Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture
There is an entrepreneur who moved to a depopulated village.
He is only 30 years old.
Having started a business in IT, he is now aiming to create the most prosperous town in Japan.
Since our mentor-mentee relationship, which began last July, was coming to an end in June, I visited the small town where he lives.
Minato-machi is located on the opposite side from Inawashiro Station.
It is a place where you can see Lake Inawashiro and Mount Bandai at the same time.
Since the sunrise is said to be magnificent, we decided to have our final mentor-mentee session while camping on the shores of Lake Inawashiro.
He took care of everything, including booking the campsite and renting the tent.
All that was left was to buy the barbecue ingredients.
We went to the supermarket to buy the necessary ingredients and drinks, then headed to the campsite.
The clock had already passed 6:00 PM.
Perhaps because it was the rainy season, there was only one other group at the campsite besides us.
We immediately started setting up the tent.
The tent we rented was a huge size for 10 people.
Neither of us is used to camping.
Even looking at the manual, it didn't look like a normal tent, and we couldn't visualize how to set it up. We struggled and were drenched in sweat while setting it up.
Perhaps seeing us like that, the campsite owner kindly offered to help.
With the owner's help, we managed to finish before sunset.
From there, we started preparing for the barbecue.
We tried to light the fire, but we didn't have any fire starter.
We used disposable chopsticks as a substitute, but the charcoal wouldn't catch fire easily.
Since we didn't have insect repellent or trash bags, while he went to get the missing items, I was left to start the fire.
I used a piece of cardboard as a fan to get the fire going.
It took about 30 minutes, but I finally got the fire ready.
When he returned, we toasted to our hard work over the past year.
I think this past year has been truly difficult for him.
Key people in his business left, and there were rumors spreading without any real cause.
He must have spent a lot of time worrying and suffering alone.
Being able to walk alongside him through such a difficult time, both professionally and personally, was a good experience for me as well.
When I was 30, I once thought it would be nice to have a senior entrepreneur nearby to help me when I was in trouble.
At that time, I didn't have money or connections with people above me, so it didn't happen, but after 20 years, I feel happy that I might have become that kind of person for someone else.
While chatting with him around the bonfire, I suddenly realized something.
Why am I not feeling irritated at all?
The tent setup and the barbecue preparations were by no means well-planned.
But my heart remained calm.
It might be because I like him, but that's not all.
It's mysterious...
Stars are shining in the sky.
There aren't many places this close to Tokyo where you can see the stars so clearly.
Perhaps it's because we are surrounded by forests and lakes, a little away from the city lights and the attention of others.
We went into the tent around 11:00 PM and waited for the sunrise.
After a few bouts of light sleep, I woke up with the first light of dawn.
Looking at the clock, it was just past 4:00 AM.
The sun hadn't risen yet.
I sat on the camping chair I had set up by the lake and decided to wait for the sun to appear.
Thirty minutes later, the sun peeked out from a small mountain beyond the lake.
Soft light enveloped the surroundings.
Thanks to the thin clouds, the sun looked like the moon.
I didn't feel any glare. My heart was calm.
I felt that I was truly in this moment.
Watching the sun peeking through the clouds and the sun reflected on the lake, I realized something.
There is no 'noise' here.
It doesn't mean it's silent.
The chirping of birds, the sound of the wind, the murmuring of the lake waves, the sound of passing cars, the sound of insects...
Those natural sounds flow without causing stress.
A sense of security that people, nature, and living things are all close by.
But none of them are sounds that disturb the heart.
We are surrounded by so many sounds.
We cannot escape from them.
That is why I think our spirits are being worn down little by little.
No matter how much we rest or go to wonderful resorts, perhaps the reason our hearts don't find peace is that we are not freed from the noise.
Minato-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
He is trying to create the most prosperous village in Japan, one that the world can be proud of, under the theme of "MIZUOTO" (Sound of Water) here.
It is called "Minato" (Port) because it plays the water.
A world without noise was just over two hours away from Tokyo.
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Thank you for reading until the end.
He took a shot of me looking at the sunrise.