That We May Live Together
Asian Rural Institute2017

AnnualReportApril 1, 2017 - March 31, 2018

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Greetings

Masaoki Hoshino, Chair, ARI Board of Directors
Tomoko Arakawa, Director

e want to thank God that through His guidance and the prayers of many
Wsupporters
and friends of ARI, we were able to complete the 2017 ARI Rural

Leaders Training Program.

We su�fered a signiﬁcant loss almost two months a�ter the training program
started, when Rev. Kenichi Ôtsu, former Chair of the ARI Board and former
Director, passed away due to acute leukemia on June 22nd. It was a great sorrowfor all of us; Rev. Ôtsu was a real peace lover. He served at ARI for six years as
Director and three years as Chair of the ARI Board. During that time, he sowed
many seeds of peace both on and o�f campus. Those seeds helped people restore
broken human relationships and changed biased views. They also reminded us of
the foundational vision of ARI: to bring reconciliation and peace to all people,
especially in Asia. During the period of Rev. Ôtsu’s service, ARI displayed its realpotential, and people could see hope for the future through our reconstruction
project from the 2011 Earthquake. It was a blessing that the project occurred
while Rev. Ôtsu served at ARI. That God gives us what is needed when it is mostneeded was proven over and over during the reconstruction.
Regarding the 2017 training program, 22 Participants from 13 countries
completed the training program in December, with heightened qualities as ruralleaders to take back to their communities. These new Graduates increased thetotal number of ARI Graduates to 1,384 from 57 countries. From 2014 to 2016, weconducted a research project to study the impact of ARI Graduates on theircommunities. Because of the results, we established the Graduate Outreach
Section to facilitate the creation of long-lasting, mutually supportive relationships among ARI graduates and ARI. In 2017 we conducted fundraising for thispurpose, and in April 2018 we started the Graduate Outreach Section with newly
hired sta�f. "We hope this will begin a new phase of ARI through deeper integration of Graduates' views and insights into our curriculum and operation.

Contents

2017 was also a year to rea�ﬁrm the importance of the work
conducted by General A�fairs. With newly hired sta�f, they
developed a master plan of risk management for all aspectsof ARI activities. As part of our risk management, we aretrying to incorporate the lessons learned and experiencesfrom the disaster in 2011. We believe that reducing injuries
and accidents in daily life will help improve the quality ofwork, education, and even ﬁnances. We are happy to havebegun these important tasks.
In 2017, as well, we welcomed many motivated volunteers,study campers and guests from Japan and overseas. These
wonderful people ﬁlled our campus with positive energy
and joy. We hope that you will feel that same joyful spirit
through the pages of this annual report.

How to Find a Rural Leader

2

Personal & Community
Transformation
The Rural Leaders Training
Program 2017

4

Internship in India
Re�lections from the AsianInternship Program

10

Foodlife at ARI

12

Building a Network of Support

16

Finances

22

Major Farm Yield 201724

The 2017 Community

25

The Graduates of 2017back

“If learning is only what teachers teach,
there is a limit.

Asian Rural InstituteBut if learners go and learn by themselves,

Rural Leaders Training Center

then there is no limitation.

“That We May Live Together”
2017 Annual ReportThat's why, as a leader,(April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018)

I have to practice first andPrinting

learn by myself.”

Minuteman Press© 2018 Asian Rural Institute"VHVTUVT4FOB-FUTVLVNB
1BSUJDJQBOU (IBOB

www.ari-edu.org
1

How
to Find a
Rural Leader

Challenges of ARI Recruitment
Finding a good candidate for ARI’s Rural Leaders Training Program
can feel a lot like hunting for wild mushrooms. It’s tough. ARI
participants often come from remote communities that are diﬃcult
to access. Dirt roads, sure, but also unreliable internet and phoneservices, not to mention unforeseen diﬃculties in places of conﬂict.
Even when we are lucky enough to secure a line of communication

Back home, I used to hunt wild mushrooms.
Morels were my favorite quarry: delicious
when fried with eggs for breakfast, evenbetter grilled with salmon and greens fordinner.

we often speak different languages. Then there are the environmental conditions: Is there a strong organization willing to sponsor andsupport the candidate? In a time of shrinking funding cycles, is theorganization (and its programs) ﬁnancially sustainable? Is there a
supportive community? How do we know if candidates are ripe forleadership training? How do we make sure they are not impostors?

Unfortunately, these delectable fungi could be
hard to ﬁnd. The best places to look wereremote mountains and forests, where busy
roads receded into dirt trails andeventually disappeared altogether.

Casting the Net
As much as I would like to travel to each far-ﬂung corner of the
globe to personally recruit outstanding candidates and verify theirintentions, it’s simply not feasible. I do the best with the resources
I have (paper ﬁles and brochures, email, social media, video conferences) and rely on a little help from my friends.
Graduates who do exemplary work are indispensable recruitment
agents. They often work and live in the same areas, understand the
local language and context, and are connected to regional networks.
Graduates can speak earnestly about their transformational experiences at ARI to potential applicants. They can answer questions
and clear up misconceptions. They also provide ARI with valuable
information about an applicant’s leadership qualities and intentions,or whether the Sending Body’s mission and activities align with ARI’s.
It’s amazing how many graduates have been willing to travel acrosstheir countries to check on prospects, despite short notice and little
compensation.
We also get tips from long-time ARI supporters, church members,
and former ARI volunteers and staff who now live and work overseas.
Current staff members aid recruitment at international conferences
and when they return to their home countries. I have made theoccasional foray myself: last year while visiting a graduate in Vietnam,
I presented ARI to over 50 community leaders, farmers, and local
oﬃcials at a forum for organic agriculture and visited a number ofproject sites, each with prospective applicants for our training.
To continue to be effective, our recruitment agents requireongoing support. That’s why we have designed new resources,
including videos, report forms, slide presentations and an upcoming
illustrated school guide. We have also begun training sessions that
explain the qualities and qualiﬁcations that ARI is looking for in a
candidate, strategies for seeking out and identifying prospects, andpotential pitfalls to avoid.

The environmental conditions had to be justright: enough moisture, but no snow; sunny,
but not too dry. Morels often hid in plain sightand even when found, one had to make surethey were neither beset by insects, norconfused with a poisonous look-alike...

Micah Anderson,
Education, Admissions &Graduate Outreach Coordinator

2

.JDBINFFUJOHBHSJDVMUVSBMSFTFBSDIFSTBOEBDUJWJTUJO7JFUOBNThe Passion for Serving Others

Rigorous Screening

So then, who exactly is ARI looking for to participate in the Rural
Leaders Training Program? First, ARI requires a Sending Body: apartner organization with a proven track record for serving marginalized people. Traditionally, we have relied on community and faithbased organizations, such as farmers’ cooperatives, community
development NGOs and churches. But where those are lacking, weare beginning to open our doors to local government agencies,
extension oﬃces, and informal community groups. Sending Bodies
are expected to support the professional development of thecandidate(s) they nominate before, during and after his or her ARI
training, and we heavily scrutinize the Sending Bodies' future plans
for the newly trained ARI graduate, during the review process.
Individual applicants are between the ages of 25 and 45 and musthave served with their Sending Body for at least three years. However,qualities beat qualiﬁcations. The most important quality we look for
is a passion for serving others: someone willing to sacriﬁce and offer
love amid adversity; someone excited to learn, share and work withothers; someone with an open mind. Farm experience is helpful, butsince ARI also focuses on servant leadership and community development, we also accept community leaders engaged in environmental
stewardship, education, micro-ﬁnance, and indigenous rights, among
many other ﬁelds. We always encourage Sending Bodies to give equalconsideration to female leaders in their communities.

The application process is rigorous. It includes separate applications
for both the organization and the individuals, as well as data from
graduate site visits and interviews. A complete application can include
over a hundred pages of reports, essays, and supporting documents.
The screening and selection process is also demanding. Every
application is reviewed by separate committees at ARI, and ﬁnally,each accepted participant must have unanimous support from ARI
staff. This painstaking process allows us to ﬁnd the most appropriate
candidates, crafting a diverse cohort that matches participants’abilities in a way that elicits new ways of seeing and thinking about
the world—a true community of learning.
Every step in the process is important: searching, winnowing andclarifying. And ARI does not exactly offer the most alluring terms.
Our training is not to elevate a participant’s status or wealth. Rather,our purpose is to prepare graduates to return to their communities
and give everything away. It’s a tough sell, but we have faith that wewill continue to ﬁnd and attract committed, caring leaders who growwith us and then go on to build an environmentally healthy, just, andpeaceful world.

