JICUF Supports Collaboration between ICU and Asian Rural Institute
With support from JICUF, ICU is implementing a program titled “Learning and Practice on Nature and Food in Collaboration with the Asian Rural Institute.”
Located in Tochigi Prefecture, the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is a school where participants from around the world come together to learn and live in community, cultivating leadership for rural development through a life centered on agriculture. Sharing a common history rooted in Christian ideals, ICU and ARI have built a longstanding relationship through ongoing exchanges.
At ICU, momentum has been growing to make greater use of the campus’s rich natural environment in education—for example, through the Farm Project launched in 2024. This new collaboration with ARI aims to build on this momentum by providing students with opportunities to engage with nature and deepen their learning through collaboration.
Summer Study Camp
The program consists of two parts: a five-day Summer Study Camp at ARI and a workshop to be held at ICU in the fall. This summer, eight ICU students took part in the Study Camp. Under the theme “Connecting and Circulating: Reflecting on Life through Nature,” participants engaged in a variety of activities designed to introduce them to the work and philosophy of ARI.
During mealtimes and farm work, ICU students interacted with ARI participants, exchanging stories about their backgrounds, values, and cultures. They also learned about ecosystems through Hügelkultur, a traditional German farming method that creates raised beds by layering logs, branches, and leaves at the base, topped with compost and soil.
On the final day of the camp, students drew and shared their visions of an “ideal landscape,” reflecting on how they could apply what they had learned during the program to their own lives moving forward.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 25th at ICU
After completing the Study Camp, participating students will host a workshop at ICU this fall to share and build upon what they learned. The workshop will include a report on the camp, a hands-on activity in Hügelkultur creation as experienced at ARI, and an exchange session with international staff members invited from ARI. The program will be planned and led primarily by the students who joined the camp, while inviting broad participation from across the ICU community. Further details will be announced on the ICU Mitaka Campus “Forest Office” Instagram and other platforms.
Workshop Overview (Tentative)
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 25, 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
- Location: ICU Campus
- Capacity: To be announced
- Program: Report on the Study Camp, hands-on Hügelkultur creation, exchange lunch with ARI staff, and more
