Ezura Akito Born in 1979, from Hokkaido. Transferred to the whole country with a transfer (non-farmer), and went to Tokyo on the occasion of university entry. After graduation, he joined a human resources and education listed company as a planning sales person. Concurrent work in management work. Involved in new farming in 2009, moved to Hokkaido. After three years of training, she became independent as "Ezura Farm" at Shiraki Taki, Ongakucho, Okhotsk region. They are working on upland farming such as "Hakutaki-Jaga", direct sales on the Internet, farmer's and guest houses, living and receiving farming experience and company training, and spreading activities of Himmeli.
There are things that can only be done because of Okhotsk and a depopulated area of 700 people
It has been eight years since Akihito Emen, who is from Hokkaido, moved from Tokyo to Shirakaki, Ongakucho, Monbetsu-gun. It is said that Mr. Hayato who worked at a staffing agency and Ms. Yoko who was doing product planning at a major food and cosmetics company moved (!) The day after the ceremony. I challenged new farming, and I heard about the attractiveness and recommendations of Okhotsk from a prisoner who also works on farmer and guest houses now.
Aim for agriculture and migrate on the day after the wedding
Why did you decide to come back to Hokkaido?
I spent in Hokkaido until high school students and went to Tokyo to go to university. I wanted to return to Hokkaido someday, and I liked moving and spending time in nature. When I was working in Tokyo I left home before 7 o'clock and worked until the date changed. My job was fulfilling, but I was thinking that I would like to spend time in Tokyo as it is in an environment closer to my family or if I was thinking of a special life plan, I felt the attractiveness and possibility of agriculture in Hokkaido and moved I decided to
-What happened to you since you moved?
I married my wife in 2009 and came back to Hokkaido the same year, but when I consulted for migration, my wife had almost never been to Hokkaido. However, my wife agreed well, and two people moved to Hokkaido the day after the wedding. After receiving a two-year training course at Shirataki, where the current workplace is for one year in Kitami City, "Ezura Farm" started.
― Aren't there many parts that you struggled in inexperienced fields?
There is a part that was hard to use the body than the work so far, but after returning to Hokkaido than that, it is possible to return while it is bright, to go to a hot spring or shopping after work, to spend time with family I was very happy that the It was not only heat, but it was fresh and very pleasant to move the body and sweat.
350 farmer people's night in a depopulated area with a population of 700
What kind of discovery did you try to start farming?
At first I thought that it was all about moving my body all day, but I was surprised that there are many parts that rely on machines. Also, in agriculture, it is very important to judge the situation around it by repeating trial and error. You have to think about how you can achieve efficiently towards your goal. I think that this may be applied to human resource development from my previous job experience, and now I am also accepting company training.
-What are you currently doing?
In addition to upland farming, the company training, farmer's bed and breakfast, and living volunteers are accepted. The farmhouse guest house receives about 350 people a year, and it is increasing year by year so as not to stay overnight. Of these, 30% are foreigners. Corporate training has also received great satisfaction, such as changes in working attitudes and improvement of teamwork.
-What do you want to do from now on?
I will continue to create a place where I can convey the charm, the joy of living in the region, and the richness without being bound by the fixed concept of agriculture. I think that it should be a chance to get people who have been less involved with agriculture to know through live-in volunteers and farmers' lodgings.
-Can you tell us about the charm of living in Okhotsk?
It is a very good environment to see the growth of children. At first glance it is a wilderness, but when raising a child in such an environment, it is possible to find out how the child finds something out of the wilderness, and how it grows up in response to that stimulus. The options are limited in many ways, but there are many things that are only here, so it's fun to think about how you can live richly with them. This area is high in altitude, so it is called the limit of upland farming, and there are not many conditions for farming such as many rocks. Declining population and declining birthrate and aging are progressing year by year. But I think there is a chance just because it is such a place. I think Okhotsk is an area that is not yet well known, so I should be able to do anything in the future. It would be good if each region would make use of their respective characteristics. I think it is from now on.