3

Personal &Community
Transformation
ation%VEV[JMF1SJODFTT/LBCJOEF
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We o�ten use the word ‘sustainability’.
But is our work as an NGO reallysustainable? Or do we just create asituation in which the community
depends on us?

I think I got the answer from ARI
training: We should not bringsolutions. We should not bring money.
Rather, it is important to encouragecommunity members to recognize thatthey can solve their problems with theirown hands, and with their own local
resources.
4

The Rural Leaders
Training Program
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5

TRAINING

Yukiko Ôyanagi,
Associate Director & Curriculum CoordinatorI

because we regard knowledge and skills as just “part” of the training.
Our ﬁnal goal is for each participant to experience personal, internaltransformation.

n December 2017, the Asian Rural Institutecompleted its 9-month Rural Leaders
Training Program, and 22 new graduates from
13 nationalities accomplished their training. We
sincerely appreciate those who supported thistraining program, both ﬁnancially and spiritually.
The 22 participants remained strong and never lost theirmotivation, helping and encouraging each other until they ﬁnallycompleted their training. It is not easy to be away from one’s family
and community for nine months. Participants struggled with manythings: the freezing cold, which many had never experienced
before; adjusting to classmates from unknown countries; and with
the English language, which is not their mother tongue. Someparticipants could not easily communicate with their families backhome; one lost her brother in April. Despite these hardships, they
overcame everything, sharing their sadness, struggles, and joy.

The Power of Questions
To better support the Participants, staff members strive toimprove their training capabilities. For the last two years, we havebeen trained in coaching skills. In coaching, we use “the power ofquestions.” Instead of simply providing answers, the coach uses
powerful questions to help guide the client to uncover the answers
they already hold within themself. Based on this idea, staff members often ask questions to Participants. This year, instead of only
answering questions, Participants progressed and began coming
up with powerful questions themselves. During presentations,for example, they asked thoughtful questions that helped thepresenter to reﬂect more deeply. During study tours, Participants
contined to ask profound questions. Those on the receiving end
often struggled to answer. We deeply appreciate those who tried
to answer sincerely.

All Moments are Learning Opportunities
Since April, Participants received various kinds of training: “Leadership,” “Participatory Learning and Action,” “Presentation Skills,”“Facilitation Skills,” “Organic farming,” “Livestock,” “Dangers ofChemical Farming,” “Natural Farming,” “Biogas,” “Philosophy of
3-D Farming,” “Environment and Development,” “Gender Issues,”“Climate Change Challenge,” and so on. They studied 43 topics for
310 hours and practiced 386 hours of farm work. But this is only asmall part of their training.
Class sessions, dishwashing, farm work, cleaning, Morning
Gathering, observation trips, daily fellowship, and dormitory life are
all important aspects of ARI’s training. In our orientation session, I
explain to the Participants, “After you arrive in Japan and reach the
ARI campus, every action, every conversation and every moment will
be part of your training.” Throughout the year, they grew, with every
moment offering a new learning opportunity. ARI’s training is uniqueSelf-Awareness and Transformation
When Participants arrive at ARI, most of them expect to learn“organic farming skills” and “leadership skills.” They come to Japan
believing that in a “developed country” they can get magic answers
for their communities to become rich. They often believe they caneliminate poverty if they learn and practice Japanese tech. Many
people and organizations are using such ways for international
cooperation programs.
But ARI is different and the advice Participants hear from ourtraining staff often sounds counter-intuitive:
・“What you need is already around you; you just do not realize
it yet.”・“You already have rich local and human resources. Animal

6

TRAINING

manure, rice husk, and weeds are all resources, but people
just throw them away. Poor farmers are teachers who have theknowledge to make their community rich, but people look down on
them.”
・“You said you want to learn how to use machines. Do your farmers have big machines for farming? If no, the skill to use machines is
not useful for people. Skills which the people you serve cannot use
are not for you to learn.”
Of course, even though we tell Participants these points, it is noteasy for them to adjust immediately. Rather, in the beginning, somepeople complain, “I did not come to Japan to learn and work in sucha way.” But after they come to learn from all of the moments—even
from failure, wondering, or conﬂict—they gradually start to change
their minds.
Participants accepted that their learning was not for themselves
but for their people, so they were continually thinking about how toutilize their new skills and knowledge for their own communities.
Moreover, that thinking started to expand beyond organic farming
to social welfare, education, peacebuilding and the environment.
They often discussed the direction of development: what development and sustainable development could be. One commented: “Ithought my community was poor, but I recognized that we are rich.
I thought we have nothing, but we actually have many things. I
thought people were illiterate, but I realized they are great people
who know about traditional wisdom." When they explain what theylearned in this way, we recognize that one of the most important
purposes of our training has been achieved.

were in the grazing yard in front of the classroom. But suddenly
during the class, a heavy rain started. One Participant said, “Oh,
it’s raining,” and several others shouted, “Goat!!” and they rushed
out of the classroom. Participants of Group 1 (the goat section) did
not rely on the staff to do something. They themselves ran out totake the goats to their shed. For them, they were not “ARI goats,”
but “our goats.” Other Participants and the staff naturally stopped
the class and waited for them to return. I was very much moved. I
recognized again that the training is powerful if Participants learn
to take ownership and responsibility for their ﬁeld and livestock.
We believe that their growth and transformation will continueeven in the future. From now on, community people who are marginalized in the society can work together with our graduates, and theyboth can continue to learn together. If those 22 graduates continue
to work in a grassroots rural community, their learning and growth
will never stop.

We strongly believe that the Participants’ transformation andgrowth can lead many communities to approach things in a betterway. We can observe their transformation on many occasions.
I would like to share one of these memorable moments. In July,
one day during a Field Management Activity session, participants
were in the classroom. That day was ﬁne until noon, and goats7

TRAININGHIGHLIGHTS

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4ZMMBCVT$SFBUJPOIn September 2017, the entire ARI community made its ﬁrst
ARI-organized trip to Fukushima, the area damaged by the
explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in2011. We were able to see the current situation of the sites
affected by the “triple disasters” of 2011 (earthquake, tsunami
and radiation) and how residents endeavor to rebuild new
lives in one of the most contaminated areas in Fukushima.
The picture shows ARI’s participants, staff members, andvolunteers listening to a discussion regarding the use of solar
panels as an alternate source of electricity and income due tothe shutdown of the nuclear power plant.

ARI’s administration had long desired to create an ARI
curriculum syllabus. To this end, a new staff member (Mr.
Izawa Raku) systematically recorded and documented theannual curriculum, as well as developed a risk management
plan to compensate for any unforeseen setbacks. The syllabus
outlines all class sessions and ﬁeld work with distinct purpose,
vision, expected outcome, and sequence of each item. We
hope this powerful tool for staff members and lecturers willcontribute to enriching the quality of our curriculum in the
coming years.

COMMENTHow organic are we?
‘Organic’ does not mean only farming techniques,
like how to make bokashi, compost, indigenous
microorganisms and other things, but rather how
we build awareness in ourselves.
Organic farming is related to various issues, like theutilization of local resources, food self-su�ﬁciency,
self-reliance and a healthy environment.
Nowadays we have many problems because we breakaway from the natural way. Our way of thinking is
for money, proﬁt, and increasing production, whichcauses many bad things like pollution, disaster,
injustice, and an unhealthy environment.

