[jfs] Sustainable Community Building in Shimokawa: Recycling-Oriented Forest Management Enabling Permanent Use of Forest

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Japan for Sustainability Newsletter #183
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November 30, 2017

Copyright (c) 2017, Japan for Sustainability

Japan for Sustainability (JFS) is a non-profit communication platform to
disseminate environmental information from Japan to the world, with the
aim of helping both move onto a sustainable path.

See what's new on our web site: http://www.japanfs.org/en/
E-mail: info@japanfs.org

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In the November 2017 issue of the JFS Newsletter:

- Sustainable Community Building in Shimokawa:
Recycling-Oriented Forest Management Enabling Permanent Use of Forest
Resources

- Fifth Contest to Award Excellent Environmental and Social Practices by
Junior High, High School Students

- Coco Farm & Winery: An Amazing Model of Special Needs Students and
Community

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Sustainable Community Building in Shimokawa:
Recycling-Oriented Forest Management Enabling Permanent Use of Forest
Resources
https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035953.html

Introduction

Japan has entered an era of population decline. While young people
seeking education and work are still flowing into the Tokyo metropolitan
area from rural areas, the population of many rural municipalities is
decreasing rapidly due to the double blow of attrition (number of deaths
surpassing that of births) and social factors (number of migrants into
these areas exceeding that of migrants out).

In the midst of this, there is an ongoing debate as to whether it is
possible, necessary or even desirable to maintain economic growth as in
the past in this era of depopulation. There are suggestions that we
should consider how to shrink the economy wisely. Municipalities in
rural areas, in particular, have little time remaining to build
sustainable communities. Yet some advanced approaches for sustainable
community building have become widely known.

Believing that the future lies in rural areas, I myself as chief executive
of Japan for Sustainability (JFS), a non-profit group engaged in global
activities of providing information from Japan to the rest of the world,
have also been helping a number of municipalities with efforts toward
sustainable community building for several years.

This and the next issue of the JFS newsletter introduce the efforts by
the town of Shimokawa in Hokkaido as an advanced approach by a
municipality.

Shimokawa in the Past

Shimokawa, located in the northern part of central Hokkaido, Japan's
northernmost island, is a town with a population of approximately 3,400.
It covers an area of 644.2 square kilometers, nearly the same as all of
Tokyo's 23 wards, and about 90 percent of the area is forested. The town
is located in a snowy area where the temperature drops to around minus
30 degrees Celsius in winter. It has produced many ski jumpers.

Shimokawa is attracting a great deal of attention nationwide. The town
was selected as an Eco-Model City by the Japanese government in 2011. It
also placed top in a ranking by "Inaka-kurashi no Hon (Rural Life Book)"
(a periodical published by TAKARAJIMASHA) of regions in Japan where
people 50 years old or above would like to live (2016; category of towns
with populations of 20,000 or lower). In recent years, many people have
moved to the town from urban areas, helping stem the decline in
population. Progress was not necessarily smooth from the beginning,
however.

Hokkaido is a region with a harsh natural environment. In the Meiji
Period (1868 - 1912), people from Honshu island settled in Hokkaido and
cultivated its primeval forests to lay the foundations for development
of Hokkaido. The settlement of Shimokawa started in 1901. After 1917,
when a mine was opened in the town, many workers moved there. In 1919,
the Nayoro Main Line of Japanese National Railways (currently Hokkaido
Railway Company) was opened. After that, Shimokawa developed on the
basis of agriculture and forestry along with mining, and in 1949 the
status of Shimokawa as a municipality was elevated from village to town.
In 1960, when the Japanese economy was in a high-growth period, the
population exceeded 15,000 and the town enjoyed great prosperity.

Later, however, in 1983 and 1986, two mines were closed one after the
other. This was followed by a population outflow from the town. After
the mine closings, the railway service was abolished in 1989, further
accelerating the town's depopulation.

In the midst of this crisis, the people of Shimokawa decided to "do what
they could do." One activity they started was building a "Great Wall of
China," aiming to become "Japan's No. One Handmade Tourism" provider.
Using traditional rope baskets called "mokko" to carry rocks and stones,
the town's people began to construct their version of the Great Wall in
the town by themselves without depending on any construction businesses.
This project has continued since then. In 2000, the town held a ceremony
to commemorate the achievement of the 2,000-meter milestone, making the
Great Wall one of the sightseeing spots in the area. Another activity
the people in the town began was to make "ice candles" (lights with
shades made of ice), and decorate the town with them during festivals.
This project, which started in 1986, was developed by taking advantage
of the severe winter coldness, since the town is among Japan's top
coldest places, recording lowest temperatures every year. Decoration
with ice candles is still a seasonal feature of Shimokawa in winter.

