At the start of spring, we bring you an update on our 2-night Satoyama program held this spring.
Day 1
Although the weather was unfortunately rainy, the program kicked off with the cheerful voices of the children, making us forget all about it. Thirty-one children and eight leaders boarded the bus, heading to Nagusa in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, the setting for this adventure. The children exchanged snacks with their friends sitting next to them, and during the bus games, they played a true-or-false quiz about the leaders. By the time they arrived, they had already made friends with the leaders and their fellow participants for the program.
After an hour-long journey, we quickly arrived at our destination! Nagusa, where we would be staying, is a place rich in nature where time flows slowly. We unloaded our luggage and prepared our rooms. A significant feature of this Nagusa program was staying in a decommissioned school. The children were incredibly excited about staying in a closed school, and they immediately ran around the hallways and playground, making a lot of noise.
All meals for this program were self-cooked. The dinner on the first day was curry and salad. The children were divided into groups: one for chopping curry ingredients, another for preparing the salad, and a third for cooking rice. They efficiently prepared dinner. Some friends even tried using a knife! A leader stood by, teaching them how to hold and use the knife.
Of course, they served themselves too! Everyone enjoyed the freshly prepared, steaming hot meal!
After cleaning up dinner, we had a campfire! We gathered around a large fire with friends participating in the 4-night program. Campfires mean marshmallows! Everyone was excited about the fluffy marshmallows.
Day 2
Day 2 was a busy day.
After breakfast, we boarded the bus and headed to Iwana Park. Upon arrival, we lit firecrackers and set up a radio to deter bears. Many children learned about bear deterrents for the first time, and it was impressive to see them listening intently.
After that, we first experienced catching iwana (trout) and inoculating shiitake mushrooms. For fishing, we put bait on fishing rods and caught iwana from the fishing pond. The smiling faces of everyone who caught lively fish were impressive.
In the shiitake inoculation experience, we hammered shiitake spores into a tree trunk. Some were responsible for holding the trunk, others for carrying it, and everyone worked together as a team on tasks that couldn't be done alone.
For lunch, we made tonjiru (pork miso soup) using a Swedish torch.