That is why in ARI’s curriculum we do not learn only
agriculture techniques. We also learn servant
leadership and alternative approaches to development,
environmental issues, and localization.
Now I ask myself: How organic am I? Not only me,
let’s ask you, your neighbor, your community, and all
the people around you.
I believe that if everyone participates inthis question, it will be a big movement
to make the world a better place.
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8TRAINING

Our Curriculum
Total Instruction Hours: 1,961
1SBDUJDBM'JFME4UVEZ$MBTTFT
Japanese Language and Culture

Kyôko Ogura*

Leadership
Leadership
Servant Leadership
ARI History and Mission
Participatory Learning and Action
Independent Learner
Time Management
Presentation Skills
Facilitation Skills
Proposal Writing
Stress Management
Religion and Rural Life
Report Guidance
Healing Between the Worlds

Tomoko Arakawa
Tomoko Arakawa, Yukiko Ôyanagi
Tomoko Arakawa
Tomoko Arakawa, Yukiko Ôyanagi
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Timothy Appau
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Joseph Ozawa*
Jonathan McCurley, Timothy Appau
Kathleen Froede
WindEagle*, Kyôko Seki*

Development Issues
Environment and Development
Nutrition and Development
Credit Union
Localization
Gender Issues
Human Traﬃcking in Asia andChildren’s Rights
Ashio Copper Mine and Tanaka Shozo
Climate Change Challenge
Alternative Approach of Development
Global Climate Change andInternational Partnership
Nasu Canal and Rural Development
Tomo no Kai Women's Group Activity

The aim of PFS is to acquire practical andtheoretical knowledge of organic agriculture,animal husbandry and food processing

Kôa Tasaka* (ARI Board Member)
Zacivolu Rhakho
Hôichi Endô (ARI Board Member)
Yôji Kamata* (NPO Ancient Futures)
Tomoko Arakawa
Machiko Kaida* (C-rights)
Tatsuo Sakahara (NPO Shozo Tanaka Institute)
Yoshiyuki Nagata* (University of the Sacred Heart)
J.B. Hoover* (AFARI, iLEAP)
J.B. Hoover* (AFARI, iLEAP)Shûya Tamura*
National and prefecture branches of Tomo no Kai

Sustainable Agriculture
Concept of Sustainable Agriculture
Organic Farming
Crops and Vegetables
Livestock
Disease Control
Appropriate Technology

Ardhendu Chatterjee* (DRCSC, 1976 graduate)
Osamu Arakawa
Osamu Arakawa
Gilbert Hoggang, Takashi Ôtani, Timothy Appau
Osamu Arakawa
Ban HyungWook (ARI Board of Councillors,

Dangers of Chemical Farming
Natural Farming in Tropical Areas
Agroforestry

Kôa Tasaka* (ARI Board Member)
Shimpei Murakami* (Natural Farmer)
Masa’aki Yamada* (Tokyo University of Agriculture

Alternative Marketing Systems
Biogas workshop
Philosophy of 3-D Farming

Reina Tomatsu* (Kinôshi Juku)
Mamoru Kuwabara* (NPO FUDO)
Kin’ichi Haga* (Tozawa Village International

PFS: Crops & Vegetables Emphasis
PFS: Livestock Emphasis
PFS: Meat Processing

Osamu Arakawa, Masanobu Sakurai
Gilbert Hoggang, Takashi Ôtani, Timothy Appau
Takashi Ôtani, Hideo Koide* (Neu Frank Atelier, Nasu)

1983 Graduate)

and Technology)

Fellowship Association)* special lecturers

9

Crops & Vegetables Emphasis
Bokashi fertilizer making; compost making;collection and utilization of indigenous
microorganisms; fermented plant juice; ﬁshamino acid; water-soluble calcium andphosphate; wood vinegar; charcoal making;rice husk charcoal; seed collection; seedlingnursery using soil blocks; mushroom cultivationn
Livestock Emphasis
Pigs (artiﬁcial insemination, delivery, castration); chicken (brooding, hatching); ﬁsh(hatching); livestock health; feed formulation;
fermented feed; animal raising with fermented
ﬂoor
Meat Processing
Sausage and ham making'JFME.BOBHFNFOU"DUJWJUJFT
・Group management of crops and vegetables,

ﬁeld and livestock・Foodlife Work (Foodlife related activities for

self-suﬃciency)

・Group leadership system

0UIFST
Community work (e.g. rice transplanting, rice
harvesting, forest management); community
events; spiritual nurture and guidance(Morning Gathering, Growth Note, consultation, reﬂection day, reﬂection paper);oral presentation; Harvest Thanksgiving
Celebration; international fellowship programs;
observation trips; Rural Community Study Tour;
Western Japan Study Tour; homestay
programs; church fellowship programs

Internship in India

photos by Makiko Takei and Chigira Hasumi

Reﬂections from the Asian Internship Program

From January to March of 2018, twoof ARI’s recent Japanese graduates took
part in an agriculture-oriented internshipin India as part of their Rural Leaders
Training Program.
This experience provided them with
opportunities to both apply their ARI
learnings and to supplement thoselearnings with new knowledge.

Makiko Takei, 2017 Graduate
The 50 day program in India was a great opportunity for me to learn from the spirit of graduates andtheir lives in rural areas. Furthermore, I got manyideas for my future plan as a GI and beyond.
As soon as we arrived at the training centerin Purulia, West Bengal, we had a lecture focusing on ecologicalfarming and permaculture by Mr. Chatterjee for three days. Buildingon his lectures at ARI, I was able to develop a deeper understandingof the farming philosophy he presented, especially regarding thenatural power of plants. I want to learn more about the characteristics of each plant so that I can more effectively integrate and utilize
them in our own lives (thus minimizing labor).

T

he Asia Internship Program is a special training that
ARI offers to Japanese Participants following theirgraduation. It usually runs for two months and transports
graduates to rural villages in Asia where they work withlocal ARI graduates and their organizations.
This time, Makiko Takei and Chigira Hasumi went to thenortheastern part of India and were hosted by the Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC).
The DRCSC is a farmer’s education organization headed by
Mr. Ardhendu Chatterjee (1976 graduate) and based in therural villages of India’s West Bengal state. They then went toNagaland state. This internship experience is going to beneﬁt
Makiko and Chigira’s second year of specialized training at
ARI as Graduate Interns (GIs).

Learning about a Responsible Life
Whenever I went around the village in India, I was fascinated by
the villagers’ lifestyle. For example, in West Bengal, many village
households have cows that are used for milk and plowing, anddung which is used for fuel, fertilizer, housing materials, and soon. Their living places have resources for work such as wells, trees,
vermicompost, and farmland. With such resources, the villagers
are able to sustain their traditional farming-based lifestyle. Not
many people receive salaries and there are no shops in the village.

10People in Japan probably lived in a similar way in ancient times. Even
though we can’t go back to that era, I’d like to learn more from ourancestors’ wisdom.
I also learned the importance of living a responsible life. Comparedwith India, many processes such as livestock butchering and waste
treatment are hidden in Japanese society. In the village in India, these
activities were clearly visible. Through experiencing the sights andsmells of these practices so intensely I realized how easily I could
ignore them in Japan. Sometimes shop workers in Japan get confused
when I now say that I don’t need a plastic bag because we ourselves
don’t put much effort into waste treatment. Though it won‘t be easy tomake people realize the hidden side of these processes without personal
experience, I feel I must do what I can to change their perceptions.

Being a Precious Minority
Staying at the village in Nagaland helped me grow in my Christianfaith. Some Christians in Japan tend to separate church and daily life.
But Nagaland is a majority Christian state and people integrate prayer
and religion closely into their daily life. I saw, for example, that people
always pray, be it as a preparation for work or in social situations likefamily gatherings. I felt that the distance between people and God israther close.
During my village stay, I had many opportunities to deliver public
testimony and sing songs, even though I am not a pastor. In the
beginning, I was sad to say that the number of Christians in Japanis only 1%. But, gradually, I realized how precious I am as one ofthem. These experiences and the encounters with young people in
Nagaland made me recognize the characteristics of my own society
and think about the root causes of many social issues in Japan. I
then ﬁnally decided to be a teacher in the future. It will be a strong
motivation for me to continue my learning at ARI. And I would liketo continue practicing independent learning for the rest of my life.

Chigira Hasumi, 2017 Graduate

Improving Small-Scale Agriculture
Before the internship program began, my expectation was that it
would focus on the DRCSC’s activities as a local organization involved
with farmers. However, after receiving a lecture about the principles
and methods of permaculture farming from Mr. Chatterjee during
the ﬁrst three days, I realized that the concepts of permaculture aren’t
limited to Purulia; they can be applied directly to small-scale housegardens in Japan and my GI vegetable ﬁeld at ARI.
My purpose as a GI will be to improve my vegetable-growing
skills. My initial plan to accomplish this was to experiment with somefarming methods, natural resources and fertilizer that I learned aboutin ARI last year and compare the effects of each method. However, myinternship experience made me rethink my plan and the theme for myﬁeld. Now, I will design the ﬁeld considering not only the matter on
the bed, but also the shape of the bed, the environment around theﬁeld and how to utilize the space and resources found around ARI, amethodology in line with permaculture principles.
I am very grateful that we were able to practice what we did
as internship activities at DRCSC. The experience gave me some
important ideas for my GI program as well as my future plan that I
revealed during my ﬁnal presentation at ARI: “All the households inmy community have small- scale, large-variety gardens.”

