Nara Farm Project
TOYOUKE NO MORI
Life at Toyouke no Mori is anchored in the Japanese tradition of a shared community life based on simplicity, sustainability and harmony. We offer visitors an opportunity to experience life in a natural settling that celebrates the rich four seasons of Japan, and to cultivate an inner peace, being content with what you have, and rejoicing in the way things are.
As they were beginning the project:
” YAMABE NO MICHI mountainside path, where ancient people walked, is located in a beautiful green hill on the eastern side of the Nara Valley. Along this path, many ancient tombs exist. In the vicinity of TOYOUKE NO MORI, there are many places with deep connections to Japanese feminine cultures and traditions.
In Nara, at a birthplace of Japanese ancient culture, our group of women will inherit and pass on the natural farming principles and philosophies that our ancestors have kept alive.
Through farming and eating, we receive and appreciate the blessings from the heavens and the earth and become one with our Mother Earth who cherishes all forms of life.
Moving away from city life and getting immersed in countryside living on a farm, we can transform ourselves from material-based values and live a simple and truly rich life.
The TOYOUKE NO MORI project aims to cultivate a community where people feel their hearts and are connected with the sensibility of beauty. In this community, individuals can create and realize their dreams and a life of abundance. The internet allows us to access the world from anywhere and makes it possible to live locally with a global perspective. We are now entering the era of economy based on the sun’s energy to co-exist with nature by harnessing the blessings of the sun, wind, water, and the earth. Networking world wide, we will create a space for keeping and spreading the traditions of Japan’s beautiful culture while learning and exchanging practices for living humbly in harmony with nature with other cultures.
A symbol of TOYOUKE NO MORI captures the image of a dogu (a clay female figure made during the prehistoric Jomon period). Written within the dogu are the characters 豊受 (Toyouke), which means “receiving abundance.” These characters represent the spirit of rice, and have been handed down for over 2,000 years as a symbol for life in Japan.”
TOYOUKE NO MORI: Our Three Pillars
- Sense of oneness to all living things
- Mindfulness and an importance of daily life
- A network of friends around the world with whom to share the traditions of Japan and to learn from each other
TOYOUKE NO MORI: Our Offerings
- Edible education
- Farm
- Lodging
- Eco-tourism/Pilgrimage
- Restaurant