After Amami… Busking in Kyushu and Escaping the Tsunami.

It was a blistering hot Thursday morning when I woke up. All of my things were wet because I was using my friend’s hand-me-down tent for storage. It wasn’t quite rain proof. In fact I wouldn’t even call it water resistant. So it didn’t fare well in the intense tropical rain the night before. My hiking pack was starting to show signs of mold growth. All my clothes were dirty. I was tired. I was hungry. I was spending too much money living at a festival. I woke up with an intense desire to be somewhere else that day, and I was going to make it happen.

After the festival all of the ferry companies (only two on the island) were booked up for a week, but one of the companies had 2 ticket cancellations. I could buy the ticket if i came into the office quickly. I immediately set off on an escape mission which involved hitchhiking to 3 different places to collect all my stuff and exchange some dollars into yen so I could pay for the ticket. After I had my ferry ticket in hand and I was waiting in the 70’s feeling sterile terminal for boarding to begin… I started to feel a little bad about all the people I was leaving behind. Some of my favorite people there didn’t even know I was leaving because I didn’t run into them that morning to say goodbye. Oh well. We are meant to be connected to some people. Some meetings are fleeting though. Ichigo ichie. “One meeting, one chance.”

^^^^^ I asked this Obaa-Chan if I could take her picture. She smiled and agreed, and then started walking out of the frame, and over rough terrain I might add, she was determined. I tried to explain to her “no, I want picture you!” but it was no use. She smiled and pointed to her banana trees in the back. They were green, so I didn’t assume she was offering them to me. haha.
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I packed into a big room on the ferry with maybe 200 other people. The floor was packed with sleeping bodies! The aisles were packed with shoes and bags! The entrance lobby was full of more bags and surfboards! Most people who came to Amami for the eclipse had to camp due to the small amount of lodging on the island, so almost everyone aboard had a giant hiking pack or some huge bungee-cord monster on wheels that they dragged around. It was packed and noisy and just… just… I went out onto the top deck. Ah, space. We were surrounded by intense darkness, but you could see some lights far on the horizon, probably fishing boats. There are beer vending machines on all ferries in Japan. There is no better place to drink than on a ferry. The tilting of the boat back and forth gives you the sensation that you’ve drank twice as much. So I sat sipping a cheap Kirin beer -staring into the darkness, processing everything that had just happened in the 2 weeks that I stayed on that little Island. And of course! Once again feeling that completely enveloping sensation of traveling to a place completely new.

When the ferry arrived in Kagoshima everything was grey. I knew rain was coming soon. I had planned on hitchhiking, but it’s pretty hard to get a ride in the rain. If the driver doesn’t accidentally hit you due to low visibility they are more likely to think you’re insane for standing in the rain than to feel sorry for you. I decided to take the train.

At this point I’ve only got a small amount of money, and I’ve been in Japan long enough to know how the train system works. This is how I met Tact! You see, Tact and I were riding a train sitting across from each other when we were unexpectedly asked for our ticket. We each had to pay $22. After paying the train guy we both looked at eachother and loudly whispered “KUSO!” which means “SHIT!” We were instantly friends. I spent the next 3 days traveling with this guy. Any time we got into sticky ticket situations Tact would use his Jedi mind trick powers to get us through. I played the part of foreigner guy who can’t speak Japanese and doesn’t know what’s going on. I spent 5 months in Japan mastering this role.

Tact was a really cool guy. My Japanese was good enough, but mostly, his English was good enough that we could have pretty detailed conversation. He’s an artist/illustrator who works in Japan. He was traveling with no tent or sleeping bag. Inside his really small backpack he only had some clothes, fish tins, a small camp stove, and a ton of Sea Shells from Amami! haha. I respect people who travel with so little.

^^^^^ Tact sleeping on the train next to my beefy pack.
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We stayed in Kyushu for one night; in Oita city. We weren’t really sleepy, so I suggested we look for a place to go busking. Busking is playing music on the streets (in hopes) of attention or (usually) money- CD sales or donations or food or alcohol or anything, and of course for the joy of it! -sometimes only for the joy of it. I played my flute for some extra money. Tact tried to sell some of the t-shirts he designed and had screen printed. First I wanted to make a sign saying “okokoro kudasai,” [like "heart please" or "mind/attention please", an old phrase] but Tact said “nagesen kudasai,” ["money please" but also a very old phrase, so he said it would be funny. but it is still very direct for Japanese] would be better. I made $20, tact made $0. I met some really nice people that night too. It was my first night busking. It would not be my last!