Toward Self-sufficiency in Energy

Since 2000, the town government has conducted studies on new ways to
utilize the town's forest resources, and using them as a biomass source
of energy was proposed as one of the measures. Later, in 2004, Shimokawa
introduced a boiler system utilizing wood biomass energy for its public
hot spring facility. It was the first such attempt in Hokkaido.

Also, in collaboration with university researchers, the town government
calculated its trade balance with external entities in 2012. The results
revealed that while surplus sectors included agriculture (with a surplus
of about 1.8 billion yen or US$16.2 million) and timber and wooden
products (about 2.3 billion yen or US$20.7 million), large deficits were
found for items such as oil and coal products, including kerosene used
for heating appliances, (with a deficit of about 750 million yen or
US$6.8 million) and electric power (about 520 million yen or US$4.7
million).

Based on these results, the town set a policy of aiming to achieve
energy self-sufficiency by utilizing its biomass resources, since the
town was blessed with forests and an active forestry industry. Various
initiatives have already been implemented under this policy.

The town's first targeted items were oil and coal products, including
kerosene used for heating. An example of a specific initiative is as
follows. Wood chips are produced from raw materials such as logging
residues generated by forestry works and forest management activities,
small-diameter timber from forest thinning, pruned branches and wood
wastes generated during wood processing. Those wood chips are used as
fuel for biomass boiler systems in the town and the heat generated by
these systems is supplied to facilities within Shimokawa.

Currently 13 biomass boiler systems in total are operating in the town
and the self-sufficiency in heat for the whole town has reached 45
percent. This means that nearly half of the heat demand in Shimokawa is
already supplied by the heat generated within the town. The municipal
government further aims to achieve 100-percent self-sufficiency in heat
by increasing the number of underground heat supply pipes so as to
promote the spread of the heat supply system to households. It also
plans to boost its electricity self-sufficiency rate by promoting the
introduction of cogeneration systems.

As seen in these initiatives, Shimokawa is one of Japan's model local
governments, as it aims by utilizing wood chips produced locally to
achieve self-sufficiency in energy without relying on imported fossil
fuels and is steadily nearing this goal.

Efforts to Make Forest Resources Sustainable to Support Self-Sufficiency in Energy

To continue producing biomass resources within the town, sustainable
forest management is needed. In this respect, Shimokawa has been making
wonderful long-term efforts.

Timber and wood products, which are profit sources for the town's local
economy, generate an annual profit of approximately 2.3 billion yen
(about US$20.72 million); meanwhile, about 50 hectares of forests are
cleared every year to produce these. The trees cut down in the forests
are processed and sold as lumber inside and outside the region. Also,
the wood offcuts and leftovers generated in this process are used to
produce wood chips for fuel.

Every year in the town, about 50 hectares of forests are cleared, and
seedlings are planted in the same areas. It takes 60 years for trees to
grow from seedlings to adult trees, and after that, they are cut down.
Fifty hectares multiplied by 60 equals 3,000 hectares. That means about
3,000 hectares of artificial forests out of a total of approximately
4,500 hectares of the town-owned forests are utilized for this kind of
recycling-based forest management. In this way, Shimokawa has
established a long-term system, which will enable the town to continue
to use forest resources indefinitely. So when did the town launch this
initiative to realize truly sustainable forest management?

To establish permanent property and secure employment, Shimokawa spent
88 million yen (about US$792,793) to obtain 1,221 hectares of national
forests in 1953, when the town's finances were about 100 million yen
(about US$900,901). In 1960, the town formulated a management plan
calling for "clearing a total of 40 to 50 hectares of forests while
planting tree seedlings in the same areas every year," and has continued
it ever since. To fulfill this plan, the town acquired an additional
1,902 hectares of national forests during the period from 1994 to 2003.
Then, starting in 2014, the trees planted by former generations have
been cut down and tree seedlings have been planted in the same places.
In this way, the town has become able to implement recycling-based
forest management, realizing sustainable forest management.

Shimokawa has promoted various industries based on forest resources.
Also, other industries, such as shiitake mushroom cultivation, have been
newly launched in the town, using heat generated by biomass boilers.
Attracted by these new trends, the number of people who had moved out
but are returning to the town and the number of new people newly moving
into the town are increasing. Recently, there have been some years when
the total number of returnees and newcomers have exceeded the number of
people leaving the town to receive a higher education or to work in
other places.

