2019 April to September

GEN-Japan
Gaia Education
2019
Global Ecovillage Network JAPAN？Index page (font Avenir Bold, 24 pt)

01

Course Overview .................................................................................................01

01.1

Participant ..........................................................................................................03

01.2

Course Ryhthms ....................................................................................................03

02

Highlights & Challenges of each dimention ....................................................................05

02.1

Social ...............................................................................................................05

02.2

Economic ...........................................................................................................06

02.3

Ecological ...........................................................................................................07

02.4

World view .........................................................................................................08

02.5

Design ...............................................................................................................09

03

Lesssons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit ....................................................................1103.1

Notes of our Learning .............................................................................................1104

Participant Report .................................................................................................12

Wing/EDE GEN-Japan Gaia Education

2019

Opening Celemony with Keibo Oiwa（April 13.2019）

01 Course Overview
Climate Change has brought us the harshest natural disasters in Japan we never experienced In suchcondition, people are awakening to make a practical team for building self reliant conditions on their feet.
The Eco-community is the key role for the sustainable future.
By the innovative three-day or four-day a month format including weekend residencies and visits to local
projects and case studies, 19 participants could learn the leading experiments of Japan.
April, May, July and September, As-One Network Suzuka Community with 19 years history of urban-stylecommunity building, with the accumulation of the research on human nature and the socialsystems.Participants could learn the sustainable human relationship building.Thier simple and easy way
based on ScienZ method.
In June, Shantichty with beautiful land-scape by permaculture design; August, Transition Town Fujino withthe biggest circulation of local currency.
With full of affection and energy to GAIA, participants were certified to complete the program of the Third
GEN-Japan’s EDE in September 2019. At the end of the program, they presented each “My first step toward
the next society building” in front of people, at the class of As One Network Suzuka Community in Mie, amain learning place of GEN-Japan’s EDE. Supporters and graduates of EDE Japan gathered from various
places of Japan in order to listen and celebrate to their presentation.

What's keeping you from having a real conversation?
Through the ScienZ Method, the abbreviation of Scientific Investigation of Essential Nature + Zero, amethodology that As-One has innovated for community building, step by step, participants could observe
their inside and the root causes of fear to human relation issues like split and conflict among people.At the1same time they could observe and experience what a great possibility we human have! It means, they getto know that human will be able to go together and solve them peacefully. The exercise was constantly heldin small groups or big circles through all programs.
GEN-Japan believes that it is the basis for achieving the regenerative society to create such local
communities and their network, as everyone can live their lives with true heart. And so the main target of
Gen-Japan’s EDE is to get to learn sustainable human relationship based on the conversation from the heart.
Participants could experience that at a show-case community, As One network Suzuka Community. And thenrealize how important such social environment is! Healthy Society makes our inside healthy. Inside issues
are caused by outside circumstances. Participants were encouraged how they can build healthy relationshipamong people. They could get confidence to learn more on 4 dimensions, both in visible and invisible
contents. Here was the new networking created.
From out-standing lecturers of Japan like Ryou Yamazaki, Keibo Oiwa, and Hidetake Enomoto, 19
participants learned not only their strong spirit. There were 4 open symposiums by those lectures for cityneighbors, World View: Tetora Yamazaki, Local Economy: Keibo Oiwa, Social: Masashi Ono & Yu Mizuki,Environment: Kenji Usui. 4 primary facilitators are well experienced; one is an authority from university,
three instructors of the ScienZ Method, they have real experience of community building in As One Suzuka. PHOTO above, ScienZ Method learning by Masashi Ono (the forth from right)

2April, 2019And On-Line two hours group sessions were held
between every month program, in order to help
participants not only to review and deepen thelearning points, but also to keep motivation higher.
All participants could aware, “We can get back toauthentic selves.” They have started creating theopportunities on their feet as their first step toward
the new social body, and also they are having thegathering for the next members of the EDE 2020.

01.1 Participants
19 participants gathered from all around Japan. Males
are 8 and females 11. 20’s to 60’s. Almost of allparticipants were recomended to join this program by2017 and 2018 EDEs.
2 permaculturists, amanagement officer of farms, 2 councilors from Obuse
town in Nagano and Amagasaki city in Hyogo. An
architect, and those who have strong will to create
regenerative community in their neighborhoods.
Their quality of learning will, ability and influence toothers were higher. As the result, the learning atitudeand class atmospher become higher than the past
EDE.