Empowerment through Local
Resources
The Asia Internship Program was a fantastic
opportunity to experience all the things that the
DRCSC practices, such as making natural fertilizers and pesticides. I took part in making a site map, tree proﬁles, anda shade made from rice straw. These experiences helped me gain
self-conﬁdence to create things on my own, utilizing local resources.
The village observation in Purulia was a time for me to observe
how the local people live with such local resources. I was able to see
many examples of indigenous technologies and knowledge. One suchtechnology was the use of Roselle plants. Roselles are used for many
purposes in Purulia: as jam, as a living fence against goats (they do
not like the sourness of the leaves), as medicine, as strings, and so on.
This ﬁnding made me realize how rich people are in local resources,
and strengthened my interest in the mapping of plants around us andanalyzing their characteristics.
I was inspired by how sustainably people live in Purulia; it made me
think of what I can do to make my own life more sustainable.

11

Foodlife at ARIParticipatory andLearner-Centered Training

Osamu Arakawa,
Associate Director, Educational Director (Farm Manager)I

attended the ECHO Asia Agriculture & Community Development
Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 2nd to 5th October as
one of the plenary speakers. Attending this international conference
was a meaningful experience. The theme was how to support thepeople who are suffering from hunger and poverty in Asia and how
to improve their lives and food security. There were nine plenary
speeches and 42 workshops. I participated in all speeches and several
workshops, conducting two workshops myself.
The most impressive speech to me was titled "The answer is in
the room,” delivered by Dr. Karen Stoufer who served in Nepal from1990 to 2003 in the areas of rural community development, animal
health training, and women's empowerment. She is based in theChristian Veterinary Mission headquarters in Seattle, Washington.
She has taught Christian community development for Perspectives
on World Christian Mission and for Northwest University and enjoys
training others in participatory, learner-centered training methods

for use in missions. This training method has nine principles andthey are similar to ARI‘s leadership training through Foodlife.
At ARI, we use a “Learning by Doing” method for the training.
Learners do not only learn in the classroom, they also apply theirlearning through actual practice. This enables them to transform
simple knowledge into practical wisdom. For example, learners study
how to make bokashi fertilizer. Actually, lecturers show them how tomake it. As a result, what learners can get through this lecture is only
knowledge. Learners know how to make bokashi, but they cannot
actually make it. They know it, but they can not use it. But when they
make bokashi with their own hands, they can feel, smell, and see
the color and temperature of the fermentation. Only after applying
bokashi to vegetables, observing their growth and harvesting them
can learners change this knowledge into an actual understanding of
how to make and apply bokashi.
“Do not ever do what the learners can do.” This is one of the

1210

For example, there was a day when I was writing down the types ofactivities that revolve around the kitchen. As I was doing this, my mind
was with many people, speciﬁcally mothers and female members in
the family who are occupied with all these kinds of work in their daily
lives. I listed about 58 activities, but the list could have gone on. Many
Participants are from a common background where male members
do not usually participate in the kitchen work. It was an opportunity
for us to help them learn about respect and appreciation for theirmothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. For instance, women spend
hours preparing food, but men, as they come home and are served
the meal, can pass a comment within a few seconds about whether
it tastes horrible or delicious. Few men will give appreciation for the
food and the effort it took to prepare it. The most important thingfrom this activity of listing the kitchen activities was helping everyone
learn about sharing responsibilities across genders in the family.

principles in the participatory, learner-centered training methods.
This is exactly the same as the principle of “Learning by Doing”.
Another emphasis in participatory, learner-centered training
methods is praxis. Praxis is not just practice but practice with reﬂection.
After making bokashi, learners evaluate the materials they used andthink about whether these materials are available in their communities.
If they are not available, learners think about what can be usedinstead. They also consider whether the quantity of bokashi used wasappropriate or not. They deeply reﬂect on their activities and utilize
these reﬂections to develop the next plan of action. This is "praxis."
In participatory, learner-centered training, learners are responsible
for their own growth. They are the subject, not the object, of theirlearning. This is very much similar to the “Independent Learning”
and “Coaching” that we emphasize at ARI. The core philosophy is thesame: we believe in the capacity and capability of learners, including
those who work with the people in rural communities; we trust thatlearners, villagers, and other people can learn and discover; we havethe responsibility to provide the setting and resources that they needto take charge of their own learning.

A Change of Habits
Another achievement was that through the two nutrition classes we
conducted, the Participants learned much about food habits in theircommunities and the importance of a balanced diet, which we teachand practice at ARI. The majority of the Participants took it seriously
and changed their food habits throughout their stay at ARI. They
were happy with the knowledge that eating safe and healthy foodis the best medicine to maintain one’s good health and that it canenhance the family economy as well. Thus, one of the biggest things
that the Meal Service section achieved was for the Participants togain a clearer understanding of the connection between the kitchen
and the farm. This can be very realistic and practical in their own
communities as well.
Challenges are also part of our section. But it’s
never a hindrance; rather it’s an opportunity for us tolearn a better way to facilitate the work in the kitchen
every year. In every way, the kitchen is a sure placeof learning for members of the ARI community.

A Sure Place of Learning
Zacivolu Rhakho Dozo,
Foodlife (Meal Service Coordinator)“Building a stronger connection between the kitchen and thefarm and livestock sections through which the Participants will
deepen their understanding of self-suﬃciency and sustainability inthe lives of the people whom they serve“ was the goal of ARI’s Meal
Service section for the 2017 training program. As the year began,
my ﬁrst strategy as ARI's Meal Service Coordinator was to facilitate
stable and healthy level of communication between the core section
members. The second strategy was that the core members would
feel ownership of their sections, to be able to lead others who are
not regulars, such as Participants. In both cases, we managed tospend fruitful quality time with one another.

13

FOODLIFE

Organic Farming is Strong

The Future of Seeds in Question
At the Asian Rural Institute, we are striving to produce seeds that areresistant to climate and environmental change by promoting in-houseseed cultivation. However, in April 2018, the government abolishedthe Main Crop Seeds Act which regulates such seed production. As
the circumstances surrounding agriculture change drastically, ARI isplanning to expand the range of plant varieties that can be harvested
in order to ensure safe and secure food production in the future. Thisis part of our vision, to secure local varieties which are rooted in thecommunity.

Masanobu Sakurai,
Foodlife (Crops & Vegetables)In 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries made public the Rice Crop
Index in Japan. It showed that only Tochigi Prefecture (where ARI is located) had a "poor" scoreof 93 points. However, even though there was a
shortage of rain in September and sunshine in
October, the 0.8ha of rice ﬁelds which we had
recently acquired turned out to be fruitful and our Rice Crop Index
was better than the prefectural average. The quality and yield of ricepaddies were good and neighbor farmers were also interested in the
results. Especially with the help of a new combined rice binder andharvester machine we purchased through overseas donations, weare now able to work more eﬃciently with less missed grains during
harvesting.
Several years ago, we introduced the single seedling transplanting
method into the rice cultivation system at ARI. This avoids planting
seedling too densely at the time of rice transplanting. Planting only
one seedling in one place stimulates its own viability so that the stemof the rice plant becomes thicker and the tillers become bigger. As afurther weed control measure, we tilled our paddy ﬁelds two or threetimes before transplanting the rice seedlings in order to eliminate
weeds and form a creamy top-soil layer. Also, the germination of
weed seeds is controlled by water depth management before andafter transplanting the rice seedlings. In addition, immediately after
transplanting the rice seedlings, we used an iron chain for weed
control, and after that, we appropriately weeded with machine andby hand. As a result, we were able to secure the harvest of rice in2017 as targeted.
In January 2018, there was a shortage of vegetables in Japan,
causing an increase in their market prices. But the ARI ﬁelds wereable to produce vegetables equivalent to that of a regular year. Thisagain proved the stability of yield through organic farming.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cultivating Mushrooms
ARI-grown mushrooms re-appeared on the dining table thisyear! We had not grown mushrooms since the earthquake andradiation contamination in 2011. Many thanks to Pearl City
Community Church, Hawaii for their ﬁnancial support for thisproject. ARI staff Masa Sakurai says: “Working with Participants,
volunteers and JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers)
trainees, the grant allowed us to experiment with different
methods of cultivation to discover what Participants can use athome.”