The next day was grey and rainy again. The rain constantly fluctuated it’s intensity. Usually just a steady drip, but sometimes a fierce downpour. Apparently we were crossing the path of a Tsunami that caused some landslides in western Kyushu. Anyway… it was nothing dramatic like that for me. It just meant seeing many flooded lots, yards and gardens (but no houses) outside of the windows and having to bear riding in a train going… unbearably slow. I’m not sure of the reasons, but sometimes for an hour at a time we would slow to what felt like 10mph, and in between we would only speed up to 20 or so. At one point the train stopped and told us we had to board buses to get to the next 3 stations, and continue by train from the 3rd station. And then it was all gone.

To be continued… つづく
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I’m staying busy in Oregon! It’s been pretty warm the past 3 weeks, in the mid 90’s. I’ve been camping out every night. I helped a friend work on his strawbale/COB cottage project the other day. I only did carpentry, no mud work, but it was nice to see the house in this stage. I could still see almost every beam in the house and how the house was put together. I have lots of time to relax, practice my flute and read. Working the soil in the garden is very meditative also. I’ve been working long, relaxing hours.

Mata Ne!

Okay okay. I’m back in Amerikuuuhh. Amami Oshima!

So I made it back! I actually came back! I’m surprised too. I’m now in Oregon working with a cool guy to get his farm started. Working in the garden, working on new gardens, and working on various construction and destruction projects. I’ll get to that later though… let me try to retrace my steps.

So… Amami Oshima. What a ridiculously hot and beautiful place that was! I was able to volunteer at the total solar eclipse festival there. That meant working for a week getting every thing set up in the blazing heat. We had more break time than work time, usually. People who worked under trees for shade slowly moved their work in orbit around the trees as the sun arced through the sky. From 12-3 all was silent. everyone clung to the shade, tried to sleep, or at least rest, and prayed that the ocean breeze find them.
We Hung out under the shade of palm trees. From Spain, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Russia, France, Turkey, Australia, South America, South Japan, North Japan… some people from just the other side of the island. It was a good wave of energy we were riding together. Many of us found ourselves randomly drawn to this place on an impulse. With not much time to plan we found our selves riding a ferry or an airplane. With that feeling of suspension every nerve in your body experiences the sensation of travel. Suddenly you’re going somewhere far away. Somewhere separated by enough time and space to be perhaps, vastly different.

Ferry to the Mountain Tropics.
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Ferry friends. I wouldn’t have gone to the festival if I hadn’t met these kids.
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Constructing main stage!
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And later, dancing under the main stage.
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I really love Takoyaki. Grilled octopus balls! Served on a shrimp cracker with mayonnaise. I ate so many of these! The owner started giving me freebies and I helped him translate his signs into english for like 8 balls. Some of you may not know, but that’s a lot of octopus ball. I need that recipe.
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My friend Diana eating Takoyaki in Amami. Photo by Goto Mah
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The Moon’s shadow is doing it’s thing.
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Moon eats Sun.
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I could write so much more about this island experience… but for now, I’m going to move on. I some nice videos I shot here, so I’ll be sure to cover it later.

Amami Oshima, Japan – Total Solar Eclipse Festival.

Riding the ferry to Okinawa I met some people going to volunteer at a Total solar eclipse party. I decided I would get off the boat early and go with them! I’ll be camping on the beach helping set up the event for the next 3ish weeks. This is a short and sweet post… the amazing details surrounding how I got here and the story of how it all happened will have to wait for now. Mata ne!

Inden Farm! Seed bombs and Masanobu Fukuoka dreams. (wwoof Japan)

I’m now staying with the Inden Family- Tatsu and his wife Kanchi and their 1 year old son, Sota. Actually, they are not a wwoof host yet. They are friend’s of my last host family. Next year they plan on hosting wwoofer’s and I’m helping build a loft so wwoof’ers will have a place to sleep. The Inden farm consists of 2 tanbo’s (rice fields) and many hatake (vegetable gardens) spread out around their home. Everything is organic. Tatsu-san is studying permaculture and the methods of Masanobu Fukuoka.

Recently We planted a TON of soy beans around his 2 tanbo. The soy beans have (at least, surely i’ve over looked MANY) 4 functions I’m aware of. They prevent the aze (tanbo walls) from eroding and falling into the water channels, they provide food, they attract different insects than the rice (so biodiversity will increase around the tanbo, and hopefully no single type of insect will be able to reproduce and eat the crops in large numbers, frogs in the tanbo help with this also), and last but not least they will be improving the soil around the tanbo which is currently really rockey and well… shitty. All beans are legumes which fix nitrogen in the soil and over time the roots will help loosen the soil.

