06：Let’s stay in the Inaka!

　After our visit to the storehouses, we were split into groups of three, and moved to the farm houses that we would be staying at.  I was in a group with Michael, and Manoke, and we stayed at the ‘Ookawasou’ guest house.
　 

　Mr Watanabe and is wife, who run this guest house deep in the mountains of Kitakata, have recently celebrated their 60^th birthdays, and are as friendly a couple as can be.

　Our long awaited meal for the day was, far more splendid than we could have ever imagined. Mrs Watanabe’s food was of a professional level (She is the proud owner of a cooking license!) and reminded me of my mother’s food.
　They had also specially prepared a Takoyaki Party for us!
　My efforts to show of my (self-proclaimed) Takoyaki skills I developed during my time in Osaka, ended in the lousy result of forgetting to put in the ginger and green onions.
　Serves me right for trying to show off, I guess…
 
 

　Unfortunately when we woke up the next morning, it had begun to rain.
　We had to postpone the planned potato digging, and instead performed some farm work indoors. Inside his warehouse, Mr. Watanabe taught us the process for storing harvested rice and preparing it to be shipped.
　At a glance it seemed like simple work, but you really could see how the farmers here pour their heart and soul into every process of their work.
 
 

　While we were hard at work with the rice, Mr Watanabe’s wife was busy preparing another special activity for us. We also got to help with deseeding cotton!
　Apparently they had just started growing cotton this year as a test, as it has many applications such as making textile fabrics and using the seeds to make oil.
 

　Back inside the house, we noticed that there were commemorative photos decorated on one wall of people from all over the world who had stayed at the guest house before. Korea, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar….
 ‘I never imagined we’d have guests from overseas come and stay with us, especially when considering the fact that we are all the way out here in the country! 

　According to the Watanabes, they originally ran a lodge for fishermen, but converted it into a guest house 8 years ago. ‘When we started the guest house I thought, can we really manage this without being able to speak English? but we have somehow managed to continue up until now.’ Mr Watanabe reminisced about the time when the guest house was formed.
　The two definitely have an ability that makes up for a lack of language skills.
　This was their strong desire to entertain their guests.
　It is often the case that guest houses aren’t equipped with the facilities you would find in most hotels. However the fact that the guests can see their hosts working hard to entertain them first hand more than makes up for this.

　When I looked back I realized since coming to Fukushima, I could count the number of nights I’d spent outside of my apartment on one hand.
　I was happy to learn that there would be a farm stay as part of the JET Study Tour.
　I believe it is important to experience the everyday lives of the local citizen’s living in Fukushima.

　My thanks go out to Mr & Mrs Watanabe of the Ookawasou guest house!

（Posted by：Xu)