Toyouke No Mori

NARA SUSTAINABLE FARM PROJECT

We are excited to announce our new INOCHI project,
TOYOUKE NO MORI
(Nara Sustainable Farm and Community)

Toyouke No Mori Main Website
Toyouke No Mori Facebook Page
Toyouke No Mori Crowdfunding Campaign

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July 2015, Nara, Japan.

TOYOUKE NO MORI-02TOYOUKE NO MORI is located on a beautiful hill in Nara, Japan. Away from city life and through immersion in countryside living on a farm, we aim to create a community where people share the natural abundance and a true joy of life.

Thus far, we have leased 3,000 square meters of forestland and started cultivating a fertile soil for the farm; we have created infrastructures – including refurbishing two old buildings for temporary housing, and started to host our initial programs.

Next, we plan to purchase land and construct a new studio and facilities for accommodations. This next step will require 5 million yen (~$500,000). Please join us in our effort and help us create a new model of a sustainable community. Your contribution will be an essential part for our beginning.

Thank you very much for your support and faith in our work!
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TOYOUKE NO MORI: Purpose

The YAMABE NO MICHI mountainside path, where ancient people walked, is located in a beautiful green hill on the eastern side of the Nara Valley. Along this path, many ancient tombs exist. In the vicinity of TOYOUKE NO MORI, there are many places with deep connections to Japanese feminine cultures and traditions.

In Nara, at a birthplace of Japanese ancient culture, our group of women will inherit and pass on the natural farming principles and philosophies that our ancestors have kept alive.

Through farming and eating, we receive and appreciate the blessings from the heavens and the earth and become one with our Mother Earth who cherishes all forms of life.

TOYOUKE NO MORI-04Moving away from city life and getting immersed in countryside living on a farm, we can transform ourselves from material-based values and live a simple and truly rich life.

The TOYOUKE NO MORI project aims to cultivate a community where people feel their hearts and are connected with the sensibility of beauty. In this community, individuals can create and realize their dreams and a life of abundance. The internet allows us to access the world from anywhere and makes it possible to live locally with a global perspective. We are now entering the era of economy based on the sun’s energy to co-exist with nature by harnessing the blessings of the sun, wind, water, and the earth. Networking world wide, we will create a space for keeping and spreading the traditions of Japan’s beautiful culture while learning and exchanging practices for living humbly in harmony with nature with other cultures.
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TOYOUKE NO MORI-05A symbol of TOYOUKE NO MORI captures the image of a dogu (a clay female figure made during the prehistoric Jomon period). Written within the dogu are the characters 豊受 (Toyouke), which means “receiving abundance.” These characters represent the spirit of rice, and have been handed down for over 2,000 years as a symbol for life in Japan.
 
 
 
TOYOUKE NO MORI: Our Three Pillars

  • Sense of oneness to all living things
  • Mindfulness and an importance of daily life
  • A network of friends around the world with whom to share the traditions of Japan and to learn from each other

TOYOUKE NO MORI: Our Offerings

  • Edible education
  • Farm
  • Lodging
  • Eco-tourism/Pilgrimage
  • Restaurant

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TOYOUKE NO MORI: Accomplishments / Projections / Goals 2015-2018

2015 ~

  • Leased 3,000 square meters of forestland and started the creation of TOYOUKE NO MORI infrastructures.
  • For temporary housing, refurbished old structures using recycled wood and flooring and created two buildings for two million yen (~ $20,000).
  • Provide programs to practice mindful living through samu (the Zen practice of daily work including cleaning and fieldwork).

2016 ~

  • We will establish up to date accommodation facilities.

2017 ~

  • We will concentrate on creating fertile soil at the farm.

2018 ~

  • Plan to construct a new studio and accommodation facilities that incorporate Japanese architectural technology.
  • Plan to purchase land and construct facilities for a cost of 50 million yen (~$500,000).
  • Host programs that provide mutual learning opportunities from everyday work on the farm and in the farmhouse.
  • Host pilgrimages from visitors abroad and organize ecological tours.

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Community Vision

  • Create an organic farm collective.
  • Create relationships with chambers of commerce, non-profits, universities, and city governments.
  • Expand the concept of eco-tourism, spreading Nara’s local values, with food and traditional hospitality. Collaborate with tourist industries including hotels, inns, and restaurants.
  • Increase self-sustainability of the region. Create new attractive professions fostering small businesses based on organic living.
  • Establish a sustainable community model with increased local employment.
  • From Japan, support the establishment of sustainable communities across the Asia and the Pan-Pacific region.