A few days ago I helped Yagi-san, a friend of Tatsu’s, plant a rice feild. He’s growing rice without water…errr without flooding the field. Rice fields are usually full of 5-10 centemeters of water. Most people (including most Japanese) think this is the only way to grow rice. The rice doesn’t need the water, and perhaps (according to the opinion of Fukuoka-san) doesn’t even prefer the water! The main reason the fields are flooded is to prevent other plants/weeds from growing and “competeing” with the rice. When rice is grown without water other plants are able to grow in the field. This improves biodiversity, balance, and reduces the need to use pesticides. Using this technique combined with planting white clover as a “cover crop” (cover crop = living mulch, clover is also a legume, so nitrogen is fixed in the soil as an added benefit) Masanobu Fukuoka achieved rice harvests equal to the highest harvests in Japan using modern agricultural methods.

Here is a video of Masanobu Fukuoka making “seed balls” which is a seeding technique he invented (or at least rediscovered.):

Using these seed balls you can seed plants simply by making the balls, then throwing them around the field. The seeds are then protected from birds, and as soon as the first good rain comes the clay balls “melt” into the soil and the seeds can grow. In america I’ve heard these called “seed bombs” and I’ve hear stories of people saving up tons of marijuana or hemp seeds, making a huge batch of seed bombs, and then driving down the street while tossing them out the window. Haha! I’ve also heard of “gurrila gardeners” using the seed bomb method to grow edible plants in parks and unused public (and sometimes private) land, that is going to waste by just sitting vacant. People are starving (or spending too much) while there is unused land everywhere! Bomb your blocks people! Bomb the parks! Bomb any piece of ugly grass you can find! (but try to be respectful!)

Here are some recent photos:

Chasing monkey’s out of the garden! Tatsu says he’s ok with sharing some food with monkeys because long ago the Japanese people planted almost only cypress trees for lumber and altered the biodiversity of the forests… eliminating many food sources for the monkeys.

The Inden’s house and all of Tatsu’s drums, including a Tabla! (awesome indian drum, maybe the hardest drum to play)

This is one of the Inden Tanbos. The rice is much smaller than in his neighbor’s fields because it’s planted later and harvested later (Novemberish.) The cold temperatures at the end of a late growing season is important for the rice; it’s flavor becomes sweeter and nutrients are increased. The agricultual (non-natural) method of growing is timed purely to take advantage of maximum sunlight so that the rice is ready to harvest sooner and faster. This makes sense when you’re trying to make lots of money, but not when you want the highest quality food for your family.

Old style hand powered rice separator. Uses air to separate heavy and light particles. After the rice has the hulls removed the hulls still need to be separated from the grain. The heavier rice falls straight through the machine, the lighter hulls are blown out of the stream and come out of the 2nd shoot. This process of removing hulls and separating has to be done a couple times.

And some photos from the last week at the Asanomi Bakery:

A little forest crab on my wrist.

My first stone work experience! We’re cementing between the rocks to make a steady and beautiful base for the posts around the house. This was pretty fun, like playing rock tetris. Tetris is a really cool game the more I think about it. It trains the brain to fit patterns together. I wonder if cave men played such games with one guy throwing rocks from a cliff faster and faster and the other one trying to direct them into a wall.

Corn growing nicely in a garden full of “weeds.” ah weeds, hahaha. Fighting weeds is like arguing on the internet… or so the saying goes.

More pics of my Inden adventure’s later!

How charcoal will save the world!

I feel like some hidden energy has been pushing me towards making charcoal. The more I read about charcoal the more amazing it is. About 3 years ago I was working as a blacksmith’s apprintice. During that time I was blacksmithing with fossil fuel coal. Fossil fuel coal is non-renewable, full of carcinogens, and smells really nasty. I began looking for an alternative. I found that you can easily make charcoal from wood. It works just as well, doesn’t smell horrible, and does not release all the nasty byproducts that coal releases. And if you live near a forest you have a nearly unlimited supply.

