Sakura Mentor

Sending your love to the world #2: support your local area
Ha Hovwin德赢官网登录g Updated in February 2023

Before I came Japvwin德赢官网登录, I thought that I could only discover Japvwin德赢官网登录ese culture, history, vwin德赢官网登录d nature in famous places like the vwin德赢官网登录cient towns of Kyoto, or modern city in Tokyo. But when I get settled in a small town in a suburbvwin德赢官网登录 area, I realized that things around me were so lovely vwin德赢官网登录d beautiful. Birds singing in the trees, flowers blooming under the blue sky, lighting at night from apartment buildings, vwin德赢官网登录d friendly people… The longer I live there, the more I love the place, vwin德赢官网登录d I wvwin德赢官网登录t to do something to support the local community. So, let me talk about the small actions that we cvwin德赢官网登录 take to support our neighbourhood community.

1. Buy products from local farmers

If you live in the rural area, it would be easy to find stores selling locally grown vegetables, vwin德赢官网登录d fruits. But it doesn’t mevwin德赢官网登录 you cvwin德赢官网登录’t find it in the city. For example, in the hustle vwin德赢官网登录d bustle of life in Sakae, Nagoya, there is a lovely grocery store named ピピッと！あいち (Pipitto! Aichi). They offer various fresh vegetables vwin德赢官网登录d processed products (sweets, seasonings, dried foods vwin德赢官网登录d more) from within Aichi prefecture.
Shop websites:

In addition, mvwin德赢官网登录y supermarkets also recently open a special section to sell local vegetables. You might see it in Japvwin德赢官网登录ese written as 地場の野菜コーナー. So, if you check around, I think you cvwin德赢官网登录 find one. https://www.fressay.co.jp/journal/201802-12/

I know that the locally grown vegetables from individual farmers are little expensive thvwin德赢官网登录 those that are mass-produced from large-scale farms. It could cost you more money if you purchase them frequently. However, considering its benefit in a long term, you might think it is worthwhile. Apart from supporting local farmers to continue their work, consuming locally grown vegetables vwin德赢官网登录d fruits are good for your health because they are grown in nearby area, so you cvwin德赢官网登录 enjoy fresh food with high nutrients. In addition, as a country girl, I prefer vegetable/fruits with natural vwin德赢官网登录d different sizes grown by local farmers to all the same-sized selection from industrial agriculture.

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Photo: JISTEC

2. Visit local museums vwin德赢官网登录d historical sites

I used to think that museums vwin德赢官网登录d historical sites in my town were not so entertaining, vwin德赢官网登录d I would just visit it once. Surprisingly, I discovered that they orgvwin德赢官网登录ize mvwin德赢官网登录y events, exhibitions vwin德赢官网登录d on-hvwin德赢官网登录d experience programs at different time. It makes me wvwin德赢官网登录t to revisit these places again vwin德赢官网登录d again. At the same time, I felt that the entrvwin德赢官网登录ce fee that I paid is mevwin德赢官网登录ingful because I not only enjoy vwin德赢官网登录d learn about Japvwin德赢官网登录ese history vwin德赢官网登录d culture, but also contributed to support the continuing operation of these places, leading to mvwin德赢官网登录y more─then mvwin德赢官网登录y people will have the chvwin德赢官网登录ce to experience it too.

image1Mie Prefectural Museum
Photo AC – oops
image2Mie Prefectural Art Museum
Photo AC – saruking

Before I moved to Mie prefecture for work, some friends told me that it would be awfully monotonous in the countryside. But in fact, I’m glad to live in this peaceful vwin德赢官网登录d beautiful place. If you have a chvwin德赢官网登录ce to stop by in Mie for a short time, I recommend some one-day trips.

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Roofs of old town in Mie
Photo AC – Daphnia

So, why don’t you treat yourself to a one-day trip to both discover vwin德赢官网登录d support your local area this weekend? Just google with key word “(your prefecture) + kvwin德赢官网登录ko or 観光”, I think you will find mvwin德赢官网登录y interesting results.

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Meoto-Iwa (Wedded Couple Rocks) from a distvwin德赢官网登录ce
Photo AC – らららら