We're excited to share an update on the 5-day, 4-night "Satoyama Program" held in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, which began on March 26, 2026. This special program was carefully crafted through the collaborative efforts of our Nago partners and Camp Ship Academy. Over these five days spent with friends, the children not only fostered cooperation but also unleashed their imaginations, transforming into more authentic versions of themselves.
Day 1 began with unfortunate rain. After being seen off by their families in Shibuya, the children headed to the Nagusa Seminar House on a chartered bus. Inside the bus, the air was filled with excitement as children happily chatted with newly made friends and discussed their upcoming adventure with the leaders. The "Nagusa Seminar House" is a renovated former junior high school. The children were thrilled to run freely down the long corridors, something they usually couldn't do! The leaders joined in the fun, enjoying the former school building together.
After lunch, everyone enjoyed "Get the King" in the gym, then headed to the grounds when the rain stopped. There, they joined the 3-day, 2-night team, and a "serious" game of tag began between 71 children and the leaders. The result was an overwhelming victory for the children! Their speed and energy were truly astonishing.
Dinner was a BBQ. Lighting the fire, cutting ingredients, and preparing equipment – these tasks were, of course, primarily handled by the children. One of Camp Ship's important rules is "no work, no food." From the very first day, the attitude of everyone working together to enjoy delicious food was firmly established.
On the morning of Day 2, we headed to the Nagusa Megalithic Group, a mysterious place designated as a national natural monument, where "onion weathering" characteristic of granite can be observed. On the mountain path, I was deeply moved to see that even by the second day, a natural sense of cooperation had emerged; fast-paced children would occasionally stop and wait for their friends to catch up instead of rushing ahead. Upon reaching the megalithic group, everyone was captivated by its overwhelming presence. The children carefully climbed rocks and explored the surroundings, experiencing the wonders of nature with their entire bodies.
Afterward, we experienced char fishing and shiitake mushroom log inoculation at "Nagusa Iwana Park." For the shiitake log inoculation, the children hammered "spores" (plugs filled with fungi) into holes drilled in logs. Incredibly, the children alone inoculated a total of 64 logs with 2,304 spores. It was impressive to see them carefully and powerfully hammer in each spore while listening to the instructor explain that many shiitake mushrooms would grow from these logs.
For char fishing, they challenged themselves from the very beginning, putting bait on the hooks. Some children caught fish quickly, while others persevered many times before finally catching one, but in the end, everyone successfully caught a fish. The caught char were slowly roasted for 50 minutes in a special oven. While waiting for the fish to be cooked until the bones were edible, we made pork miso soup and cooked rice in mess tins using Swedish torches. It was a perfect team effort, literally with everyone in their optimal roles—some watching the fire, some cutting ingredients, and some stirring—creating a delicious lunch.
The main activities on the third day were building a bamboo swing and creating mountain steps. For the bamboo swing, we started by making a model with chopsticks to consider "how to make it safe and durable." Relying on hints from the guide, team members discussed it. After understanding the structure with the model, we went outside, selected which bamboo to use for which parts, and assembled the base.
Concurrently, we worked on creating "mountain steps," an activity to make Mt. Shogetsu, managed by the local "Nagusa Satoyama Kai," easier to climb. Each person chose their assigned area and leveled the ground with a shovel. Although we expected the children to be tired from yesterday's walk to the megalithic group, their energy was boundless. Magnificent steps were completed in no time, and we were guided up the mountain. The view of Nagusa in spring from the mountain was so beautiful that everyone felt they would "love to come back here again."
In the afternoon, we made morning plates with "Shoei Kagu," a local furniture maker. We used sandpaper of varying coarseness to carefully remove the rough texture of the wood. Although everyone was covered in sawdust, in the end, we applied oil to make the plates smooth to the touch. With our own unique plates completed, breakfast became something to look forward to even more.
The morning of day 4 featured an art workshop led by "Atelier Mado" from Ashikaga City. Children used their whole bodies to paint on a gigantic 5x5 meter canvas. They started by drawing lines and shapes with crayons, but once the paints appeared, the energy immediately surged! They used not only brushes but also their hands and feet, and not only drawing paper but even the leaders became canvases. Even when it was time to finish, everyone cried out, "We want to draw more!" so we extended the time, painting over until there were no white spots left. Their concentration and imagination far exceeded adult expectations.
For lunch, we made authentic pizza. Those who wished to make the dough from scratch worked in pairs to knead the flour, letting it rest for over 30 minutes to create soft and chewy dough. Topping it with their favorite ingredients, the taste of pizza baked in the authentic pizza oven managed by the Satoyama Association was exceptional.
The afternoon was dedicated to putting the finishing touches on the bamboo swing. After testing whether the pillars assembled yesterday could support an adult, the ropes and seats were finally attached. The moment it was completed, the handmade swing that suddenly appeared in the empty schoolyard was immediately met with a long line of eager children. The sight of the children, who had shaped the swing from their own designs, shone even brighter than the completed swing itself.
On the final evening, each group prepared their own dinner. Using local vegetables and meat, the ingredients were decided through a rock-paper-scissors battle between groups. Ramen, pasta, seasoned rice... the dinners, made by combining limited ingredients and using their ingenuity, were all truly delicious.
On the last day, we had authentic mochi pounding using a mortar and pestle. We enjoyed mugwort mochi and white mochi, pounded with lively calls, together with "torijiru" (chicken soup). The freshly made mochi seemed to have a special taste, different from what they usually eat.
Until departure, the children spent their time in Nagusa cherishing every last moment, playing on the completed bamboo swing and enjoying original games.
So much happened during these five days. There were moments of sadness and hardship, but overcoming them with friends and leaders led to smiles that were a little stronger than on the first day.
I hope the memories of these five days will remain in everyone's hearts forever. And I sincerely hope you will come back again.
See you again at Camp Ship.