2 yeasr later I was wwoof’ing at a farm in Oregon that had a huge library with books and magazines about sustainable living. I read in the magazine Permaculture Activist about “Terra Preta” which is a super fertile rich black soil in the Amazon basin. Scientists discovered that this super fertile soil was actually MAN MADE (err man helped). The secret ingredient in this soil is, you guessed it, charcoal. This soil has been used by farmers in the Amazon for over  2000 years old and it’s still full of nutrients. According to the wikipedia page, the charcoal is a habitat for types of fungus and other microbial life. These fungi and other microbes assist plants in taking nutrients from the soil as well as producing more nutrients and fixing the nutrients where they are so that rain doesn’t push nutrients deep into the soil out of reach from the root’s of plants.

On top of creating awesome soil, there is another benefit to putting charcoal into the ground. Putting carbon (charcoal = carbon) into the ground is a process called “Carbon Sequestration.” This process is basically the opposite of burning fossil fules, and is a potential way to reverse Global Climate Change. When we put gas into our cars we’re removing carbon from the earth and releasing it into the atmosphere as a green house gas (CO2.) When we put charcoal into the ground the process goes like this: Plants absorb CO2 from the air and turn it into biomass, we make charcoal which burns off the non-carbon parts of the biomass and leaves behind pure carbon (C), and then this is returned to the soil. Bada bing!

So today I was doing more research on charcoal being used for a soil amendment (google “Biochar”) and a stumbled upon this instructables page: http://www.instructables.com/id/Aluminum-Can-Saltwater-and-Charcoal-Battery/

Holy crap! So now i’ve found yet another amazing use for charcoal. Acording to that page – “An electric vehicle with aluminium-charcoal batteries could have potentially ten to fifteen times the range of lead-acid batteries with a far smaller total weightt.”

It also says: “They have one of the highest energy densities of all batteries, but they are not widely used because of previous problems with cost, shelf-life, start-up time and byproduct removal, which have restricted their use to mainly military applications.” Which to me sounds like it would be a problem to produce these on a large scale in a factory setting, but it sounds PERFECT for small scale production and home use (for those so inclined.)

Since I’ve been traveling in Japan I’ve learned that bamboo makes charcoal of the smae quality as wood. To me this is super important. Bamboo grows and spreads at an insane rate. It’s method of photosynthesis is actually more effecient than trees at turning sunlight and CO2 into biomass, and because it spreads so quickly (and at times uncontrolably) if one wants to grow a bamboo forest all one has to do is plant a single bamboo shoot, pop open a beer and sit back for a few years. A bamboo forest can actually be seen as a single plant. All of it’s roots are connected and nutrients are shared freely. A new bamboo shoot grows from a few centimeters to 2-3 meters literally overnight. I’ve seen this with my own eyes. It can do this because the surrounding mature bamboo is pumping energy into it’s roots.

So yeah… I love bamboo and I love “Biochar.”

-Mata Ne!

Staying busy at the farm. Malleabis photos for ya!

Back in Japan.

I am alive and well. The communist threat from the north has past. I safely crossed the red zone of Swine flu (ham zone?) in Japan (Osaka stores sold out of masks a few weeks ago) and I’m now safe in Gujo Hachiman again.

I thought I was going to Hokkaido in a couple weeks… but that maybe changing to Okinawa. It’s great to not have rigid plans sometimes. I do like to have some general directions in mind though. I find the more I’m meeting really good people the more options I have of going to work and stay with friend’s of friends (and go in knowing that i’ll be staying with cool spiritually minded people.) So I may ditch the official wwoofing for a bit and see where this string of connections takes me. It’s taking me into situations where I have to push myself to understand more Japanese. No english translators around makes me have to intently concentrate on a person. Some how, magically, I tend to understanf the jist of things. I understand a word here, a word there. I understand the topic we’re discusing, and my imagination fills in the rest. Though, if my mind wanders and I’m not present I can become completely lost and confused in the blink of an almond shaped eye. Sometimes the Japanese I’m speaking to also feel this connection.. maybe they’re able to understand me when I’m explaining some large concept, and I only used 3 wisely chosen words, and a couple hand gestures. These people comment that we’re using heart to heart communication. That people don’t really need words (although it’s difficult to understand jokes from the heart (or maybe I’m only laughing on the inside))… Whatever kind of freaky japanese, english, heart, brain, mouth, ear, hands conversation is happening… it usually works! (It always eventually works, but an hour long conversation about the proper way to open a jar of peanut butter is daunting, especially when you’re hungry for peanut butter!)

Anyway, here’s some photos and videos from South Korea!

-This is actually in Shimonoseki, Japan (from here a ferry to S. Korea is $70 one-way.) Across the straight is Kyushu, the southern main island of Japan.