01.2 Course Rhythms
The first day, 12:00 acceptance. 13:00 to 15:00 check-in and exchange of home-works and challenges withbreaks. 15:00-1700 visits with orientation to local sites. 17:00 to 18:15 free time and taking a shower 18:1519:30 a night meal and rest, 19:30-21:30 practical session. 21:30 social time.
The second day, 6:30 to 7:30 maditation, diaries, connecting nature, 7:30 to 8:30 a breakfast and rest, 8:30
to 10:00 lecture or practical group exploring, interaction with host members with breaks. 10:00 to 12:00
group work. 12:00 to 13:15 lunch and rest. 13:30to 16:00 open lecture and group session. 16:00-18:00 visits
a local hot spring, rest and stay in nature. 18:15 a night meal and rest. 19:30 to 21:30 practical session.
21:30 social time. (One more day for designing in September).
The final day, the same schedule in the morning. After cleaning 13:30 to 15:00 final session. 15:00 to 16:00
report writing as the reflection.

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Urban Reforestation ／As One Network Suzuka Community. May, 2019
They observed how to maintain the wetland and woodland hiking along the wooden path.

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02 Highlights & challenges of each dimension
02.1 Social
All subjects were covered comprehensively.

02.1.1 Making Social Bases by dialogue and conversation based on ScienZ method.
They could experience every person has different
background inside by the conversation, which is fromculture, history, environment of family and diverse
condition. Through opening and observing their inside
deeply, they could find their own true heart bythemselves by conversation in small groups and a bigcircle.
Especially by the ScienZ method, dialog both of one-selfand others made participants realize how every person isinterdependent in reality; nobody likes struggling withothers. People naturally like to live together. Theirinterest transited from the result to the process. They
could experience to open their true heart and have aconversation to start being together. They could feel apeaceful atmosphere among themselves even if there weresome feeling or emotion of antipathy before. In addition tothis, participants stayed at three different sites, an openstyle urban community, a beautiful country site inpermaculture design, and transition town site. Especially
As-One Suzuka Community is a model of flexible social
structure in urban area with 19 years experiment based onstudy. Experience to stay at As One make participants
empower naturally that people can trust people. It is thekey for sustainable society building to respect and support
each other.
Then they understand decentralizedinterdependent-social structure can be created by newstories based on real humanity. It means that they can getto know how to manifest such kind of society on their site.

02.1.2 Quotes
From faculties: Yuu Mizuki/ NVC & Piano meditation: when
we want to manifest healthy human relationship, it isfundamental truth to connect deeply with their own
hearts at first.
Masashi Ono: ScienZ Method ; As-One Network “Society isfor to support anyone to live the authentic self
pleasantly!” At first, we need to understand that it's what you perceive with your senses, not facts. Thismutual awareness will create a peaceful and sustainable conversation. That is the base of regenerativecommunity.

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02.2 Economic
All subjects were covered:

02.2.1 From Globalization to Localization
In the trouble sea of globalization, our focus is how tobuild and keep the independent island of local economy;in other words, from ego to eco. The essence of economy
is not by monetary exchange but love and trust exchange.
At Transition Town Fujino, one hour distance from Tokyo,
participants could learn the typical local currency called
YOROZU, which covers more than 400 households in thecity.
And another case they learnt and much interested in an
inner economy of As-One’s “SPACE JOY”. That is still for
certain 80 members, but participants got to know thepossibility that no one needs money for daily food andnecessities including coffee or alcohol or special skills
and knowledge, like a big family based on closeness;
depends on each trust through mutual understanding.
They learned how the person is satisfied with affection incommunity members. In the result, they could get toknow that people become to be free and encouraged toopen their full personality with love to others; all people
need is to be loved and love to others essentially.
Community business model is the Lunch Box Company ofAs-One Community, whose hand-made-and deliveringlunch-box is very popular in Suzuka city, such as morethan 1000 customers a day. Participants could learn suchway of thinking and management as interdependence
between the community business, local economy and city
people.

02.2.2 Quotes
Keibo Oiwa: Social anthropologist: Local power is much
important. Now is the beginning of the end ofGlobalization; Local is beautiful
Participants: It is essential for us to create thecommunity business as a reliable showcase to people.

