The 7 minute documentary below is a Frontline mini-documentary on an Australian-Japanese couple who moved to a tiny rural hamlet in rural Shikoku to become rice farmers.
The filming is more than 3 years old, but it’s an interesting snapshot of life in rural Japan. One question I have is if there is any concrete policy about giving away rural land to people who want to farm it. I think that if a more proactive approach was made to attract people to the countryside in rural areas, there could be a real draw.
- BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
- « Tunisia Travelogue
- » The Principles of War: 10. Administration
COMMENTS / 5 COMMENTS
Psudo added these pithy words on 05 Jul 08 at 3:19 pmIt’s a beautiful scene. I’d like to see more about the rural lifestyles across the world. Perhaps farmers worldwide have more in common than the more urban city-dwellers.
Alfred Russel Wallace added these pithy words on 07 Jul 08 at 1:20 amDoes Oto-san really have that English a sense of humour? “Unfortunately I think you’re hopeless”?
Joe Jones added these pithy words on 07 Jul 08 at 1:56 amThere is that town in Hokkaido giving away land for free:
http://www.debito.org/?p=1709I don’t know if there’s a policy specifically geared toward farmers, though.
Naomi added these pithy words on 15 Jul 08 at 3:55 amEven though it was 3 years old I still found it very interesting. It might not be the exact lifestyle I would choose, but it seems like a nice way to live anyway. So thank you for this video!
And as an Aussie I’m happy to see another Aussie doing well for himself, and corrupting Oto-san in the ways of larrikinism! Great sense of humour!
Very envious of any foreigner who is living in Japan and making a decent go of things.
Shawn in Tokyo added these pithy words on 20 Jul 08 at 7:07 amI have seen some documentaries on Japanese TV discussing the new ‘farming retreat’ vacations that are becoming popular amongst a number of long-time city residents. They involve spending time in a cabin where the residents take ownership of a large garden for a period of time at the moment I can’t remember the length).
Tokyo has seen a resurgence in people moving further into the city the past few years as the dropping value of homes and stress of the commute have taken their toll. This has created a rebound in central ward housing prices and investment. However, it may eventually fluctuate back to people seeking to escape the city lifestyle, and perhaps a government program subsidizing this movement would help.
SPEAK / ADD YOUR COMMENT
Comments are moderated.