14

FOODLIFE

Livestock Safety
and Productivity at ARI

used exclusively for collecting grass, tree branches, and leaves forgoat feed. In the future, we plan to renovate the roof of the former
cowshed that houses the goat house now.

Gilbert Hoggang, Foodlife (Livestock)

Improving living spaces for animals
The Chicken Section underwent several construction renovations, too.
Six rooms of two chicken houses were completely remade into tworooms for each building, making them wider for the chickens to play.
Because of the emergence of bird ﬂu in Japan and the government
animal hygiene center’s requirements, we installed small-hole nets on
the walls to prevent wild birds from entering. Lastly, we completelyrenovated another chicken house with a new roof and removed thefront walls for replacement.
In 2017, egg production was steady at a 60% to 65% laying ratio
during summer and 50% to 55% during late autumn up to winter.
But still, the supply is unstable due to butchering schedules. And wealways have to wait for the new pullets to increase their laying ratio.
In the Pig Section, we renovated the delivery pen, adding a ceilingand a new door on its open side to prevent wind from entering. A new
exhaust fan, an automatic temperature sensor, and a heater make thedelivery room warm and comfortable so that delivery and farrowingof piglets can continue in winter. We had our ﬁrst winter delivery withseven live piglets. They performed very well, gaining weight steadily.
Sadly, two mother sows died in 2017. Because of this, we weaned one
mother sow early and then switched the piglets that did not have amother so that the lactating sow would foster them. 14 of the piglets
survived and from these, we will choose our new gilts to replace theold sows. Because of the accidental death of the purebred sow, webought another new purebred Landrace replacement gilt. The goodnews is that she is now pregnant.
Despite the loss of two mother sows, we were able to produce
about 90 pigs during 2017, and sales of pork also increased 20%
with an income of 2.8 million yen from April 2017 to January 2018.

L

ivestock production in 2017 resulted inbetter performance as well as increased
sales from eggs and pork, despite unavoidable
setbacks related to accidents and other healthproblems not associated with infectious orcommunicable diseases. The most signiﬁcant
improvement in the Livestock Section was theissuance of a Japanese driver’s license to both Timothy Appau fromthe Chicken section and myself from the Pig section. With the daily
pick-up of local resources and management of outside ﬁelds forlivestock, having a driver’s license is very helpful.

Goats provide food and learning
The Goat Section was able to rear four kids from two female goats
though two of the weakest kids passed away. Milk production steadily
increased and we were able to supply 683 liters of goat milk to Koinonia for consumption; some of which was processed into cheese. With
the birth of two female kids, we were able to increase the number ofresident goats to six, with one male and ﬁve females. Unfortunately,
one of the female goats had a leg problem in summer, could not standup for a long period, and was taken to the animal hygiene center for
euthanasia. In February 2018, another pregnant female goat had diﬃculty in delivery and died. It was taken to the animal hygiene center for
examination.
We constructed another facility for the goats: an outside pen justbelow the men’s dormitory, adjacent to another goat pen. As a result,the outside playing ground for the goats became doubled and we
could separate the mothers and their kids from the large male goats.
Inside the pen, we built a roofed platform to act as a shade covering
during the rainy season. In the goat house, we redesigned the feeding
system so that it is now easier to give feed from the outside without
entering each stall. We also purchased sickles and a handsaw to be

15

US Speaking Tour:A Graduate Sharing
the Fruit of ARI
Kathy Froede, Ecumenical Relations

One of the things we teach ARI
Participants is to envision what
their community could look like
decades from now; to dream so
big that they cannot accomplish
it alone. We encourage them topassionately share that dream with everyone!
With others’ passions also ignited, their vision
is more likely to bring lasting change to ruralcommunities around the globe.
Takami Sensei, ARI’s founder, had the giftsof dreaming, sharing, and bringing people
together to accomplish the work of ARI; tobuild an environmentally healthy, just, andpeaceful world in which each person canlive to their fullest potential.

During October and November 2017, I felt like I was following
in Takami’s footsteps by sharing ARI’s dream to supporters oldand new in New England, Virginia, and Florida. This US Speaking
Tour included three staff from ARI and AFARI (American Friendsof ARI): Ms. Zacivolu “Acivo” Rhakho from India (’00 Graduate, ‘09
Training Assistant, current Meal Service Coordinator); Mr. J.B. Hoover(AFARI Executive Director); and myself, Kathy Froede (ARI Ecumenical
Relations Coordinator).
Sharing the dream, as Takami did, is as vital today as it was when
he began his work in the 1960‘s. Although the world is a “smaller
place today with easier travel and communication, we have not yet
solved some of its most basic problems—hunger, clean water, andeducation. However, through the Graduates’ stories, we have seen
the effectiveness of ARI's training to address these issues during
the past 45 years.
Acivo’s story served as the focal point of our tour. It begins in
her childhood home, Nagaland India. At the time, it was a rigid
patriarchy where education was believed to be wasted on girls.
Taken care of by a single mother, Acivo’s home was desperately
poor. Her mother knew from experience that her daughters had
to be able to survive without husbands, if necessary. Despite many

diﬃculties, she sent Acivo to school.
As she shared her story on the tour, Acivo enraptured people
with anecdotes from her fascinating life. She spoke of Graduates
like herself as “fruit for the world,” produced by the nurturing
efforts of supporters and the work of ARI. Her words challenged
our audiences in the US to see the world from a new perspective.
Along the way, we visited longtime friends, missionaries, former
volunteers, interns, and temporary visitors. They all mentionedthat their time at ARI had enriched their lives with new friends,
perspectives, and a commitment to do what they could to protect
the earth.
We also got to know new people and churches who were as
inspired by ARI’s work as we were by theirs. In Albany, NY, Ms. Lois
Wilson of Westminster Presbyterian Church said, “There will belasting legacies from ARI’s visit. We support several organizations
whose goals (keeping girls in school, ecological literacy and environmental stewardship through demonstrations of sustainable
technologies, and capacity-building) appear to me to be like someof the ARI program’s goals.”

16Building a
Network of Support

Gifts from Overseas

Volunteers & Interns

・The ARI Becquerel Center continues to monitor the radiation situation on campus and in the region because we need to be conﬁdent
that the food we eat is safe. With support from the United Church of
Canada, we continue to monitor our food and soil, spotting unsafe
products. Additionally, our educational displays provide visitors andthe local community with an independent source of information
regarding radioactivity.
・Eﬃcient harvesting = more time and grain! The Foodlife section
purchased two new harvesters with support from the United Churchof Canada. Osamu Arakawa, the Farm Manager, said: “We usedboth our soybean and rice harvesters for more than 15 years, andthey were second-hand machines, so it was past time to replacethem. The rice harvester broke often and grain got stuck everyday.
Last year, we had to ask a neighbor to harvest for us. The soybean
harvester was in two parts and when we threshed, dust got all overus. The situation was unhealthy, and the machine dropped beanson the ground. With the new machines, we can ﬁnish in a few days
that which took more than two weeks and many hands before. I
appreciate our supporters very much.”

ARI continues to strengthen its educational proﬁle throughpartnerships with colleges in the US; such as Princeton TheologicalSeminary, St. Olaf College, and Wellesley College. In 2017, ﬁve
students came to ARI for a summer internship and another 26
students from St. Olaf visited for three weeks of special training.
Many students commented that their views about the world
expanded after conversations with ARI community members. They
realized each person’s concerns for the community and the world
are similar no matter where a person is from.
We appreciate our partner organizations who sent volunteers to
ARI in 2017.

