2019 April to September

GEN-Japan
Gaia Education
2020
Global Ecovillage Network JAPAN？Index page (font Avenir Bold, 24 pt)

01

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

01.1

Participant ..........................................................................................................02

01.2

Course Ryhthms ....................................................................................................02

02

Highlights & Challenges of each dimention ....................................................................03

02.1

Social ...............................................................................................................03

02.2

Economic ...........................................................................................................04

02.3

Ecological ...........................................................................................................05

02.4

World view .........................................................................................................06

02.5

Design ...............................................................................................................07

03

Lesssons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit ....................................................................07

03.1

Notes of our Learning .............................................................................................07

04

Participant Report ..................................................................................................07

Wing/EDE GEN-Japan Gaia Education

2020

Opening Celemony with Keibo Oiwa, Masashi Ono and Kosha Jurbel（April.2020）

01 Course Overview
GEN-Japan has been running EDE course once a year since 2017. It was established as constitutionalorganization of GEN and GENOA, approved as a non-profit organization in Japan in 2016. Its base is locatedin As One Community; Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Suzuka is a typical medium size city with apopulation of 200,000, As One Community is well known as a semi-urban eco-community that wasestablished in 2000 with the aim of realizing a society rooted in true humanity, in which everyone can live
as they truly are. Currently, about 200 community members are living with good relationship with localcommunities, working together in their daily activities; their farming products and the daily dishes from thecommunity business are well popular among city dwellers, as well as their voluntary works at the Satoyama
forestory are welcomed by the public as preserving a biodiversity area by designated by Suzuka City.
Although we faced a sudden pandemic with covid-19 in March, we could quickly changed the style to Online
one. GEN-Japan has the broad networking like Transition-Town movement, Parmaculture movement andtheir activitie’s site as well as Scientists and practitioners doing excellent work in Japan. Making the bestuse of their support, the program could start on schedule and all of 20 participants willingly joined it fromthe beginning. Fortunately, from June the pandemic condition became safe and stable, we could run theprogram on site, by the innovative three-day or four-day a month format including weekend residencies andvisits to local projects and case studies, all participants could learn the leading contents and experiments inthe direction of sustainability of Japan.

1Thanks to our supportors, Azumino Parmaculture garden, TT Fujino, all lecturor! Participants could enjoy
learning together but one entreprenor had to quit in the middle of learning due to his family issue.
They could learn the importance of sustainable human relationship building through dialog andexploratation to each true mind and heart.

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 thesame 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.
And On-Line two hours group sessions were held between every month program, in order to help
participants not only to review and deepen the learning points, but also to keep motivation higher.

01.1 Participants
In the end of February 20 people had already passed the interview to be participants.
6 males and 14 females are from all around Japan; 21 years old to 64. 4 university students,2 freelancers,2
web designers, 1 town planner, 4 housewives, 2 entrepreneurs, 2 IT engineers, 1 principal of kindergarten,1experienced interpreter, and I architecture,
Their will for learning, ability and influence to others were higher. But one planner was disappointed on
the program because he wanted to have more technical lessons for professional. After the conversation withus, he could start his own choice from all program. As the result, the learning atitude and class atmospher
kept higher than the past EDEs.

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 visits2

a local hot spring, rest and stay in nature. 18:15 anight meal and rest. 19:30 to 21:30 practicalsession. 21:30 social time. (One more day fordesigning in September).
The final day, the same schedule in the morning.
After cleaning 13:30 to 15:00 final session. 15:00 to16:00 report writing as the reflection.

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

02.1.1 Building Social Body as one by dialogue
and conversation based on ScienZ method.
They could find there were different ways of recognition
based on each background and inside, from culture,
history, and environment of family and diverse condition.
Through opening and observing their inside by each self
deeply, they could find their own true heart, In addition tothis, by conversation in small groups and a big circle; they
could respect each difference as human.
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. Their interest
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.

02.1.2 Quotes

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Soichi Miyahara(Male, Designer of aroma); It was exciting to learn that society originally aimed to support
anyone to live the authentic self pleasantly!. My relation with family and partner become more comfortable
than ever
Mio Zenba (Female, student); When we want to recover healthy human relationship, it is fundamental truth
to connect deeply with each own heart at first.

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.
The essence of economy is not by monetary exchange
but love and trust exchange.
At Transition Town Fujino, one hour distance fromTokyo, participants could learn the typical local
currency called YOROZU, which covers more than 400
households, 780 individuals in the city.
And another case they learnt was without exchangemoney. They were much interested in an inner economyof As-One’s “SPACE JOY”. 80 Community members andtheir family use every day without money. Participants
feel like a Big One Family.
They got to know the possibility that no one needs
money for daily food and necessities including coffee or
alcohol or special skills and knowledge, based on loveand closeness; depends on each trust through mutualunderstanding. They learned how the person is satisfied
with affection in community members. In the result,they could get to know that people become to be freeand encouraged to open their full personality with loveto others; all people need is to be loved and love toothers essentially.
Community business model is the Farming company andits prossecing section, Lunch Box shop with daily dishes
cooking and delivery Company of As-One Community,
whose hand-made-and delivering-lunch-box is very
popular in Suzuka city, such as more than 1000 customers
a day. Participants could learn such way of thinking andmanagement as interdependence between thecommunity business, local economy and city people.

