Continuing the Journey of the "Island of Fortune" 2

~May the help you need reach you~

There are tiny, invisible, yet existing "microorganisms" on this earth.
How do we interact with their tiny existence?

Through the experience of Covid-19, we are living in an era where we have learned that we coexist with viruses and bacteria.

For example, there are farmers who have revived their land from radioactive contamination and salt damage.
The concerto that helps with that revival is undoubtedly played by "microorganisms" and us humans.

My encounter with EM (Effective Microorganisms) began with an interview withSuzuki Organic Farm before the earthquake. Mr. Suzuki tasted the soil and said, "You can tell if the soil is healthy by tasting it."

Laughing, Mr. Suzuki says, "We use the expression 'we are growing plants,' but there is no way humans can actually grow them. We only prepare the environment for plants to grow and provide a little help." He checks the soil where the plants he loves like his own children grow, and together with his family, he works hard to create an environment that brings joy to the vegetables and the people who eat them.

Agriculture is an industry that protects health—Mr. Suzuki's efforts, as he puts it, are spreading along with the local children. The vitality of the rice and vegetables from Suzuki Organic Farm can be sensed in the aroma when the rice is cooked.

I will never forget how moved I was by the vitality of plants and their power to revive despite salt damage.

A documentary film about these tiny beings called EM (Effective Microorganisms) can be viewed atOFFICE TETSU SHIRATORI Earth Revival Project. The potential of microorganisms, such as in miso and fermented foods, is infinite.

The food we eat daily is closely connected to our gut bacteria and the microorganisms on this earth.

Health of gut bacteria = Health of us humans
Health of soil = Health of the Earth

Such a simple equation.
Prepare the environment and surrender.
Perhaps there is nothing difficult about it.

Perhaps "microorganisms," which prepare the environment of this Earth and govern all of our life and death, are teaching us exactly that.

Regarding EM, please look into the smiles and achievements of Professor Teruo Higa.
Its effectiveness in natural farming and environmental pollution is recognized in Thailand, India, and South Korea, and it is spreading in Japan as well.

In my own hometown (Komae, Tokyo), I met farmers and friends who are working on "Kin-chan Farms," which make the most of bacteria. For me, this is a connection I would never have made if not for my experience 12 years ago.

With gratitude to all life, including the microorganisms that cannot be seen.

I think that through the theme of integrating life and death, we might be beings who are receiving both the past and the future.