17

NETWORK

Domestic Network Activities

Hiromi Satô, Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Sales, General Affairs & PR)

Carrying on with the same intentions thatwere established over forty years ago,
the Asian Rural Institute continually reforms

Section’s activities like these brought about closer coordination withother sections at ARI, such as the farm and the educational affairs
sections. Consequently, we were able to provide more opportunities
to people outside the Asian Rural Institute to study and feel withall ﬁve senses a reverence for food and life, as well as provide ourvisitors a chance to live in cooperation, and have discussions, withpeople from around the world. In doing so, we create a place tounderstand and appreciate the importance of people from various
backgrounds coming together to support one another.
The Domestic Business Section makes it a point to have theenrichment of educational opportunities—bringing people fromboth inside and outside ARI together to consider what it means to

its styles and methods of learning to suit different times and circumstances. In doing so, it provides training to develop the talents ofpeople called to minister to impoverished farming communities in
Asia and Africa. Japan has many international cooperation NGOs; if
you don’t count them based on size, they number in the thousands.
Of these, the Asian Rural Institute is one of Japan’s international cooperation NGO’s with the longest history. It is because of the numerous
people who understand and support our work that we have continued
for this long. We appreciate each of them very much.
It costs over 130 million yen per year to select the servant
leaders out of the many candidates who apply, invite them to
the ARI training program, and provide nine months of thoroughtraining and support for their stay here. Our funding is comprisedof scholarships provided by various organizations, donations fromindividuals and other groups, and income earned from activities
run by the Domestic Business Section. These activities include
educational programs aimed at outside Japanese and foreign
participants, the sale of agricultural products, and all other typesof events.
The programs and events planned and carried out by the Domestic Business Section make use of the knowledge and experience
we have accumulated ever since our founding. The programs
are designed to ﬁt the needs of our participants and oriented toprovide anyone—regardless of their nationality or age—a chance toexperience Foodlife and gain more of an understanding of Asian and
African farming communities. In preparing agricultural products for
sale, the agricultural staff, Participants, and volunteers do not justfocus on growing products in a self-suﬃcient way, they pour theirhearts into growing them so that they may share nature’s bounty
with all our supporters. The products are distributed to buyers at
bazaars and via mail-order sales. In 2017, the Domestic Businesseat and to live—be a cornerstone in generating income to support
the Institute’s operations. We aim to continue coming up with new
ideas and developing other ideas further.

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The United Nations, various government
ministries and agencies, and international cooperation NGOs are encouraging educational institutions and companies to promote awareness about the
SDGs. With this, ARI’s Domestic Business
Section visited and conducted interviewsat the Environmental Partnership Council(Japan) and created a ﬂyer (see right) for
junior high school and older students
that summarizes the connection between
ARI’s activities and the SDGs.

Introduction of Genmai Senbei (brown rice crackers)
The products our supporters usually purchase are agricultural
products like pork, eggs, rice, and soybeans, as well as processedfood products such as cookies, soy sauce, and carrot juice. In 2017,
we had to consider what to do with the extra rice in our inventory,
and we developed genmai senbei for sale. In regard to our regular
products, people little by little heard about their ﬂavor and quality
from word of mouth, and because there is a stable demand for suchproducts, we saw an increase in their sales from last year. However,
because we cannot perfectly control factors such as environmental
conditions and the animals, and because we must prioritize ARI’sstudy and training programs, we could not maintain a steady supply
and there were times when we temporarily could not provide theseproducts. In response to these issues, we worked together withthose at ARI responsible for crops, animal husbandry, meal service,and sales to keep track of the Institute’s supply and demand andhow much surplus we might have. We are clarifying our plans for
production based on estimates of how much we will have available
to sell. We hope to see the results of these efforts next year.

18

NETWORK

ARI’s Growth as an
Educational Hub

Sharing and Learning from
ARI’s Unique Assets

Jun Yagisawa, Fundraising, Domestic Programs(Liaision, Donations, PR & Supporters)

Takashi Yamashita, Fundraising, Domestic Programs(External Programs & Nasu Seminar House Manager)

IA

n 2017, our campus served as the stage for a variety of new
programs that attracted people from unusual industries. The mostimpressive event took place in May and was a retreat program titled“How to Live Peace in Community.” With peacebuilding at ARI as its
theme, the planning of this event was made possible by our connections
with Kyôko Seki and Yuri Morikawa, who have both led the ARI staff
in coaching, and peace activist WindEagle from the United States. The
guests who gathered for this 5-day program were professionals fromthe world of business coaching and management consulting—people
with whom we have had only little contact until now.
Seeing ARI’s practice of multi-ethnic and multicultural coexistence
and soil-stained daily life caused something of a culture shock, andsome guests shed tears when they heard the life stories of our Participants. Many openly expressed their emotions, saying, “I had no
idea this kind of place existed in Japan,” and “This was a life-changing
experience.” Approaching people from unfamiliar industries andhaving them experience the special appeal of ARI was a great resultthat raised our expectations for the future.
Since starting these new programs, we see more visitors thatare not related to our usual connections with churches, schools, or
farmers. The educational resources that ARI has been cultivatingover many years are of unparalleled depth and width. Being able toprovide valuable learning that cannot be experienced elsewhere is one of our assets. By making
use of ARI as a space for learning, we envision
it to become a foothold that connects Japan andthe world, with a “Breathing Campus” on whichpeople of different trades and generations caninteract.

RI has been successfully running its “Study Camp” program formany years. Its purpose is to give campers an opportunity tothink about peace and the importance of food and life by engaging
with ARI community members. Every year, about 500 people fromhigh schools, universities, and churches across Japan and beyond
attend the camp. Here are some typical camp activities from 2017:
Talk sessions with Participants: Campers get together with ARI
Participants who speak about their activities as community leaders,such as working in orphanages or for women empowerment.
Campers learn about the real situations in developing countries
and the dedication of participants who, after all, do not come to ARI
for themselves but for their communities. Together, campers andparticipants can discuss the true purpose of ARI.
Organic farming experience to appreciate Life: Campers join ARI’sdaily Foodlife Work taking care of vegetables and animals alongside ARIParticipants. They experience the challenges of growing and preparing
food together, as well as the joys of sharing the resulting meal. They
may see the ﬂowers of a carrot for the ﬁrst time, witness a chicken
laying an egg, or clean up pig manure. All of these experiences lead tomore appreciation and awareness of Food and Life.
Curry Workshop: Indian staff Vero Ruipa guides
campers as they learn to make Indian curry. As
with the organic farming experience, cooking
together using ARI vegetables and rice, andexpressing appreciation for the life that was sacriﬁced, through prayer, deepens the awareness ofFoodlife and a life lived in happiness; and the end
result always turns out to be delicious.

19

NETWORK

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ARI would like to thank our volunteers near and far
who give of their time and talents in ways too
numerous to mention. We appreciate all you do for
us! You, the volunteers from Japan and othercountries support activities on and off campus, host
homestays, speak, write and edit publications for ARI
and AFARI. These donations of your time and skills
help us be good stewards of our ﬁnancial resourcesin achieving our mission. Thank you!
All gifts that are not designated for scholarship,disaster reconstruction, or research are received as
general donations and help to support tuition andother costs of the ARI Rural Leaders Training
Program.
A list of individuals, congregations and otherorganizations in Japan who donated toward ARI’s
Rural Leaders Training Program during ﬁscal 2017
can be found in the Japanese version of the 2017
Annual Report and Ajia no Tsuchi, our Japanese
language newsletter.

Finances

Balance Sheet

Kaori Sakuma-Vero, General Manager

as of 2017/3/31(US $)*

I

would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you
who supported ARI throughout the 2017 ﬁscal year (April 1,
2017~March 31, 2018).

