Today, another member of the Local Network Hino and I had a meeting with the mayor and the superintendent of the education board.
We were invited to the mayor’s office in the town hall. It was my first time to go into the mayor’s office. It looked like a room of a company president. It was quite spacious with the mayor’s desk area, and the reception area with a sofa and armchairs. As a matter of fact, it reminded me of the time when I visited the president’s office at Citicorp in Otemachi, Tokyo years ago. The mayor’s office was bright with big windows like the one at Citicorp, but the view was different. Instead of skyscrapers, there were some rice fields-haha. And yet, that made me feel more excited. This is the future scene of movers and shakers. Things won’t begin in Wall Street, the City, or in Otemachi anymore. From now on, a wave of culture and business will occur in a small country town overlooking rice fields, and it will spread all over the country and all over the world.
Why Don’t We Live In A Satoyama City Rather Than Living In A Smart City?
The presentation went well. I talked about climate change, SDGs, and how organic school lunch can be a measure to those issues, as well as a solution to our local issue of population decline. Especially at the time of the coronavirus pandemic, promoting organic food culture can protect the lives of many senior citizens.
The mayor said that he supports the idea on the whole. We can’t change everything overnight, there are many technical issues to look at, but he wants to move toward that direction.
Maybe setting up a committee to promote organic culture is one action, and organizing a trial week when we serve organic rice to school lunch is another.
The superintendent also liked the idea in general and understood the fact that the world is shifting toward this direction, although she didn’t say anything specific that she would do.
The details will be discussed among them, and we will have to let them decide at this point. It won’t be exactly what we proposed, but some parts will be implemented next year, and by the time the year 2025 comes, which is the goal we set, it will be close to what we proposed.
We will also begin our part, which is to start getting members of the P.T.A. involved. Many of the members of the Local Network Hino are parents, but we have not spoken to other parents who are not part of the network yet. So, the next step is to begin dialogues with them.
The Ikigai Diet: The Secret Japanese Diet to Health and Longevity
POD Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4991064864
Kindle