For Shimokawa, forests are important resources for creating profits and
producing energy for industries and the local region, attracting people
to move there. To protect these important forest resources, the town is
also focusing on educating people about forests. The town provides a
15-year-long comprehensive forest environmental education to children
from infants through high school ages. This initiative will be introduced
in the next issue. Please stay tuned!

Written by Junko Edahiro

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What kinds of resources does your hometown have? How
would it be possible to keep utilizing those resources sustainably?
Please share your ideas and leave comments!
https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035953.html#comment

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Fifth Contest to Award Excellent Environmental and Social Practices by
Junior High, High School Students

A contest in Japan to award junior high and high school student groups
for outstanding practices in environmental/social activities observed
its fifth year in 2017. With the aim of supporting young student
initiatives in environmental conservation, the contest has been held
annually since 2013 by the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Tokyo
City University, where Junko Edahiro, representative of Japan for
Sustainability (JFS), works as a professor.

JFS has been serving as a partner organization since the fourth contest
in 2016. The 2017 Awards Ceremony was held on October 28, 2017, with
three student groups winning the Award of Excellence and one group among
the three selected for the Grand Prize.

The following seven criteria were used to evaluate the applicants'
performance: content and approach of the environmental/social activity;
its results; degree to which other students are involved; degree to
which other entities are involved; degree of satisfaction/learning among
participating students; social impact; and potential for the activity's
independent development and continuation. Edahiro was among the six
members on the evaluation panel.

Here, we introduce the three winning groups and their activities.

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Development and Promotion of the 'Bio-Engine' Water Treatment System
Using Living Things

The Team "Flora Photonics" at Nakui Agricultural High School in Aomori
Prefecture won the Grand Prize and the award by the chair of the
Environmental Management Department at Tokyo City University. The team
belongs to a group that studies plants in the Faculty of Environmental
Systems at the school and conducts research and conservation activities.

The group's members have tackled the environmental pollution from
eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs triggered by wastewater from
household and industrial sources with excess nutrients such as nitrogen
and phosphoric acid. The use of machines is generally the choice in
water treatment, but the group has adopted a different method requiring
no energy. After five years of research and trials, they succeeded to
develop a biological-based water treatment system, named "Bio-Engine,"
which uses "Sun Patience" houseplants, nitrifying bacteria and
mycorrhizal fungi.

They launched a demonstration trial at a pond on the grounds of a local
junior high school in 2016. In this trial, they succeeded to eliminate
all algae outbreaks in the pond, where bad smells from the algae had
been a problem. Since then they have established the "Bio-Engine" water
treatment system at eight sites so far. Citizens are pleased with this
system, dubbed as "the most beautiful water treatment system in the
world" as it works using no energy, but instead living things, and it
also pleases people with beautiful flowers blossoming on the water.

Judge's comment: The judges highly credit the team's contribution to
improving the local water environment by utilizing organisms including
flowers and bacteria, which were developed as a water treatment system
by the team for ponds at the town hall and library. We also note their
environmental education activities. Their ambition goes beyond the local
level -- they aim to help improve the water environment across Japan and
even in other countries by commercializing their system. We highly
anticipate and appreciate the team's continued activities.

Efforts to Restore a Japanese Azalea Plant Community

"Team Flower's" of the Oita Prefectural Kusumiyama High School won the
Award of the Chair of the Restoration Ecology and Built Environment
Department at Tokyo City University and also received the Award of
Excellence for its outstanding environmental communication performance.
Through its Japanese azalea conservation activities, the team is trying
to restore the connection between local people and nature in the
mountains, along rivers and in highly biodiverse rural regions near
human settlements (known in Japan as "satochi-satoyama").

In its work, the team takes into account collaboration among
stakeholders such as local residents in the Seitagawa District, the
local education board, and the high school to which it belongs. The
students conducted a field survey and discussed restoration of the
flower. They developed a restoration plan based on their research
findings, devising countermeasures to problems they'd discovered such as
fewer chances for saplings to grow, long sprouting times due to the
small size of its seeds, theft of plants and damage from pests feeding
on it. The team requested permission from the Kusu education board and
the cultural division of the Oita Prefectural Board of Education to
replant the azalea, and their request was approved under two conditions:
The seeds were from Japanese azaleas in the Seitagawa District and the
seedlings for replanting had already been growing for two years or more.