4

Quotes
Kiyoshi Katsuta (Male, Principal of kindergarden): It is exciting that localization can solve global problems. I
want to build a community with my coworkers.
Emi Uomi (Female, Web designer) I was much interested in the local currency at Fujino TT. I will try it withmy fellow

02.3 EcologicalAll subjects were covered:

02.3.1 Over views

Participants stayed a kind of green- building, that is aretrofitted old school building as a training facility ofFujino city, Kanagawa pref. And their main learning place
is a renovated hall as the Eco & Community Station as aplatform of exchange with city dwellers of As-One Suzuka
Community. Those examples made them realize that they
have already enough resources and materials on theirown site.
As-One’s farming company is a model to reuse ofabandoned farming fields. And they also have the food5

processing section like Lunch box shop in the community.
At first it helps participants to understand how important local water management and nutrients cycles.
And they learned that it shows no food loss between farming and processing and delivering and communityliving.
In June, at As One Community, participants could experience that there are lots of abandoned fields andforests in cities, not in mountains, waiting to be maintained, while local people are getting older. They
understood that if they can have a step into local community around, they get opportunity to make gooduse of natural resources with local government and people.
On whole system approaches, participants,they made maps on cycles of water, energy and food as group
works after study-tour. Through examination of their present living by Eco-Footprint, they found theirproblems against sustainability, and discussed on the solution. Another example was the Urbanpermaculture way of living in Yokohama city, which encouraged participants because of its closeness totheir circumstances.

02.3.2 Quotes
S.O (Female, Architect) Lerning the Eco-foot print, I think that it is just the first step to get to know thereal balance of our way of living. I enjoyed learning alternative possibility.

02.4 World view
All subjects were covered comprehensively.

02.4.1 Over views
They found that they have their own amazing
possibilities and flexibilities, through six months
exploration with conversation and dialog basedon the ScienZ method.
They could experienced they have mutual true
heart basically as a human being. That is the key
for human to harmonize each other in the nature;
the essential point of oneness.
We, human beings have compass inside to live
together, like a flock of Gaia’s symbol. We are communal being as nature.
Such awareness happened among participants at the almost same time.

02.4.2 Quotes
Tatsuya Nobori (Male, IT engineer), I was much moved to be encouraged by a faculty, Hidetake Enomotothat the ability of imagine is undeveloped and most powerful natural energy of human”
Ayumi Nakajima (Female, Student) EDE course encourages me to recognize as I am. And so I feel to moveout of existing values and start moving in the direction of new Gaia world.

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02.5 Design
02.5.1 Observing the present condition and designing the future plan.
In 2020, we needed to avoid covid-19 infection. Though participants have to learn and have conversation
through online and video lectures, they made learning group using their favorite examples from allcontents. Condition was limited but worked well for their own team building.

02.5.2 Quotes
Sanae H. (Female, social entrepreneur of forestry); Based on our awareness to Oneness, we willingly
become to start creating the base of conversation around. From such mutual understanding about people
and local resources around, we will have perspective with local community people around. That is thebeginning
Takaaki Kumakura (Male, a staff) I have never seen such mindful conversation and atmosphere as all
participants willingly transited to be interdependent.

03 Lessons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit
03.1 Notes of our LearningThis year we could quickly changed the program to the online style in March, just before the program
starting in April. We sincerely appreciate the support by participants based on their understanding.
At the same time, it was hard to fit the flow of learning for every participant. Some of them weredisappointed. We did our best to run the all program. But we think it is necessary to create the newprogram for people to learn enough under the pandemic.
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 for them 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.

04 Participant Report
We live and learn together with exploring ourselves and finding the new path to the sustainable world.
Sanae Hirayama
It was fun!
Six months of living under the same roof we could learn 3 days and 2 nights every month�I decided to join last December.
I was excited with curiosity.
Meeting and learning..
People become people in the midst of people.
I thought I knew.

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I wonder how many assumptions I have in my head.
I'm just me, without any labels attached.
The friends of Gaia Education I've spent time with and listened to are a lifelong treasure.
I can't express it in words.
Words can't describe how full I feel.
More than half a month has passed since we graduated.
How is everyone?
I wonder how everyone is doing?
I'm soaking in the afterglow.
I enjoy the fine bubbles that are fermenting inside me.
I want to nurture it carefully and carefully.
While continuing to learn.
Until the day when this body ends�.
(October, 2020)98