Several months ago, I was asked to join an event called Super Visions, a semi-regular event organised by the First Lady of Japan, Akie Abe, and “Don” Shikita of BeGoodCafe to bring rural entrepreneurs having social impact throughout Japan together to share their projects, ideas, and networks. Though I wasn’t sure what exactly I could contribute, these are all issues I am passionate about and have experience in, though not in Japan, so when I was asked to join, my thought was “Why not?”
Little did I know I would be the only foreigner in attendance at the Prime Minister’s residence, and I would not be allowed to be a simple observer. I would need to join the entrepreneurs on stage to deliver a five minute pitch of Fresco Capital and our experience with social impact in Japan. It would also need to be at least partially given in Japanese. At this point, most people would probably have bailed. But I swallowed my nerves and my ego, and said, “Why not?”
I stumbled my way through a Japanese introduction and conclusion, aided by an equally nervous translator, and most certainly completely failed to convey how it is I believe technology can have social impact in Japan and globally. I was such a pathetic sight that the First Lady herself got up halfway through my speech to adjust my microphone closer to my face. In Japan, I guess I’m pretty tall.
Though I only understood about 50% of what the other entrepreneurs were presenting, I was still inspired and excited to learn more. At dinner afterward, I found myself sitting next to “Katti”-san and Gororo-san, who were in town from Ueyama, Okayama Prefecture. They were from Tanada Dan, which aims to restore terraced rice fields to farming communities in rural Japan. Terraced rice fields are an ancient innovation that improve local communities by increasing crop yields, reducing flooding, and providing jobs. They recently teamed up with Toyota Foundation to help bring electric vehicles such as energy efficient cars and segueways to help create jobs, allow the elderly to tend to their farms more efficiently, and increase movement amongst the communities. Here’s a video showing a bit more about the project.
Through a combination of my Japanese skills, and several different friendly volunteer translators, Katti-san and Gororo-san invited me and my friend Junko to join them in Ueyama to see their terraced rice fields, observe their project, and share in some local Okayama experiences. I warned them, as I warn most people, that I am not a normal person. If you invite me somewhere, you better make sure that you mean it, because I will show up. Always curious and hungry for new experiences, my default reaction is, “Why not?” So, before I knew it, there I was, arriving at Okayama airport to a welcoming committee probably thinking, “Holy shit! She actually came!”
The entire weekend was an amazing experience which opened my eyes in many ways. Besides amazing pictures, a lot delicious food, and a new appreciation for a simpler and more local way of life, here are a few key take-aways from the trip:
1. The importance of looking stupid
Part of the reason I love living in Japan is because I am forced to accept that I look and sound stupid almost all the time. When I speak Japanese, I sound like a confused child. I get nervous and frustrated, because I know I cannot convey how I really think or feel. However, I have found that, time and time again, taking risks, forgetting your ego, and putting yourself out there almost always pays off. The broken speech I gave at Abe-san’s residence, the effort required to have a real conversation, and trying hard to show that, although my Japanese is poor (but I hope, rapidly improving), what I can learn, contribute, and share is more important to me than looking good. That mindset and effort goes a long way anywhere, but especially here in Japan.
2. Japan’s ageing population is a big problem
Japan’s birth rate has been low for some time, and the nation is now ageing faster than any other country in the world. With an average of 1.3 children per Japanese woman, 33% of the Japanese population is now over the age of 65, while only 12.8% is 14 or younger. Two years ago, the sales of adult diapers surpassed the sales of baby diapers. The Japanese government and corporations are now facing the stark reality of a dwindling target market and a stalled economy, but rural areas have been hit the hardest. As farm owners and operators grow older, their children leave for Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to obtain an education. Given there are more jobs and better pay in these big cities, they choose to leave their communities behind and pursue a “better life” elsewhere. Their parents and grandparents stay behind, but mobility becomes more difficult with age, so their farms begin to suffer, productivity goes down, jobs are lost, and the cycle continues. Finding solutions to these issues requires awareness, innovative thinking, and large-scale collaboration. Unfortunately, all of those things are much easier said than done.
3. Technology can certainly help solve these problems
Most places I go, there is a fear of technology. People are scared of technology taking away their jobs. The robot revolution is coming! In rural Japan, technology can play a critical role in helping people keep their jobs. In the case of the Toyota Mobility Project, this technology is improving farm productivity, which in turn creates more jobs, and it also enables aging farmers to stay working longer than they otherwise would be able to. Technology also allows people like me to learn about what is happening, share in it, and contribute. Technology enables connection, learning, and scale.
4. The value of experiential education — where technology falls short
All of that said, a Facebook post, a Youtube video, or an e-mail can never capture or replicate the experience of stepping off the plane to the welcoming arms of such kind, generous, and passionate hosts. It cannot capture the squish of the warm mud on my feet as I plunge rice plants into the watery earth, or the sweet taste of that very same rice on my plate that evening, or the sound of a multi-language conversation over a lively, shared meal. It cannot replicate the sinking, sad feeling of seeing abandoned playgrounds, zoos, and waterparks, once thriving local businesses, now hiding beneath overgrown weeds and layers of dust. Humans are built to learn through feeling, touching, and experiencing, and we should harness the power of technology to facilitate those experiences, not to replace them.
5. I don’t know yet
I am not yet sure how I can repay the generosity and hospitality of Bibi-san, Katti-san, and Gororo-san. Since my return to Tokyo, I have been struggling to write something meaningful. I want to make connections, to contribute, and to share something coherent and actionable. But, as always, if I wait for the perfect moment of inspiration to strike, I will likely never write about it. So, I figured I would get started anyway. In any case, here’s my first attempt to share the experience, continue the conversation, and amplify its significance through technology. Because.. why not?
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