The team is trying to involve more people in the community through
lecture visits to elementary schools, flower planting at stations and
awareness raising and publicity activities via websites and other media.
For the future, the team aims to enhance the environment in the azalea's
habitat, conduct further research on the azalea's population and genetic
diversity, and replenish labor sources which are thought to be
decreasing due to the declining birthrate and aging population.

Judge's Comment: The team have learned the basics of scientific field
research and are passing the results on to younger student members who
join the team every year. At the same time, they have cultivated close
cooperative relationships with the prefectural education board, town
hall, conservation groups, commercial and industrial associations,
businesses, etc. The judges think highly of the team for considering
some of the latest conservation schemes such as "Satoyama Banking"* and
mitigation banking* in their work.

Note:
"Satoyama Banking" is a biodiversity banking concept proposed by Prof.
Akira Tanaka of Tokyo City University.
Mitigation banking is the preservation, enhancement, restoration or
creation (PERC) of habitat conservation areas to offset or compensate
for expected adverse impacts on similar ecosystems nearby.

Potentials of Utilizing Spring Water

The Gifu prefectural Ogaki Yoro High School's project team, a food
chemistry group in the food science course, has planned three projects
utilizing water from a spring and waterfall in the area. The team was
given the local collaboration award for its practice in utilizing water
in commercialization. The food chemistry group conducts unique research
as part of a local school, using water from the Yoro-no-taki waterfall
and Kikusuisen spring, which are resources inherent in the town of Yoro.

The project started with the work of separating yeast fungi from
Yoro-no-taki water to use in making "sake" and bread, and using water
from the Kikusuisen spring to produce soy sauce. The team analyzed the
water quality of the two sources and verified that the quality met river
environmental standards set by the Ministry of the Environment. The team
then succeeded in extracting four different yeast fungi from
Yoro-no-taki water and, using a gene identification test, found one of
them suitable for making sake and bread.

The team has not only brewed soy sauce using Kikusuisen water, but
designed a DIY soy sauce kit incorporating the students' unique
viewpoint. Students interviewed a local brewing company to pick up tips,
and after performing many experiments, they successfully developed an
original kit of their own. The team was even asked by a tourist
association in the town to replicate a Yoro cider made from Kikusuisen
water, which had been discontinued in 2000, and they took on that
challenge too.

Judge's comment: The group has gained high-level knowledge through
advice from specialists, including a cider manufacturer, a brewing
company, the government and universities as well as by undertaking joint
research with them. It has also developed environmental education
activities targeting junior high school students, aimed at raising their
awareness of the local environment. The group's small size belies the
diversity, scale and level of its projects. Its activities are praiseworthy
and further achievements are anticipated.

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The presentations given by high school students at the contest were all
of a higher quality than we anticipated, and we were surprised by their
highly motivated research efforts. We were very impressed by their
dynamism in drawing out solutions from the challenges facing them,
taking on new issues and proceeding with their studies. We believe that
their new discoveries and inventions will trigger local revitalization
and popularity. We look forward to seeing further achievements from
their efforts.

Written by Yuuka Anzai

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Coco Farm & Winery: An Amazing Model of Special Needs Students and
Community

Vineyards cover a steep slope in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. The land
was originally cleared by Noboru Kawata, then a junior high school
teacher for special needs education, and his students. Cocoromi Gakuen,
an institution for intellectually-challenged students, is located at the
base of this slope. Supportive of Kawata's cause, families of Cocoromi
Gakuen students established a private limited company in 1980 to produce
wine together with these students. The company aims to help create a
society in which everyone, including persons with disabilities, can live
life to their fullest potential.

How far can job assistance for people with disabilities evolve in terms
of business and industry, products and services, and ties with communities?
This month's JFS Newsletter introduces the initiatives to work with
intellectually challenged people and produce wine, based on an interview
with Chieko Ikegami, who is executive director of the social welfare
corporation Cocoromirukai and also executive director of Coco Farm &
Winery, and Rieko Ushikubo, secretary-general of Cocoromirukai and chief
operating officer of Coco Farm & Winery. This interview was conducted on
March 30, 2017 for the SBN "Interviews with 100 Social Entrepreneurs"
series. The content was rearranged and edited by JFS for this issue.*

*"Interviews with 100 Japanese Social Entrepreneurs" is a series of
interactive lectures that provide social entrepreneurs with opportunities
to learn from their forerunners. The lectures have been held approximately
once a month since June 2012 by the Social Business Network (SBN) and
International Institute for Human, Organization and the Earth (IIHOE).