-A temple in Shimonoseki, Japan. (I’m getting to Korea, just hold on!)

-Lanterns hung up near a Buddhist temple in Busan, South Korea.

-Underground shopping area (and a cafe with internet I used to look up how to speak Korean) in Busan. There were lots of really huge underground shopping streets. Usually the junkey knock-off stuff was down here, but there were spaces with hand-made art mixed in as well. I guess it’s hard to make money selling art, so the artists are forced underground with the junk men and con artists… an unfortunate association that seems plague (or free?) artists everywhere.

-Large… bell house? in a big park in Busan. Lovely colors.

VIDEOS!

-Making hemp gyoza (pot stickers) at Asa nomi bakery.

-Me fucking around on a Cambodian instrument at a museum in Busan. At the beginning on this video I say “you’re welcome” to a Korea guy who had just thanked me for helping him learn to play the didgeridoo.

-Me trying to play didgeridoo and the bells together. sounds pretty shite. You should fast forward to the 2:30 mark to hear me playing a didge solo!

Goodnight! [oyasumi nasi!] See you later! [mata ne!]

Busan, South Korea!

So my visa expired in Japan so I’ve decided to take a cheap ferry ($150 round trip) from Shimonoseki, Japan to Busan, South Korea. I’m now writing you from a cute coffee shop in Busan. I was walking by it today when I saw photography on the walls, I deceded to go in even though I had no desire for coffee. The owners (2 girls, cousins) are so sweet! One of them speaks excellent English. She studied design in London and has traveled to Canada. The photography I saw was hers! So of course I gave them some of my photos and they’re on display in the Coffee shop now! Yay! My photography lives in 3 countries now! (4, counting the internet)

Ahh, Busan is really nice! I ended up staying one night here (tonight.) I arrived this morning and was supposed to leave at 6pm..
but I wasn’t ready and I met some nice people. I didn’t know where I was going to sleep (I don’t know why, but I just forgot about your friend!.. sometimes I get lazy mind and rather than planning and meeting people i just tell myself I’ll sleep in a park) So I was re-checking my big bag into the baggage storage at the ferry place and told the bag guy “I like Korea too much, I don’t want to leave!” (he speaks english) and he asked where I was staying “I have no idea, hahaha!” so he told me about a Sauna that you can stay overnight at for only 1000 won (like $9 or 900 yen.) Fucking right! And the lady that works there happens to speak Japanese! Not understanding a damn word of Korean is bothersome. I would stay longer if only i knew a bit of the language. I learned “thank you” and a few things…. but ehh. I’ll plan a trip here later and join Korea wwoof.

The Korean people are really cool. Makes me think more of China, but cleaner! The people are very lively here. In Japan the people are mostly quiet and reserved. Here there is action and excitement, hustle and bustle, on every corner. The shop owners don’t hesitate to bitch at me when I sample all their food and don’t buy anything, mwahaha. I met a really nice guy on the ferry who wanted me to come stay with him for a day while he showed me around the city and told me he would pay for me to stay in a hotel. It ended up not working out because he was with a group of people who didn’t jive with that idea, and couldn’t wait for me to change my ticket date, etc (buying round trip tickets sucks. I won’t do it again.) The coffee shop girl (Sung Hwa [successful flower]) told me Koreans have a “warm heart.” I told her “It’s the Kimchee!”… she agreed, or at least thought it was funny.

Feeling more and more grounded everyday. I bought a sweeet Korean made Harmonica today, a “Color Boy” (Like Kompeki-san, de sho?). I talked the guy down from 30000 W to 20000 W (like $18 or 1800 yen.) I haggle for
everything now. I secretly think they’re always trying to rip me off too… so I’m probably still paying too much, haha. I bought some Korean spicy pepper seeds (illegal to bring to Japan, but only if I get caught!), harmonica, some little patches of the
japanese and korean flags, and fruit & kimchee… holy habaneros Korean Kimchee is hot! I was really crying. In Shimonoseki I went to an Indian curry joint (indian beer ain’t bad!) and ordered it “Very Hot” and I bareeeeeely tasted spice. Damn Japanese and their spice tolerance. Koreans seem pretty fit and they eat this stuff with every meal. The guy I met on the ferry was 50 and didn’t look a day over 35.. he had nice calves! hahaha. No seriously, he showed them to me, haha.