March 31, 2017

March 31, 2018

Fixed Assets
Property
Special Assets
Third designated special asset
Retirement fund
Building Repair endowment
Other Assets
Telephone rights
Capital
Deposit
Scholarship Fund
Current Assets
Cash & savings
Accounts receivable
Stock (livestock, rice, etc.)
Sales items
Securities / shares
Other

9,346,493
8,379,487
846,703
685,555
121,626
39,522
120,303
1,522
1,450
667
116,664
777,173
678,169
9,518
3,983
22,14723,89739,4599,054,358
8,070,147
898,976
686,269
149,906
62,801
85,234
1,522
1,450
667
81,595593,458
292,280
57,0495,335
27,788159,103
51,903

Total Assets

10,123,666

9,647,816

Fixed Liabilities
Long term loans
School bonds
Retirement fund reserve
Reconstruction project reserve*
Current Liabilities
Short term loans
School bonds
Accounts payable
Consumer tax payable
Other

1,033,132
542,231
92,287
113,445
285,169
1,121,702
645,474
260,945
29,202
3,612
182,469

1,183,090
492,697
304,169
124,272
261,952
868,537
616,437
39,64637,651
5,292
169,511

Total Liabilities

2,154,834

2,051,627

Net assets
Endowment account #1
Endowment account #3
Endowment account #4
Total Net Assets
Total Liabilities
Accumulated gain & loss

10,477,666
685,555
103,587
11,266,808
2,154,834(3,297,976)

10,506,626
685,555
103,587
11,295,768
2,051,627(3,699,579)

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

10,123,666

9,647,816

AssetsBalance Sheet
As of the end of the ﬁscal year 2017, ARI’s total assets were US$
9,647,816, showing a decrease of about $475,000 from 2016.
This is largely due to the fall in the value of ARI property and adecrease in cash and savings.
On the other hand, total liabilities were $2,051,627. In 2017
ARI was able to decrease liabilities by $103,000. We were able torepay around $42,000 in long-term loans and school bonds.

Proﬁt and Loss
An increase of one staff member for the fundraising section in2016 and two staff members for the research section and meal
service section in 2017 resulted in the personnel cost increasing
by about $70,600. However, we believe it is an investment in
improving the quality of ARI management for the future rather
than an expenditure.
Domestic Donations were $34,800 less than what we budgeted
for this year. However, this is still a $50,500 increase in donations
over 2016. We believe that this is the fruit of a detailed analysis
of income sources and preparing the best-ﬁtting tactics suchas repeated visits or providing needed information to major
supporters.
Income from sales of ARI products and providing services tooutside organizations and individuals achieved its highest everlevel at $263,605. The role of the Fundraising and Domestic
Programs section is critical for income generation. There will bemany challenges ahead, but we also see possibilities for further
developing our income generating activities.
The trend of donations, speciﬁcally scholarships, fromoverseas is decreasing. At the same time, there is a trend ofincreasing project-based funds from North America such as
the 5-years support we received for the expanded educational
activities of our Becquerel Center (ABC) or the grant for the riceand soybean harvester. We also have a new scholarship scheme
called Takami Scholarship Fund initiated by AFARI (American
Friends of ARI). In the midst of this, we are also able to organize
a series of speaking tours in North America with the assistanceof AFARI, in order to strengthen and expand relationships andnetworking in the region.
We really appreciate your support and are happy to report
this positive result from the efforts of those staff members whocreated new and improved ways to ﬁnance ARI.
In the face of ongoing ﬁnancial challenges, we will continue to
do our best to strengthen our ﬁnancial structure to achieve our
mission.

Liabilities and Net Assets

This ﬁnancial report follows the accounting format required by the
Ministry of Education in Japan and was translated into English forthis publication.
* All ﬁgures in US dollars. Exchange rate of US$1=JPY106.19 is used to translate
Japanese yen based ﬁnancial statements.

22

Profit and Loss Statement

Educational Activities in detail2016/4/1 〜 2017/3/31(US $)

Operating Revenue
Educational Activities Revenue
Scholarships and Fees (1)TuitionEntrance fee
Contributions for board
Contributions for lodging
Contributions for transportation
Domestic institutional donation
Domestic individual donation
Overseas individual donation
Overseas institutional donation
Fees for issuing certiﬁcate
Donations
General (2)Donation in kindSpecial donations
Grants for special projects
Sales and Special Services (3)Miscellaneous revenue
Publication
Accomodation user fees
Other Miscellaneous revenue
Non Educational Activities Revenue
Interest & dividends
Special Revenue
Gain (loss) from sale of assets
Total Operating Revenue

2017 Budget

2017 Actual2018 Budget

309,861
42,668
4,607
2,703
2,703
15,792
9,417
155,457
076,514
490
582,566
492,043
090,52331,299255,803
77,8984,709
44,93828,251

258,707
29,767
4,489
7,788
7,788
6,550
0
118,552
17,356
66,41694
548,859
454,471
0
94,38861,309263,605
75,3905,334
46,583
23,473249,930
19,641
4,232
5,214
5,214
11,6360
121,141
7,515
75,337301
598,168
439,4010
158,767
89,270263,678
81,947
1,883
51,81328,251

471

194

472

0

3,328

0

1,258,388

1,211,486

1,283,766

Expenses
Educational Activities Expenses (4)Personnel (5)Education and Research
General and administrative(Depreciation allowance)

730,346
275,353
609,739(372,970)

745,169
273,911
631,832(378,215)

735,232
196,235
627,663(378,981)

Non educational Activities Revenues(expenses)
Interest paid on debt
Exchange loss
Special expenses
Gain (loss) from sale of assets

15,9190

11,756
9,512

11,069
0

0

3,734

0

Total operating expenses
Incorporation into designated fundNet operating gain (loss)
Beginning balanceEnding balance

1,631,357
0(372,970)(3,298,006)(3,670,975)

1,584,132(28,960)(401,607)(3,298,006)(3,699,612)

1,661,981
0(378,215)(3,699,612)(4,077,827)

Personnel
Faculty
Staff and other personnel
Education and Research
Supplies expenses
Utilities
Student stipends
Study tours
Agricultural training costs
Travel: domestic for students
Travel: intl students
Course materials
Research
Dormitory expenses
MedicalStaff training
Oﬃce supplies
Membership fees
Alumni association support
Project expenses
Special lectures
Vehicle expenses
Administration
Oﬃce supplies
Utilities
Transporation for staff
Fund raising
Vehicle fuelWelfare expenses
Communication
General and administrative
Publications
Vehicle maintenance
General maintenanceInsurance
Rental expenses
Taxed & public dues
Membership fees
Conferences
Commission fees
Cost for income generation
activities
Special events
Public relations
Miscellaneous expenses
Depreciation allowance
Total Educational Activities

735,232
179,040
556,192
196,235
1,761
17,502
31,765
18,23349,604857
30,159
2,060
3,500
1,355
5,365
5,455
4,272
654
556
1,334
9,908
11,895
627,623
1,731
17,502
10,594
28,163
9,706
465
6,394
41,016
5,130
15,948
8,635
8,705
8,732
9,228
1,211
4,037
15,37552,837
703
364
2,206
378,981
1,559,130

Auditors’ Statement
The above duly audited ﬁnancial statements
have been prepared by the Fujinuma Tax andAccounting Service, Inc, and approved by the
ARI auditors, Mr. Ôkubo and Mr. Murata.
All the documents were properly kept andthere were no irregularities.
May 10, 2018
Auditor: Tomohiro Ôkubo

(1) Tuition are borne only by Japanese Participants(2) Includes general donation received from AFARI and through AFARI facilitation.
(3) Revenues derived from organizing seminars and sales of farm products and folk-art crafts.
(4) For details, see the right side.
(5) Does not include salaries paid by other church organizations for two staff member.

23

Auditor: Sakae Murata

Major Farm Yield 2017
'JTI
LH

Goat Milk638.6ℓChickens
488 kg / 244 heads
Eggs
105,017 pcs.