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Developing Children's Abilities through Agricultural Work

In the 1950s, Noboru Kawata became a teacher for special needs students
at a junior high school in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. In those days,
children with disabilities were often seen as pitiful and raised in an
overprotective environment. As a result, they tended to be fragile,
spoiled and irritable. Kawata thought that these children would be
suited for agriculture, which requires a lot of activity all year round,
and looked for farmland. Since flat land was expensive, he bought a
steep-sloped lot which faces the southwest, believing that the afternoon
sun in summer would be good for farming.

On steep slopes like these, it was impossible to use heavy farming
equipment. Kawata and his students had to start clearing the land by
cutting down trees by hand. At first, students were easily exhausted.
Some began sword play using cut branches when they got tired of working.
These children, however, showed a dramatic change after about a year. In
the harsh climate of Ashikaga, with sweltering hot days in summer and
cold, windy days in winter, the students naturally built up their
physical and mental strength every day as they moved up and down the
steep slope, at an average gradient of 38 degrees. They acquired ability
to endure hunger, heat and cold, and sleepiness.

The land cleared of trees was soon covered with rampant weeds which
could outgrow vegetables. Kawata thought that fruit trees which bear
sweet fruit once a year would be better than vegetables. He also thought
that fruit growing that needs a lot of time and labor would be
preferable so that children can work throughout the year. He finally
decided to grow grape vines.

After the land clearing and construction of facilities were completed
through self-funding, Cocoromi Gakuen started in 1969 as an institution
for people with intellectual disabilities, with 30 students and nine
staff members.

Making Good Wine, not Welfare Wine

In the postwar years, grapes sold like hotcakes because of the lack of
sweets on the market, but grape prices plummeted during the nation's
period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s. Kawata's response was to
consider making wine since wine is a value-added product that can be
stored for a longer period of time. To realize the plan, however, there
was an obstacle. As a social welfare corporation receiving subsidies and
tax breaks from the government, Cocoromi Gakuen could not apply for a
license to produce wine. Thus, in 1980 Coco Farm & Winery was
incorporated as a private limited company, with investment from some of
the students' families. Today, a representative of the parents'
association serves as chief executive officer of the Coco Farm & Winery.

In 1984, Coco received a government permit to produce wine and started
wine production. From the beginning, Kawata said, "We will go bankrupt
if we only make 'welfare wine,' so let's make good wine." At that
time, grape wine had not yet gained popularity in Japan, and no one knew
exactly how to produce good wine there. So Coco invited a wine
consultant named Bruce Gutlove from California to Japan and sought his
advice. He firmly believed that good wine depends mostly on the grapes,
and he was impressed by the efforts of Cocoromi Gakuen to carefully tend
the grapes and harvest by hand, avoid the use of herbicides and chemical
fertilizers, and even chase away crows by rattling empty cans. To this
day, he serves as a trustee of Cocoromi Gakuen and a board director of
Coco Farm & Winery.

Coco selects the varieties of vine that suit the climate of the northern
Kanto region, and works hard to follow natural farming practices. It is
an independent winemaker using 100 percent Japanese grapes. Fermentation
with natural wild yeast can be undependable and time-consuming but can
make fragrant, quality wine. Wine with long-lasting taste, complexity
and balance can be produced with quality grapes and microbes. People
just play a supporting role.

A Wine Recognized Worldwide

A nearby animal feed company comes free of charge to take away grape
skin and seeds that are left after grapes are squeezed. Rich in polyphenols,
they are used as feed for cows. Compost made from the dung of cows that
eat the feed is scattered in the vineyard. This way of farming has been
suddenly attracting attention as "recycling farming" or "the sixth
industry" (the sum of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries).

Since about 10 years ago, not only wine magazines but also women's and
travel magazines have covered the winery. People buy the Coco wine at
wine shops and its good reputation is spreading through word of mouth
and social media.

In 2003, Coco opened a cafe and created programs for winery tours and
wine tasting. Coco also has an online shop so that those who cannot
visit the winery in person can still enjoy the wine.

Today almost 20,000 people not only from the local area but from all
over the country come to enjoy the winery's harvest festival, held on
the third Saturday and Sunday of November every year since 1984. It
seems that the Cocoromi Gakuen students as well are happy to have many
visitors and this gives a big boost to their motivation.

