Nakagawa Village
Takehiko Miyashita

People's faces tend to be diffi cult to see in city, but they can be seen in small villages. Voices can be heard.
Then administration will make use of the thought, support it, and become a companion.

The administration of a small village is a companion for each one to shine

What is the charm of this village? If I, who was born and bred in this village, would dare to express comfortably it would be “a feeling of moderate”. It's not as convenient as in the city, but it's not too inconvenient to live in. There are festivals and traditional culture including Onbashira Festival, and there are relations among neighbors, there is also an open and gentle villager characteristic that does not exclude so-called “outsiders”. And, there is the beautiful scenery nurtured by nature, such as Mt.Jinbagata, a mountain with a spectacular scenery overlooking Inadani, and rugged terrain. Although we feel it natural when living in, it is a charm unique to this village that can only be found here, including the lives of people who maintain the scenery.
Based on these treasures of the village, we would like to focus on environmentally sound agriculture. Originally Nakagawa-mura is a land suitable for agriculture such as fruit cultivation, and in recent years the number of people moved from other place who wish to start farming is increasing. It can be said that the production of agricultural products that does not rely on agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizer, which such people aim for, is suitable for places with narrow cultivated land such as Nakagawa-mura. Actually, I also retired from the government office to become a grape farmer. My wife grows grapes at home and I'm in charge of the grass cutting. For the last 5 years, we have been growing them without using chemical herbicides. It's difficult, but we are a member of the “Most Beautiful Village in Japan” union. In our understanding, a “Beautiful village” is a “sustainable village”. The major effects of climate change, such as the fact that apple flower buds are damaged by late frost, and roads collapse due to typhoons and continuous rain, have first occur in rural areas.
For that reason, I would like to be engaged in what agriculture can contribute to the environment, and then create a mechanism that can deliver the value-added agricultural products cultivated as a result to people in the city. From that thought, we are preparing for the established of the Agricultural Tourism Exchange Center.

Interviewed in July, 2020
Writer : Mikiko Tamaki / Photographer : Kenta Sasaki