Onions
578.8 kgtaro
68.4 kg

Garlic35 kg
Carrots
520.5 kg
including the amount for juice

Sweet Potatoes
840.2 kg

Pigs
37 heads

Potatoes
1,483.8 kg

Rice9,075 kg

Wheat
3,000 kg
including amount for soysauce
and cookies

includes amount for sales

Soybeans
1,802 kg
including amount for soysauceBlack Beans
222.9 kg(continued from Finances)

Income by category
Total US$ 1,211,486
Scholarship & Fees
$ 258,707

Grants for special projects$ 61,309

Donations$ 548,859

Misc. revenue$ 75,390
Sales & special services$ 263,605

Interests & dividends$ 194

Fees for issuing certiﬁcate$ 193

Consumption expenditure by category

Interest paid on debt &Exchange loss
$ 21,268

Total US$ 1,584,132
Personnel$ 735,232

Gain from sale of assets$ 3,328

Educ. & Research$ 196,235

24

General & Administrative (incl.depriciation allowance)$ 627,663 (incl. $ 378,981)

Loss from saleof assets$ 3,734

The 2017 Community
Staff
Full Time
Tomoko Arakawa
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Osamu Arakawa
Kaori Sakuma-Vero
Kathy Froede
Ayumi Kikuchi
Masanobu Sakurai
Takashi Ôtani
Gilbert Hoggang
Zacivolu Rhakho Dozo
Micah Anderson
Jonathan McCurley
Bernard Timothy Appau
Hiromi SatôTakashi Yamashita
Jun Yagizawa

Volunteers

Honorary President and FounderRev. Dr. Toshihiro Takami

Director
Associate Director, Curriculum Coordinator
Associate Director, Education Director, Farm Manager
General Manager
Ecumenical Relations
Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Liaison, Donations)
Foodlife (Crops & Vegetables)
Foodlife (Livestock)
Foodlife (Livestock)
Foodlife (Meal Service), Ecumenical Relations
Curriculum (Admissions & Graduate Outreach)
Curriculum (Chaplain, Community Life)
Curriculum (Chaplain, Community Life), Foodlife (Livestock)
Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Sales, General Affairs, PR)
Fundraising, Domestic Programs (External Programs &Nasu Seminar House Manager)
Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Liaison, Donations, PR,
Supporters)

Part Time
Mitsue Kimijima
Kôki Arai
Junko Tanaka
Manami Kobayashi
Annie Jane Lagawan
Masayo Fukushima
Vero Ruyipa
Satomi McCurley

General Affairs (Accounting)General Affairs
Curriculum (Library)
Foodlife (Meal Service)
Foodlife (Meal Service)
Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Food Processing)Fundraising, Domestic Programs (Nasu Seminar House) (June- Dec)
Curriculum (Community Life) (from June)

Contract
Thomas Itsuo Fujishima
Steven Cutting

Fundraising, Domestic Programs (PR)
Education (Graduate Outreach) (Jan- Mar)

Board

Pastor of UCCJ Aikawa Mission (from 22 July)

Vice Chair
Hôichi Endô

Former staff of the Asian Rural Institute

Masahiko Yamane
Auditors
Tomohiro Ôkubo
Sakae Murata

Fujii Industries Inc., Operating Oﬃcer
Nasu Y’s Mens Club

Rev. Yoshiya Ushiroku
Rev. Eiji Yahagi

Wil Merchant
Avery Buie
Oakley Neel
Stephen Miller
Julia Stauch
Mara Weiler
Lukas Wagner
Roberto Júnior Costa
Manosi Abe Chatterjee
Mariya Kanno
Shunta Seki
Mayuko Sugita
Harune Tanaka
Kiyoshi Sagae

Osamu Arakawa
Tomoko Arakawa
Shinobu Awaya
Rev. Ban HyungWook
Rev. Chun Sang Hyun

(until 22 June)

Director, Asian Rural InstituteNasu Tomo no Kai (until 31 May)Special Advisor and Senior Fellow,
The Japan Research Institute, Ltd
Priest, Tokyo St. Timothy Church (until 21 July)
Representative Director, Wesley Foundation (from 22 July)
PR, Hotel Sunvalley
Former Board Chair & Former Director of the Asian
Rural InstitutePastor, UCCJ Reinanzaka Church (from 1 June)
Pastor, NSKK Shimodate Anglican-Episcopal
Church (from 25 November)
Board member, Kagawa Nutrition University

Rev. Hiroto Kayama
Rev. Hikari Kokai Chang
Noriaki Sato
Dr. Koa Tasaka

Long-Term on Campus
Rey Oliver Fabros

Kyôko Takamura
Ichirô Sahara
Takako Sakairi
Masuo Shimizu
Eiji Ueda

ARI Becquerel Center
Volunteers
Mineki Nishikawa
Yukio Takashima
Takashi Akutsu
Shôhei Fujimoto
Takayuki Hayasaka

Admissions, Graduate Outreach
Ecumenical Relations,
Meal Service
Meal Service
Ecumenical Relations, Farm
Ecumenical Relations
Admissions
Farm
Meal Service, Farm
Farm
Admissions
Public Relations
Farm
Meal Service, Farm
Nasu Seminar House
Meal Service

Board of Councillors

Board Chair
Rev. Kenichi ÔtsuRev. Masaoki Hoshino

Board of Directors
Tomoko Arakawa
Junko Iinuma
Hideharu Kadowaki

Commuting Volunteers
Tadashi Aizawa
Kazuko Fujimoto
Takashi Fushimi
Ayako Hayashida
Chihiro Higashi
Takashi Hirayama
Norie Horiuchi
Tadashi Itô
Takako Iwaide
Shigeaki Kashiwaya
Takashi Miyake
Junko Nishino
Jin Onozaki
Satoshi TakagiRev. Hikari Kokai Chang
Hôichi Endô
Mitsuo Fukumoto
Rev. Masaoki Hoshino
Hideharu Kadowaki
Rev. Isao Kikuchi
Kôshi ItôKiyoshi Nagashima
Yoshiyuki Nagata
Yukiko Ôyanagi
Sarajean Rossitto
Kaori Sakuma
Takeshi Shimizu
Kazue Yamaguchi
Masahiko Yamane
Michiru Yoneda

25

Staff, Asian Rural Institute
Director, Asian Rural Institute
Lawyer, Mizuno Yasutaka Law Oﬃce
Pastor, UCCJ Nishinasuno Church
Pastor, The Korean Christian Church in Japan,
Sapporo Church
Representative Director, Wesley Foundation
Former staff of the Asian Rural InstitutePrincipal, Nishinasuno Kindergarten
Pastor of UCCJ Aikawa Mission
Special Advisor and Senior Fellow,
The Japan Research Institute, Ltd
Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo
Parish Priest, Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigata
Former staff of the Asian Rural Institute
Professor, University of the Sacred Heart
Staff, Asian Rural Institute
NGO/NPO Consultant
Staff, Asian Rural InstituteChurch Elder, Tokyo Union Church
National Tomo no Kai, Head Quarters
Board member, Kagawa Nutrition University
Superior General, The Sisters of the Visitation

The Graduates of 2017
20

5

7

8
1

10
16

13

22

9

17

23

6

14

18

4
15

2

11

3

12
19

Rural Leaders Training Course
BANGLADESHCAMEROONEAST TIMOR
GHANA
INDIA

INDONESIAJAPANLIBERIA
MYANMARPHILIPPINESSOUTH AFRICATHAILANDZIMBABWE

21

Advanced Training Course

1) Ruman BaruaRissho Kosei-kai Bangladesh
2) U Thoai Nu MarmaRissho Kosei-kai Bangladesh3) Agem Vivian AnwiHands of Development International
4) Epie Dareen Ntube Rural Youth Leadership and Sustainable Development
5) Aketinimoh Austen YivenMulti-Green Investment-Common Initiative Group
6) Nelly Shella Tchaptcheut YongaRural Women Development Center7) Rui Sarmento AraujoSacred Heart Institute for Transformation
8) Augustus Sena LetsukumaEvangelical Presbyterian Development andRelief Agency9) Asha Kenchammanahoskote JayappaCoorg Organisation for Rural
Development
10) Willington MungreiSelf Help Initiative Development Organization,
Runrei Area
11) Vinsensia DasiSt. Therese Mbata Parish Church
12) Ridwan Agustinus SamosirPETRASA Foundation
13) Chigira Hasumi14) Makiko Takei
15) Jenneh Korlison Community Women Empowerment Organization
16) SamuelKhawnum'zung Rural Development Organization17) Hrie MauMara Evangelical Church - Service and Development Department
18) Frida Domingo LabanAETA Children's Home19) Emelinda Cuyang Ongcal Christians Meeting in Gospel Hall, Inc.
20) Duduzile Princess NkabindeJapan International Volunteer Center /South Africa Oﬃce21) Thanarat RinnasakOriginal Liberty Mission Foundation
22) Tafadzwa Dorothy MukondwaHeather Chimhoga Orphan CareCAMEROON
23) Oscar Nkweche Fortsin(2006 Graduate)

That We May Live Together

442-1 Tsukinokizawa, Nasushiobara,
Tochigi, 329-2703 JAPAN

TEL
FAX

+81-287-36-3111+81-287-37-5833

EMAIL
FACEBOOK

info@ari-edu.org
Asian Rural Institute