In 2000, Coco's wine was selected for a formal reception of the
Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit. It was also used for a dinner hosted by the
prime minister's wife at Hokkaido-Toyako G8 Summit in 2008 and a dinner
of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Hiroshima in 2016. Since 2013,
Coco's wine has been offered frequently in Japan Airlines' international
first class lounges and during its flights.

Consigning Business to Cocoromi Gakuen for All Students to Take Task

In case of a private limited company, wages are paid to employees
through their bank accounts, but not to people who are hired to take
care of employees by making food, doing the laundry and so on. Therefore,
Coco Farm & Winery consigns a part of its operations such as wine
production and bottling to Cocoromi Gakuen.

Not only growing grapes but also many other tasks in the winemaking
process are monotonous and need patience. For instance, bottling wine is
a hard work because students have to carry bottles working long hours in
the cold. When they are in charge of the task, students are dedicated to
their work, demonstrating their amazing abilities. There are many
processes including fermenting, assembly of wine boxes, labeling, ribbon
cutting, sealing, and folding of pamphlets, so individual students can
take a task which is best suited for them.

The students and staff prepare three meals a day, clean every room and
wash a mountain of clothes, living like a large family. This is a great
advantage because both their living and working are part of a whole.

There are many on the waiting list to join Cocoromi Gakuen. But the
institution is not always best for everybody. More than half of about
150 students are advanced in their years and more than ten rely on
wheelchairs to get around. The institution strives to follow routine
schedules and emphasizes physical work, so how to deal with aging is a
big issue in Cocoromi Gakuen. The institution sometimes holds funerals,
and some former residents' ashes have been laid to rest in the private
cemetery with Noboru Kawata, who passed away in 2010.

Fitting in and Building a Mutually-Supportive Relationship with the
Local Community

Since 60 years ago, the institution and local community have been
coexisting and relying on each other. Local people are grateful when
they see the students working in the rain to cut grass along the
riverbank. (Actually, this work is easier in the rain than under the hot
sun.) And in the forests, the clearing of undergrowth is crucial work
for managing forestland, but there is a shortage of people who are
willing to do this work. So the staff members and students who are
accustomed to this kind of work are willing to take it on.

Local people help students if they are outside the facility and need
assistance, caring for them as they would for their own. Cocoromi Gakuen
is itself a community based on agriculture and forestry. That is why it
can easily fit in and build a stable relationship with the local farming
and forest community.

When asked by the city's social welfare council to join and help its
autumn event, students are willing to do so even though they are busy
with their farm work in that season. Some of the older students join to
make the organizers happy. They may think of it as giving back to the
community.

The institution has no particular plan for the future. Thinking that
today's society has too much of an obsession with trying harder, the
institution isn't so bold as to call itself "independent," but cherishes
living together happily and working with modest pride. To achieve that,
it is important to focus on the stability and continuity of the institution.
In that sense, there is much in common with wine making.

Once when the winery had severe hail damage, the staff members were at
loose ends as to what to do. But the students finished their work as
usual, saying "See you tomorrow." They ate much and slept well. Seeing
them, the staff suddenly realized that it is useless to lament about
something caused by nature, and that it is best to accept the situation
and continue doing what each of us can do each moment.

------------------------

Daily life in Cocoromi Gakuen and Coco Farm & Winery teaches us that it
is important to fit in with the community and contribute products or
services, to coexist amicably, and to work with modest pride. We can
learn a lot from the attitude of the students, who live a full life even
though they have disabilities, not by doing extraordinary things but
simply by making good wine and working together with companions.
We hope they will have continued success for a long time.

* This article is translated and adapted from the original Japanese
article on the website of the Social Business Network:
"Interviews with 100 Japanese social entrepreneurs: Learning from the
business models of veteran social entrepreneurs"
http://socialbusiness-net.com/contents/news5343(in Japanese)

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[JFS Web Site Additions of the Month]

- This month's cartoon:
Another important energy source (2017/11/10)
https://www.japanfs.org/en/manga/manga_id035944.html

- JFS Newsletter No.182 (October 2017)

TMG Sewerage Bureau Aims to Make Tokyo a 'Smart Energy City'
(2017/11/20)
https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035941.html
Well-being and Other Social Indicators: A Study of
Five Local Governments Initiatives in Japan(2017/11/12)
https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035940.html
From "Assistance" To "Coexistence" : Japanese NGO Shapla
Neer Marks 45 Years of Experience and Learning
in International Cooperation(2017/10/30)
https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035935.html

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