[Ecomap] Ayabe City --- To be a cradle of alternative movements for sustainable future

| Posted by jfs |

2009.05.25 Mon

Description:

Ayabe is a small agricultural city surrounded by gentle landscape in northern part of Kyoto prefecture.

Facing depopulation and crisis of abandoned farmlands, an NPO Satoyama-net Ayabe (Rural Network Ayabe) was established to conserve and nurture its strengths and resources: rich nature, culture and people's creativeness.

People from urban area can visit and lodge there for hands-on experiences of agriculture and rural life-- rice planting, expression of milk, harvesting vegetables, etc.

Satoyama-net Ayabe also organizes the Ayabe Alternative College for Rural Interaction, open for anyone with the leading local pioneers in rural development and most active social innovators as its lecturers.

A core organizer of the College is Naoki Shiomi, a staff of Satoyama-net Ayabe and head of Research Institute for Mission Design in Farming Life. He recognized building sustainable society and facilitating each person's mission as biggest question in 21 century.

"Compatibility of Farming and X."

That is his answer. Farming is a path to sustainability. "X" means dedicating oneself to one's own calling.

Being a rice farmer himself, he represents his ideas on ecologically sound and spiritually creative lifestyle through his books and blogs.

Ayabe appeals its strong potential to be a cradle of alternative movements for sustainable future.

Location:
Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture

Category:
Green Tourism, Ecological Lifestyle, Reconstruction of Local Community

Actor:
Local Government, NPO, Citizen, Farmers

More info:
---Satoyama-net Ayabe (Rural Network Ayabe)
http://www.satoyama.gr.jp (in Japanese)
Contact: ayabe[at]satoyama.gr.jp

---Naoki Shiomi and "Research Institute for Mission Design in Farming Life"
http://www.towanoe.jp/xseed/
http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/simpleandmission/