February 24 was a beautiful sunny day, and we had a 20 kilometer day tour sponsored by Kamogawa Wellness Sports. This tour was not only riding through the farms – what we call a “Satoyama” – but also experiencing and learning about the local culture. First, we visited Tamura strawberry farm and listened to Mr. Tamura, who told us how his farm was impacted by the typhoon last year and the recent COVID-19. The farm grows 15 types of strawberries and we tasted the difference by doing strawberry picking. Then we climbed the hill and went to “Oyama Senmaida” the closest terraced rice paddies to Tokyo. Members of the preservation club told us how things were managed to maintain the rice paddies. We cycled back to Minnami no Sato, a facility run by MUJI and had a cooking class instructed by a vegetable sommelier. We made salad and pasta using local vegetables for our lunch.
Feedback from the participants:
“The stories of the local farmers were very interesting. Nothing that could be done if it was a personal ride”
“It was an ideal ride for beginners like us. The route was safe, creative and beautiful”
“The cooking class was very well coordinated. The recipe was easy and very practical. We enjoyed working together with the other participants”
