs and over a hundred chickens also lived there.

"At present, the Japanese sector of WWOOF has over seventy host establishments. While a large percentage of these describe themselves as organic farms, businesses, communities and families have also become hosts, offering a greater diversity of experience."The WWOOF Japan handbook includes restaurants, small hotels/inns, cafes, a souvenir shop, an English school, an outdoor sports center, organic food shops, holistic medicine clinics, a campsite, cooking schools and environmental education centers; scattered from one end of Japan to the other. While many hosts are located in isolated rural areas, others are less than two hours from main cities...

"Once decided on a host establishment, it is as easy as contacting them, arranging transport, and packing some work clothes and old shoes. The host will provide free meals and accommodation in exchange for a days work (usually 4-6 hours), as well as the opportunity to share their daily life, enjoy the rewards of varied and often hard work, and learn from an alternative lifestyle. Depending on the host, WWOOFers can stay for a few days up to a year.

"The organic farms are each unique in vision and scope, and produce a vast array of goods — vegetables, flowers, meat and poultry, honey, bread, soba and udon noodles, rice, tea, tofu, herbal medicines, jam, eggs, dairy products, fertilizer and charcoal to name a few. Some farms are small and intended for self-sufficiency while others are much larger, and aim to be more commercial. What all WWOOF hosts have in common is an interest in sharing their lifestyle with others. They provide new opportunities and entirely different experiences to those with an interest in alternative methods, or who simply wish to escape a crowded and increasingly developed Japan, in exchange for a honest day’s work in the fresh air..."

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