| Ｔakeshi Hatano and Shiniti Tuji Interview(Sotokoto magazine 2006.6) |
 In the towns of Oguni and South Oguni, located at the foot of Mt.Aso, there is a place where people are trying to live a ‘slow lifestyle’. This place, TAO, is an alternative tutoring school, as well as an organic farm. The central person of TAO is Mr. Takeshi Hatano. I had been thinking that he named it after Taoism and I, therefore, asked him about the name. He answered ‘it used to be true…’ and smiled with radiance. He then started talking. Every time he was asked what the abbreviation TAO means, he always responded, ‘what do you think?’
‘I have gotten lots of funny answers. One day, I asked my student, who did not attend regular school, and he answered with confidence, ‘T is for Tanosiku (joy), A is for Akaruku (bright), and O is for Omosiroku (fun).’ I thought it was true. I was moved. After that, I adopted it. ‘Tanosiku, Akaruku, Omosiroku.’’ Indeed, it, actually, is the essence of Taoism.
To encounter a cool adult:
Tsuji: First of all, one of your activities is teaching at TAO school.
Hatano: Yes, we teach reading and writing in both Japanese and English, math, piano and calligraphy. In addition, we give some special lectures, such as lectures on professions and foreign countries. Lectures from professionals are what I want to give most. I would like to create a place where children can meet adults who have succeeded in realizing their dreams. I think it is very important for children to know adults whom they want to emulate.
T : Some of your students choose to go to university and others choose to go in different directions.
H : Yes, for example, a student went to Germany to train to be a bread baker. He has been interested in the environment. When he met a soba maker he thought, ‘that’s cool. I can be a craftsman like him.’ He then met a German man through one of TAO’s international lectures. As a result of both of these events, he decided to go to Germany to be a bread baker rather than go to university.
T : Your other activity is TAO organic farm. Why did you begin farming?
H : Ten years ago, when I came back to my birthplace, Oguni, I wanted to do work for health and education. In order to realize my ideal of education and health, I wanted the base of my work to be an agricultural lifestyle. Therefore, I wanted to start my own farm. Three years ago, I finally got property, in Minami Oguni, for agricultural purposes. I have a little bit less than two acres of land. This land is comprised of rice fields, vegetables fields, and an orchard. According to some researcher, tt was home to ancient civilizations. We can see one of the big stones in Japan, which has heliographic inscriptions, on the top of Mt. Oshitonoshi.
T: I was so moved to see the enzyme bath you created using sawdust. TAO is becoming a healing place.
Trip through medicine, food, and agriculture:
T: You came back to your birthplace.
H: I was born here and I grew up here. I was a wild child. But, when I was a junior high school student, I began to dislike the name of my town, Oguni. In those days, in Japan, most people thought ‘bigger is better.’ I yearned for the big city.
T: In those days, the children and young people who lived in rural places felt they had no choice but to leave the countryside. Please talk more about your childhood.
H: Around us, most people were farmers. My parents were the only government employees in town. But, even my house had a composting toilet. We had a vegetable field near our house where the poop went; it was a closed loop cycle. I didn’t even need tissues for the toilet. My intestine was so good because our diet was simple. Then our diet changed little by little. When I was a child there were only vegetables. But by the time I was in high school, the amount of meat we ate increased and we began to eat instant ramen noodles and cup noodles. I didn’t know the value of my birthplace. But they say, after we leave the town, we realized the value of it, for the first time. In my case, that was true.
T: But, many people don’t realize that. In your case, what was your turning point?
H: After I graduated from university in Tokyo, I worked for the private school, Gakuikujyuku, in Nagano prefecture, that Mr. Toshio Hotta founded. This was my turning point. According to his philosophy, we cannot educate people. Originally, children studied spontaneously and grew up by themselves. He always told everyone, ‘the curiosity which you have now is the most precious thing.’ Until then I was the sportsman type; I didn’t like to read. But, while I was in Nagano, when I was near Mr. Hotta my intellectual curiosity sparked and I gained the desire to read books.
T: TAO school is based on that learning style, isn’t it?
H: On the other hand, my college-aged friends who belonged to the same circle, wanted to practice agriculture with me in Nagano. We decided to borrow a rice field. Within this circle, we often discussed social problems, for example education, medicine, and the environment. We always reached the same conclusion ? an agricultural lifestyle.
T: I remember hippies saying the phrase, ‘come back to nature.’
H: If I planted rice, many people gathered. One of the participants practiced alternative and Oriental medicine. Due to the influence of that person, I became interested in that field. Finally, I decided to go back to Tokyo in order to enter acupuncture school. Usually, if they want to study more after graduating from acupuncture school, students go to China. But, in my case, I was interested in food as medicine. Macrobiotics is popular in the United States; therefore, I decided to go to the United States. I studied in Massachusetts under Michio Kushi.
Small and slow: My birthplace
T: Japanese often follow the Western style, throwing away their tradition. However, overseas, Japanese tradition is often incorporated into Western cultures. A good example is the macrobiotic diet of brown rice and vegetables. Anyway, you have great curiosity and action.
H: At the end of my stay at the Kushi Institue, Michio Kushi gave me a good evaluation and said, ‘you study and work earnestly. Why don’t you work under me?’ I was honored, but before that I really wanted to see Europe. Therefore, I backpacked around Europe. When I was in Spain, received a vision. It was of the earth in the monitor of a PC. I click on the earth and Asia appeared. I then clicked Asia and Japan appeared. I clicked on Japan and Aso appeared. My intuition was that there was going to be an Asian age, as well as a Japanese age and a Kyushu age. I began to think this was my mission. I left my birthplace and I wanted to live in other places for a long time. But, finally, I realized that my birthplace, Aso, is an interesting place. Now, I want to play in Aso.
T: When you were a child you disliked the name of your birthplace, Oguni. How do you feel about it now?
H: Now, I think it is cool. I am proud of my birthplace, which is small, slow, and simple.
T: I think, originally, human beings lived a small, slow, and simple existence. When we don’t deny that, when we accept that, human beings will shine. If we accept that as human beings, our good sides reveal. My last question, what are your thoughts on the future of TAO? Please share them with me.
H: In brief, my image is creating the model of ancient futures. But, we will not follow a spelled out plan instead we will be guided by our interactions with others. We want to cherish the everyday coincidences that occur. I want to enjoy that.
T: Now, the number of young people who are consciously dropping out of mainstream society and choosing alternative paths is increasing. TAO could be a great place for them to practice creating a lifestyle based on agriculture.
H: I don’t want to be a specialist of agriculture. I hope they find agriculture to be enjoyable. But, of course, agriculture is tough work. While we are farming we adopt relaxation methods such as Oriental massage. After work, we exchange massages. If someone does not want to work, I ask them to play music. Music is beneficial for the rice. A long time ago, farmers enjoyed music while working. Chinese medicine says food as medicine, but we think medicine, food, and agriculture all come from the same source. The foundation of medicine and health are food. The foundation of food is agriculture. We at TAO, embody this theory.
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TAO communications
869-2501
908-4,Miyahara,Oguni-machi,Aso-gun,Kumamoto,Japan
TEL/FAX:0967-46-3913
E-mail:info@taocomm.net
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