2.   Where are the Kyodogakusha groups located and what do we do?

 All Kyodogakusha houses are located in villages in the
countryside.  We are mainly engaged in agriculture and handicraft.
 
 We believe that it is best to live close to nature
in order to seek better living possibilities and to experience
the joys and the hardships of life.

 There are four locations in Japan:Two in Nagano;two in Hokkaido.

Shinshu(Nagano)Kyodogakusha
 
    This was starated in August,1973 at Otari village in
the northwest part of Nagano Prefecture. It is one  hour from
the Japan Sea and is located along the Hime River.The building 
are spread into three places. The main building is in

Tateya hamlet,which is situated 850 meters above sea level.
The Bakery is in Chikuni hamlet,and the third is in Maki
hamlet,900meters above sea level. where all former residents
have emigrated.

 Our goal is to be self-reliant. We thus try to produce
food we need by ourselves in the first places. We grow rice,
vegetables,mushrooms,flowers,and raise silkworms,cattle,
pigs,goats and chicken. We also produce bread,cakes and
miso.  Almost all food other than marine products are somehow
produced by ourselves. Planting cedar trees at Maki hamlet
is also an important job.

 Hokkaido Neiraku Farm

  This farm was started in June,1977 at Neiraku in Obira machi
in Rumoi-gun. It is a 34 hectale hill-land in the middle of a rice
paddy region about 15Kms east from the Japan Sea and west of 
Asahikawa.

 This land had never before been utilized by other people,but
the member are opening the land so that they can
grow vegetables and raise liverstocks such as pigs,sheep,
goats and chicken, as well as to plant trees and bread fish.
  Handspun yarn is also sent to other Kyodogakusha houses
as material for weaving and knitting.

Hokkaido Shintoku Farm

 The Shintoku Farm is situated between the Daisetsu
mountain range and the Hidaka mountain range,and west of
Obihiro(about one hour) and near Karikachi Pass. 
 The 45 hectare slope of Mt.Gyunyu, on the outskirts of 
Shintoku machi, is being used mainly for raising cattle and small
animals,  Ham,bacon,butter and cheese are also produced here.

 We sell vegetables produced here directly to customers,
cooperating with the farmers in town who do not use pesticides 
nor chemical fertilizers.

 The winter in Shinshu,Nagano and Hokkaido is long.
There are five month's time when outdor work cannot be done.
During thi season, as well as from spring to autumn,and  in
case of bad climate,the members are engaged in weaving,
knitting,embroidery,making corn dolls and woodwork.

 In addition to agriculture and handicraft,building
houses and construction work are other important jobs at
Kyodogakusha. There is always something that everybody can
take part in these works and everybody has to  cooperate
with each other.  We build our own lodgings and other necessary
buildings by ouraselves .   Furthermore,we manage our own
water supply and sewage works, construct small dams and
bridges when necessary.   We try to produce and build as much
as we can in order to learn the fundamental principles of
independence.

 We value agriculture not only because it is a necessary
means for acquiring self-reliance but also because it offers
us opportunities to come in touch with nature that has not
been contaminated by artificial means.  Agriculture today
always holds in one hand the danger of destroying nature,
but we try to seek a way in which all creatures,plants
and animals including human beings,can continue to live by
cooperating and sharing with each other.

 We ,therefore,think that there is no other human profession
like agriculture that requires so much wisdom and that
it is the most essential profession for human education.

  As started above,the life at Kyodogakusha is based
on productive labor work. Our classrooms are the respective 
places of works in the villages where the young peaople are 
drifting away towords the city.

  3.  Who operates  Kyodogakusha (English)