Hands on Learning Report on Hokkaido Ecovillage Promotion ProjectAugust 5th, 2024
The Climate Reality Project Japan
Intern Jnifar Yumi

Greetings! This is Jnifar Yumi, an intern at the Climate Reality Project Japan.
During the Documentary Tour in Hokkaido last month, I had the chance to visit
the Hokkaido Ecovillage Promotion Project in Yoichi before three of us
international students leave Japan or start working this summer

Introduction to Eco-village
Eco-village is a community where residents collaborate to live sustainably,minimizing the ecological footprint on both the earth and its inhabitants.
Eco-villages have emerged as sustainable regional models, addressing issues
such as depopulation and child-rearing, and have expanded globally,
particularly in Europe and the United States, with over 15,000 eco-friendly
buildings in operation. The Hokkaido Eco-Village Project (HEPP), a non-profit
organization, serves as a learning platform where diverse individuals can cometogether to explore eco-village concepts. HEPP aims to produce essential
resources like food and energy within the community, fostering a connection
between producers and consumers, and contributing to regional revitalization.
Junka Sakamoto, CRP Japan’s friend and a Climate Reality Leader herself,
started her Eco Village initiative in 2009, which was then established into HEPP
in 2012.

Vision of Eco-Village
During our stay, we learned about the core vision of the eco-village:● Sustainable Practices: The
eco-village teaches appropriatetechnologies for environmentallyfriendly food production and housing,aiming to develop practitioners within
the region.

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● Community and Individuality: It emphasizes the expression of individual
uniqueness while fostering communication and group work to respectdiversity within the community.
● Local Economy: In response to the global economy's impact on poverty
and environmental destruction, the eco-village proposes local jobs andsystems, practicing localization to promote shared prosperity.

Our Stay at Eco-Village: Day 1
We arrived at the Eco-village on July 14, 2024, and were greeted by Junka
Sakamoto, the project manager, who gave us a comprehensive introduction to
the community's principles and daily operations. The welcoming session
included a tour of the facilities and the vineyard, along with an overview of thevarious sustainable practices implemented in the village.
Among these, we had the opportunity to see sustainable construction in action!
The methods of utilising nature's resources without relying on unsustainable
materials and technologies were truly impressive for us, living in modernsociety.
For instance, the learning centre used for various events is built with carefully
selected local wood from Hokkaido. It is insulated with thick materials to protect
it from outside temperatures, and the living spaces are designed to avoid direct
sunlight, reducing dependence on heating and cooling systems.
Outside, there is a shower room that uses a high-efficiency system to generate
hot water by harnessing solar energy directly as heat, without converting it toelectricity. In the backyard, there is a handmade grease trap with twocompartments where bacteria purify the wastewater coming from the sinks inthe shared house and other rooms. In the backyard, we saw the installed
solar-sharing system.
The tiny houses designed for one or two people also have dedicated solar
panels, providing all the electricity needed for daily living. In the centre of theroom, there is a heat storage heater filled with stones, acting as a thermal mass
heater. By utilizing the high heat retention properties of the stones, the room
can stay warm all day with just a few hours of heating in the morning.
The tiny houses have small kitchens and sinks, and the water used there isdrawn from tanks filled at the shared house. The water holder is transparent, so2

it is easier to see how much water is left to use before it needs to be fetchedagain. Miss Junka explained, "When you consider the effort involved in fetchingwater, you naturally avoid wasting it."This principle doesn't apply only to water. We have become accustomed toseeking more in our daily lives because we do not directly bear thecosts—namely, the sacrifices, efforts, and hard work of others—and we are notmade aware of them. The Eco-village, where we can experience the costs of
our lifestyle firsthand, is an incredibly valuable and meaningful place!
After that, we spent time in the kitchen garden, learning to identify anddifferentiate various herbs under the guidance of Miss Junka. Eco-village's
backyard is a vital educational resource, used for harvesting seasonal
vegetables. Volunteers and guests usually contribute to maintaining the naturalenvironment and seasonal flowers alongside Miss Junka. The garden not only
supports daily life with fresh produce but also adds aesthetic value withcompanion plants and flowers. I bought two jars of cherry and blueberry jam
which was handmade by the HEPP team! It was delicious and has become apart of my daily breakfast. This makes me think about the people who preparedit and appreciate the food on my plate more.