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I’ve been so confused in the past week about balancing my future dreams with living in the present. My wwoof hosts and other
influential figures I’ve been meeting keep telling me I should have a dream, and I should work for that dream like nothing else matters… they also say I should only be living in the present. Of course there is a paradox here that my mind is having trouble smoothing out. Sometimes i feel like my dream is always inside my heart, and I don’t need to think about or “have” it, because it’s always there. in my unconscious or subconscious mind/soul/spirit. So the only thing left to do is just to live in each moment and fallow that moment to the next one…. other times I start day dreaming about my future, and I can feel the power of that. I start to excite myself. One idea builds upon another and another untill I start to get a big fabulous picture of the (infinite) possibilities of life. I start to inspire myself “I can practice flute, practice martial arts, grow food, cook, walk in
nature.. and be energized and inspired by all these things and produce beautiful art.” I have such a weakness for art. I’ve almost bought more pottery today (tomorrow I will probably break down and buy some).. really I just enjoy looking, and feeling, and imagining how they created it. I love art I can pick up and feeeel. I always tell myself art is a good way to spend money because 1. I’m supporting an artist! and 2. The art will inspire me and enrich my life.

ehh.. see? I already know what I want to do with my life… one day.
Now I’m just talking to myself!

I will share a tidbit of my current facebook status here:

“Josh Hall found a sauna in Busan (actually, It found me!) that lets you stay the night for 1000 Won! ($9!) I get to bathe, soak up the steam, and sleep on a futon tonight! 2 nights ago (in Japan) I slept in a temple garden after hitchhiking all day. I totally gurilla-bum styled it. Just leaned against my bag against a tree that was in a closed off corner of the garden… I’ve slept better… but it’s part of my gurilla-bum-traveler training. Even though I hitchhiked and slept like a bum I treated myself to a badass indian curry the next day (indian beer ain’t bad!) I like to travel like a bum and eat like a king.”

-yes it’s true. Save money on travel and accomadation… blow it on food and art! yes please! I would stick my thumb out for art if I could (damn, that gives me some good ideas!)

Also, Korean women are beauuutiful.. just as beautiful as Japanese women (sorry americans!…  j/k, you’re beautiful when you want to be)

Thank you in Korean: [Kam sa ham ni da!]

Oh yeah, I’ve been taking less pictures.. but Goddammit. I’m a photographer. My camera still lives around my shoulder…. This reminds me of my concept of buddhist monks. Ok, so buddhist monks (err ok, the really hardcore ones) give up all their worldly possessions, shave their head, only have one robe they wear, etc. They do this to throw away any attachments to vanity and materialism, etc… ok so my thinking is… yeah it’s pretty fucking easy to not have attachments when YOU DON’T OWN ANYTHING! It seems like the harder, more challenging, path is to keep all your stuff while still trying to remain unattached to it. I like technology. I like my camera, my computer, my nice backpack, my tent and sleeping bag. Would I survive without them, of course! Would I be sad if something was stolen or broken… probably a little, for a little while. but no, not too bad. My really nice (expensive) mountain bike was stolen last summer in Portland, Or. It was stolen on the day I decided to hitchhike to the Nationa; Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming (the first time I ever hitchhiked.) It’s theft cooincided so perfectly with my decision to travel without anything that I had to laugh. I mean really laugh! All day long I just told myself “well.. apparently I didn’t need it anymore!” I was sad for a moment, but I let the moment pass. Life goes on. Do i still get sad when I lose things? yes… I’m no Buddha… but it gets easier and easier to let go everyday. This is life. This is what (I think) is meant by “life is suffering.” Life is only suffering to teach us how not to suffer. Paradox? fa sho!

-Coffee shop is closing! Did I say I wasn;t going to update this for a while? Damn, I lied. Oh well, life goes on! I’ll learn better next time. Or I won’t, and I’ll just keep smiling. teehee!

-Joshua-san in J…. South Korea!

p.s. Photos later!

Asa Nomi Bakery!

Asa = [hemp], Nomi = [seed]… need I say more?

Asa Nomi Bakery is run by Richard (Canadian long ago) and Chika. The first thing I noticed when I arrived were the huge solar panels (for heating, not electricity) and the bakery out front which is under construction. Their property is covered with fruit trees, vegetables and grains everywhere. They have an earthworm [earthworm = mimizu] farm and composting toilets (the first ones I’ve seen in Japan). They are 100% organic, the most organic host i’ve been too so far. Even the construction supplies they use are usually natural or eco-friendly.

