Early-Morning Agriculture Course Gaining Popularity Among Office Workers

Copyright Marunouchi Morning University Planning Board

An adult school "Marunouchi Morning University" was launched in April 2009 in Marunouchi, the area near Tokyo Station and the business center of Tokyo. The school is organized by the Marunouchi Morning University Planning Board, consisting of NPOs, a general incorporated association and some other entities. Among the many courses offered, the agriculture class has become one of the most popular. The classes start in the early morning at 7:30, and many of the participants are young office workers who attend before going to work.

Yusuke Miyaji, an instructor in the agriculture course and the head of "Farmers' Heirs Network," which supports potential farmers and the revival of old farmland, is a hog farmer who works hard to transform Japanese primary industries, including agriculture, into "cool, inspiring and lucrative" industries. The subject of the course in the first term, running from April to June 2009, was "agriculture underlies the basis of food." In addition to hearing lectures from young farmers including Mr. Miyaji, the participants took part in rice planting as well.

The participants were around 30 men and women in their 20s to 40s, working in various industries including finance, chemicals, advertising and food. Their motives for participation were, "I want to know the current situation of agriculture," "I am interested in food and want to contribute to improving Japan's low food self-sufficiency ratio," "I want to make good use of my parents' farm" and so on. They also gave feedback about the course such as "I realized the reality farmers confront and saw the possibility of a new style of agriculture as well," and "I had a valuable experience in farming and remembered something forgotten by stepping into the mud."

Yuki Udagawa, a spokesperson for the school, said that the class was early in the morning, however, there were remarkably few absences and attention to agriculture was beyond their expectation. He also mentioned that they were planning to offer the agriculture course regularly in the future.

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Posted: 2009/08/11 06:00:15 AM