Later, we assisted in the kitchen when some deer meat was brought in by oneof the neighbors. The eco-village focuses on self-sufficiency, and products areshared within the community. The meat needed to be sliced and prepared forthe next day’s meal. Yuki-san did a great job helping to prepare the meat alongwith other volunteers. After the table was set, we got to know the other student
visitors, who were there on a study tour from England and Taiwan, and enjoyeda cultural exchange during dinner.
We learned that after dinner, everyone had to wipe their plates clean with apatch of cloth (an old dress torn into small pieces), to remove oil and other3

impurities before washing them. This practice prevents oil from entering thewater pipes, which are connected to the nearby rivers. The guests took turns
washing, drying the dishes and cleaning up after dinner – a real communityexperience!
Day 2: Hands-On Activities and Learning
We participated in several hands-on
activities that highlighted Eco-village's
self-sufficiency andcommunity-oriented approach on thefollowing day. The day started withbreakfast, followed by everyone
getting into the daily morning cleaningtasks along with weeding the garden
and the walkway.
One of the highlights of this stay wasparticipating in vineyard activities,
which is specifically known as the Peace Wine Project. We engaged in tasks
such as pruning, leaf removal, and weeding near the roots of each plant, whichis critical for cultivating wine grapes. The unusually hot weather in 2024 raised
concerns about diseases, but the communal effort in trying to overcome theseobstacles is surely inspiring and educational. Ecovillage members andvolunteers helped farmers all over the place, which was appreciated.
We also learned about the eco-village's role in the broader community. During
the grape-growing season, eco-village members and volunteers from many
countries around the world assist local farmers, fostering strong relationships
and mutual appreciation. This concept of Peace Wine made me think about
diversity and harmony in agricultural practices. These concepts are often talked
about in classrooms and workplaces but never in the fields. So we were lucky tohave a sustainable lifestyle experience rather than reading about it in theory.
After the laborious work under the hot summer sun for 2 hours, we were treatedto a delicious lunch prepared by neighbours. After a break, we went off to learn
how to chop wood using an axe and wood-cutting equipment. None of theinterns had prior hands-on experience with this task, so it was a novel andvaluable skill for all of us.

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Sandwiches for lunch and homemade panna cotta with cherry jam!

After that, some of the interns went to the onsen, a traditional Japanese hotspring, to relax and rejuvenate. The onsen experience was a perfect way tounwind after a day of hard work, providing both physical relief and anopportunity for cultural immersion. For dinner, we got to eat deer stew withbread dumplings, along with a side dish called Bramboráky, a famous Czech
potato pancake. All these were prepared with care and love by our English
friends from the U.K. During dinner, we all took turns to say a few words fromour experience during our stay there. I think most of our comments included
how we took the food on our plates for granted, as we never think about how
much effort and time it takes for our ingredients to arrive on our plates. Having
said that, we learnt to appreciate every bit of food we eat and learn to connect
with nature more. We reflected on our experiences and the knowledge gained,
and bid farewell to everyone, as we had to leave very early the next morning.
The stay at Eco-village was both enlightening and enriching, reinforcing theimportance of sustainable living and community cooperation.

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Our visit to the Eco-village was a profound experience that underscored thepotential of sustainable living and community empowerment. The Eco-village
model not only promotes ecological balance to endorse a rich way of life forindividuals, but also fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility.
The lessons learned during our stay will undoubtedly inspire future initiatives
and collaborations within the Climate Reality Project Japan.

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