Chika is the master hemp chef and bakes hemp chocolate bars, granola bars, cookies, and various fruity sweet desserts full of hemp goodness. All ingredients are organic and some of the treats use no sugar, but rather are sweetened by dates, figs, and raisins. Why hemp? Hemp protein is one of the most easily digestible forms of protein. It is a whole protein (all essential amino acids.) The hemp seed oil contains beneficial omega fatty acids in large quantities and in the optimal ratio for health. The seeds are also full of great vitamins and minerals (37 in total, according to this website: http://www.chii.ca/hemp-seed/hempseed.html)… to sum this all up, Hemp seeds are a “super food.” Why is hemp such a perfect food and resource for humans? I don’t know but I can only guess it has something to do with the strong relationship human beings have had with hemp for thousands of years… Why did this relationship become taboo in the past 60 years? I’m sure there are many reasons… but the main ones that stick out in my mind are; hemp competition with synthetic fibers/textiles (synthetic fibers can be patented, hemp can not), hemp being used as a “free” medicine (prescription drugs can be patented, a weed that will happily grow almost anywhere that can treat a looong list of ailments can not be), and the association with marijuana (hemp is NOT marijuana, it will not get you high.) Marijuana has a tendency to make people forget their cultural baggage and start thinking for themselves… not something law makers tend to encourage.

moving along…

So as soon as I arrived the other wwoof’er, Lou from Mary ol’ England, told me we were leaving the next day to go to a Raggae festival called “Green Massive.” Sweet, I’m in!

After stuffing the van full of supplies, a pizza oven, the custom bamboo dome, 4 adults, 2 children, and 2 dogs, we were off! Richard designed a hexagon shaped shop with the roof being supported by pieces of cut bamboo. Bamboo saves the day again. Richard really loves bamboo (as do I!), so I’m really happy about being able to chill with a fellow bamboophile.

At the festival we prepared hemp pizzas, (all organic: pita bread, tomato sauce, pesto, olives, Hokkaido motzeralla cheese, and hemp seeds!) Hemp moutain vegetable tempura sushi, hempdon (a creamy sauce made from blended hemp seeds and veggies on rice), and Chika’s homemade Chai tea. We also sold hemp beer (omg! so good), wine, sake, tequila chai (surprisingly good combination) and lots of hemp sweet treats like chocolate bars, caramel granola bars, muffins, cookies, raisin rolls, and more! We completely sold out of all the sweet treats and chai. If you guessed that I ate and drank like a HEMP GOD, then you guessed correctly! We also had plenty of time off to go dance to the reggae rhythms and meet lots of cool people that were all chilled out with the rasta energy. Good times! [Ijikan!]

Here is the first part of a documentary made about Green Massive’s 10th anniversary! I share my lunch with the camera at the 3:14 mark!

To see the rest of the videos check out the Asanomi Bakery Blog!: https://www.asanomibakery.com/

Ok, soo photo time.

Preparing Takenoko (aka bamboo shoots) [take = bamboo, noko=child] with Lou before the festival. Lou harvested most of these in the bamboo forest by herself.

Right up the road from Asanomi bakery me and Lou pick wild leafy vegetables while will be fried up as tempura for Green Massive.

The bamboo dome lives! I helped Richard cut the funky tables the night before… luckily they fit! From left to right: Richard, Chika, Nigi-chan!

-Me making tempura sushi in the festival cafe!

-A massive djembe (african drum) workshop in front of the tipi tent. The tipi tent was powered by 4 bicycles hooked up to a generator that volunteers pedaled. Green energy!

-Long exposure of an artist painting at night. This painting got rained on and then another layer of imagery added on top. The finished product was a nice mix of imagery and all sorts of chaotic patterns that kept my mind really entertained.

BONUS: I hitchhiked to Suwa and back to visit Ceion the weekend before I arrived at Asanomi bakery. Here are some photos of the wonderful people who picked me up! My stinkin’ gaijin ass got to ride in some really nice cars, haha.

-This truck driver didn’t speak any english but spoke to me about his love of flowers for an hour and sent me on my way with all sorts of treats and some oranges. Thanks man!

-Cool BMW salesman. I felt really comfortable riding with this guy, and I think he felt the same. I commented on his good singing (to an American R&B CD he was playing) and he slapped me on the back with some kind of “don’t make fun of me!” verbal expression [verbal expression = unintelligible japanese.] Haha.