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02.3 EcologicalAll subjects were covered:

02.3.1 Over views
Participants stayed at a beautiful green building of
Shanthikuthi, a retrofitted old school building as a
training facility of Fujino, and a renovated hall as the Eco& Community Station of As-One Suzuka Community.
Those examples made them realize that they havealready enough resources and materials on their feet.
As-One’s farming company is a model to reuse ofabandoned farming fields. That helps local water
management and nutrients cycles. Participants could
learn that there are lots of abandoned fields and forests
in cities, not in mountains, waiting to be maintained,
while local people are getting older. On whole systemapproaches,participants
experienced
practical
permaculture design in Shanthikuthi, and they mademaps on cycles of water, energy and food as grope works
after study-tour. Through examination of their present
living by Eco-Footprint, they found their problems againstsustainability, and discussed on the solution. Anotherexample was the Urban-permaculture way of living in
Yokohama city, which encouraged participants because of
its closeness to their circumstances. Their most favorite
work was the cooking of wild grasses in Shanthikuthi.
After taking a walk to pick edible grasses by the guide,
they enjoyed together learning how to cook with theoutside cooking stove.

02.3.2 Quotes
Kenji Usui / Permaculture / Shanthikuthi: we need to get
to know we have enough.
Atsuki Kuga/ faculty, vice representative of GEN-Japan:
It is just the first step to get to know the real balance of
our way of living. We need to reform our way of living to
the right direction.

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02.4 World view
All subjects were covered comprehensively.

02.4.1 Over views
The Earthrise from the moon, participants could see thishistorical photo and share their feeling on it several times
during the course. In the morning, they could write
diaries or take a walk for meditation. In the evening,they observe their true mind at hot springs in nature.
Through Scienz Method, participants tried to deeply
observe their true heart and find the essence to actsomething. And they became to notice the world was not
isolated but as one.
PHOTO left: Tetora Yamazaki( the second from right) andparticipants

02.4.2 Quotes
A faculty, Hidetake Enomoto encouraged,”The ability ofimagine, that is undeveloped and most powerful naturalenergy of human”
Tetora Yamazaki: This accumulation of EDE course
encourages us to move out of existing values and startmoving in the direction of new Gaia world

Ryo Yamazaki: We can learn from H.D.Thoreau. “LonelyForest Life” shows there is an inherent richness of life
even in our modern life as well..

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02.5 Design
02.5.1 Observing the present condition and designing the future plan.
Takashi Miki, one of participants, shows summeryof the total learning for six month. First, wewere observing our present inside condition andexperience to explore what our true heart is.
Human nature shows our healthy direction;
originally we can sustain our lives on the earth.
And then We tried to find out what are keeping
us from our true heart and lives, and theinherent direction. Through several examples
and show-cases, we were inspired andencouraged toward the true direction. They
could realized everyone needs reliable human
circle based on peaceful community, in which
everyone can talk and live relaxingly from thebottom of heart together.

Takashi Miki, one of participants, shows summery of the total learning.

902.5.2 Quotes
Takaaki Kumakura / a faculty, primary facilitator / I have never seen such mindful conversation andatmosphere as all participants willingly transited to be interdependent.

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03 Lessons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit
03.1 Notes of our Learning
From the 2018 Lesson-Learnt, we could leadparticipants to grow as partners, not guests. They
joined the group of living work every time. Those
activities made them not only help self-time
management understanding the daily schedule, buttake care of each other by compassionate bond among
them; like the Kitchen to prepare the dining, theCleaners to keep cleaning common places, and they
feely do something necessary. And they could feel
happy to see the other’s awareness and growing.
From the last Survey, we started a body-expression
class in the program. We had Social Experiential
Activities in April and September. The first one is forthem to get relaxing. The last one is to confirm theirrelationship building at the end of program. They
enjoyed a lot. Especially the first one in April worked
better than we expected.

Some of them tried to start a kind of microcredit
between participants, but they decided to finish it
once in two months because they couldn't fully
examine how it worked, and the mechanism was notclear due to a bias towards good intentions.
Based on an independent spirit, trying to be financiallyindependent, and then interdependent relationshipcan be possible.

1104 Participant Report
Summary by Takashi Miki
“First, we were observing our present condition and experience to explore what our true wich is.
Human nature shows our healthy direction; originally we can sustain our lives on the earth. We tried to findout what are keeping us from each other, our true, lives, and the inherent direction.
Through several case studies, we were inspired and encouraged toward the true direction. We could realize
everyone needs reliable human circle based on peaceful community, in which everyone can talk and live
relaxingly from the bottom of heart together. I will go and live getting along people with ScienZ Method.

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