WWOOFing in Yoshii
From August 9, 2013 to August 20, 2013 we were WWOOFing in Yoshii town, Ukiha city, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. We were hosted by the Adachi family in their “Field of Love”, a farm currently growing persimmons and blueberries, but have cultivated many other fruits and vegetables across the years.
Since April 2013, the farm has been hosting WWOOFers from all over the world in their Ukiha International Friendship Center, a welcoming building next to the family’s home. During our days at this farm, we were treated like any other member of the family and enjoyed the daily life. We have countless memories of our interactions with Obaachan (grandma), Yoshi (son), Mariko (daughter-in-law), and two of their daughters and grandkids who came to visit during the special days of O-bon festival. We also became friends with Yuhei, Sarah, Stacey, Svenjia, and Denise WWOOFers from Japan, England, Hong Kong, and Germany respectively.
The land has been the project of Obaachan and her husband. Both passed on their skills and passion for farming to their son and tennis player, Yoshi Adachi. Although grandfather passed away 4 years ago, the land continues to be taken care of by Yoshi-san, Obaachan, and WWOOFers from all over the world. At the time of our visit, Obaachan was 84 years old and full of energy. She ran the house and kitchen constantly taking care of everybody in the family. This amazing woman, who dedicated her life to farming, started a manufacturing soap company 20 years ago that is still running today, has also been a leader of a Women Farming Society in Japan, and had written and published two books about her living experiences since childhood.
Obaachan’s soap company “Buku Buku” (bubble bubble) produces soaps by reusing used cooking oil. The company was started by Obaachan and three other women after being granted a loan from the Japanese government. This ecological company is certified by the Japan Agriculture Organization and their products continue to be in high demand. Although Obaachan and her friends aren’t working directly at the soap company anymore, the production hasn’t stopped since it first opened. Being around Obaachan is inspirational and we can only hope to have half of her energy by the time we reach her age. She has done so much in her life and everything she touches seems to flourish. She approaches life with a powerful gentle way.
The language barrier between us didn’t allow us to understand 99% of her words, but the happiness of her laughs, the warmth and sweetness of her actions, and her hugs were always so clear. We felt Obaachan’s love and appreciation constantly. She was always there to embrace us for the little help we offered in the farm and around the house. She was genuinely excited to know our stories, celebrate our honeymoon traveling around the world, and make us feel part of her family. Helping Obaachan in the kitchen was so much fun, after harvesting blueberries she thought us her jam recipe and made sure we would have some to take with us. She also showed us how to make different Japanese dishes and served us delicious meals every day.
Our WWOOFing experience in Yoshii town was a true cultural exchange. Our presence there wasn’t only related to the farm work. We were fully adopted in the family to enjoy and help like any member. Our visit coincided with the O-bon festival, which is a very important holiday in Japan. During these days, family members return to their hometowns to be with their relatives remembering and honoring those who had passed away.
The presence of the granddaughters and great-grandchildren filled the home with laughter and games of happiness for everyone. We were invited to join the family for a barbecue and a trip to a water park between the mountains. In different occasions, Yoshi-san took us outside the farm, so we could enjoy other places in the area. On different days he invited us to a mall, lunch, and even drove four hours so we could see Aso Geological Park and the active volcano. As part of this cultural exchange, we were welcome to cook and share with the family some of our Latin American cuisine.
We were at the farm during the harvesting season of blueberries, which occurs every year from June to September. The majority of our farm work was related to harvesting, selecting, and packing this fruit to complete daily deliveries to the market and other occasional buyers. Our days started around 8 am, when we all gathered to enjoy Obaachan’s breakfast. Usually after that, we will head toward the fields to harvest the blueberries. We were there intrigued by the colors and sizes of the different varieties of blueberry trees.
The trees were approximately five or six years old, full of juicy and tasty blue pearls hanging from their branches. Harvesting blueberries is an easy and delicious task. We were fortunate to enjoy eating many of them, probably more than we have ever eaten. After an hour-and-a-half of harvesting under the sun, Yoshi-san, sometimes accompanied with Obaachan, revived us with a refreshing popsicle. Then the work of selecting and packing blueberries by size and weight began, an effort that involved teamwork that took us usually between three to three-and-a-half hours. We usually worked a total of five hours per day, but during the days of O-bon festival when the markets were closed we didn’t harvest, instead we helped with the maintenance of Yoshi-san’s mini golf practice field and cooked for the family.
Dinner was a special time to interact with everybody. Yoshi-san always encouraged us to socialize with a drink and many laughs. Thanks to the help of other WWOOFers who spoke Japanese and were kind to serve as translators, we were able to communicate with the family and learn more about their stories. Yoshi-san and Mariko-san have played tennis for years and won many competitions individually and together. Yoshi-san was a professional tennis player and worked as a coach for a long time. His passion for sports was supported by his parents who also enjoyed the game. The house is full of trophies and memorable pictures of their athletic moments.
We felt very fortunate to spend 11 days with the Adachi family in their “Field of Love”. During the last night, Obaachan dressed Gisela with an Ukata, a traditional Japanese robe. This gesture was Obaachan’s last gift to us and a symbolic confirmation of the cultural exchange we experienced. When it was time to leave, we felt taken by the sadness of saying goodbye without knowing when we would reunite. Tears of nostalgia marked our trail as we walked away from our Japanese family. The desire of returning is strong and vivid in us. It is a feeling we carry inside, of wanting to go back to those places where we felt truly loved and welcomed.