OK! so my visa expires in 5 DAYS! So Tomorrow I will be hitchhiking 6 hours south of Gifu prefecture to catch a ferry to South Korea. Then I will immediately turn around and hitchhike back to the Asanomi bakery because my adventure here has only just begun. I really enjoy living with Richard and Chika. Richard is a really funny guy (Chika isn’t too bad herself!) and reminds me of myself in many ways. We both play instruments that focus on breath control (didgeridoo and weird flutes), both love bamboo and hemp, and are both the impatient “I can do anything by myself” type. Richard has a wealth of knowledge about farming, building, and living sustainably, and he has the english language skills to express it to me!

So anyway. I’m going to be busy for a while and may not update this blog for a couple weeks. My camera and blogging activities are starting to get in the way of my direct sincere experience. It’s going to be left inside for at least a week and my flute will take it’s place. No worries y’all. Balance shall be restored and I will be inspired to pick up the camera again soon. Blogging is great but I’m finding that now I’m trying to have “bloggable” experiences rather than just letting things happen naturally. WTF is a bloggable experience anyway? I dunno, but it sounds kind of boring.

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far! You can comment on my flickr photos also! I will respond to everyone.. sometimes it takes a while though!

Staying with the Niwa family!

I’m so behind on this blog scene now. This happened about 2 weeks ago! ahhh!

Before leaving Mori no ie I stayed with the Niwa family for 3 days. This began as a 1 day stay but the family and I were enjoying each other’s company so I stayed longer! I would have liked to stay even longer as Susumu-san and I were really starting to open up to each other. Susumu is the husband, Yasuko the wife, their daughter Kou, and sons You and Sou. They run a commercial organic farm (is that a contradiction?) Their business is selling organic produce. They grow 2 types of wheat, rice, daikon, carrots, lettuce, herbs, and tons of other vegetables. They have 4 big green houses outside of their house and various feilds near by. They live in a beautiful house which Susumu designed and helped build. I can only describe it as Euro-Japanese archetecture. It has the general shape of a Europen house, but it uses Huge exposed wooden beams that were salvaged from an old Japanese house. The styling inside is also a mix of Japanese and other influences.

The Niwa farm is not a wwoof host, so I feel pretty grateful to have had this experience… and I hope I made a good impression so that maybe one day the Niwas will join the wwoof network or some similar program of exchange. Mostly I worked with Susumu out in the fields. They do not use much permaculture here, though they do compost and don’t use any chemicals. Everything is planted in rows, and although they have tractors and other machines to make the work faster it was still very long and tedious at times. I was always enjoying myself though and I am really greatful to have the experience of working in this type of farm so that I can compare it to the other places I work. Susumu taught me a lot about biodynamic farming. They have an astrological farming chart which they use. It has info such as which days are good for seeding which type of vegetables, harvesting, fertilizing, etc. From my limited understanding farming this way takes advantage of the energies of the moon, sun, planets, stars. I think ancient cultures used similar systems but Rudolf Steiner is responsible for the rise in popularity of biodynamic farming in modern times. Rudolf Steiner is a name that keeps popping up over and over on my stay in Japan. He’s responsible for the Steiner/Waldorf education system used by some alternative schools. The daughter at my first host in Japan, Himorogian, went to such a school. I learned a little bit about these schools while I was there and it seems like a muuuuch better system than the ones used by public schools in America and Japan.

anyways. enough talking, I know what you’re here for. THE PHOTOS!:

-Tillin’ like a microbe villain.

-Seeding Dikon raddish with Kou-chan.

-Sharing my photos with the Niwa’s.

-Dinner with the whole family! Special Kashimo sushi wrapped in leaves.

-Susumu took me to visit a “Ginja” which is a Shinto shrine. He explained to me one day that all villages (and cities) in Japan have a Ginja. People go to the Ginja to pray for the help of local spirits. This transforms any bad and haunting spirits into local protectors. The explanation was quite logical and simple. “Ohh of course… that makes sense… we should be building these in America!” With one small building you can turn the headless horseman into Casper.

-Susumu took me to visit his friend who built a geodesic dome house by himself! The interior isn’t finished so there were lots of beautiful geometric beams showing. His friend happened to have a Shakuhachi and a pretty much freaked out in my anime way when I saw it: “OHHH SHAKUHACHI! WHOAAAA SUGOI!!!!! CAN I PLAY!!!! OHHHH ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!!! *bow bow bow bow*

-Susumu also took me to visit the Kashimo dam. Dam in japanese is [damu.]

-After raining all night and morning the sun rose at noon and blasted the moisture from the mountains.