Mori no Tojiba
The key to a healthy and sound lifestyle is to fully use all your five senses. It is important to respect both the body as well as the mind, and make sure to eat as local and seasonal produce as possible.
Our wellbeing workshops, “Mori no Tojiba” in Miyama revolve around the concepts of “learning” and “healing”. “Learning” refers to learning about all the different aspects of creating the healthy body, and to gaining enough knowledge to objectively be able to detect signs that indicate changes in your bodily functions. The “healing” section, on the other hand, specifies the preparations your body and mind need to undergo in order to enable “learning”. Miyama is the place where these two concepts come together. Experience the healing power of nature firsthand, while simultaneously gaining advice and know-how on how to create a healthier, happier you.
August 2016 became our starting point. This is when we held the first of our monthly workshops centering on “learning” and “healing”. Through these workshops we aim to inform a larger number of persons of our initiative, and hope to gather their opinions on the matter.
Learning
Click on the chart to enlarge (Japanese only)
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 1
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 2
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 3
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 4
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 5
Wellbeing Workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha 6
The “learning” program is composed by an introductory lecture on healthy lifestyle, followed by a morning and an afternoon activity, and at the end of the workshop everyone gathers to reflect upon the day passed. Before and after each activity we measure the participants’ heart rate and blood pressure, as well as gather saliva samples and check their temperature. Before leaving each participant will be presented with a thorough and objective analysis over their health condition, and the impact each activity has had on their body.
養生ことはじいめ – Let’s Kick off with Some Recuperation
What does it mean to be healthy, and what steps are crucial to take in order to become healthy? The first 20 minutes of the workshop are dedicated to learning about the fundamental health principles.
Participation Fee: free entry
Lecturer: Dr. Ito
からだづくり講座 – Creating a Healthy Body
Combining recent medical research with the way of thinking in Eastern Medicine this section will be dedicated to learning about how our bodies signal us when feeling ill. We will also draw from the knowledge of Eastern Medicine in order to better be able to attune our bodies to the changes of the season.
Participation Fee: 1000 ¥
Lecturer: Dr. Itou
Capacity: 10 persons
エナジーアップ！里山クッキング – Energy Up! Satoyama Cooking
Together with our instructors we make good food for a happy body. In our cooking sessions we use the best, seasonal ingredients Miyama – rich in clean water and nutritious soil – has to offer.
Cooking through using all of our five senses is not only a fun activity, but is also strongly connected to our health theme.
Participation Fee: 2500 ¥
Lecturer: 島女子会 (Shima Girls Group)
廣瀬康二氏 (Koji Hirose)
細見花子氏 (Hanako Hosomi)
Capacity: 10 persons
島女子会 (Shima Girls Group)
This group of energetic women tends to their fields, run their household, and hold down a job. Despite this they still find time for extracurricular activities. Owing to their safe produce next to all vegetables, as well as the rice, are 100% self-sufficient.
廣瀬康二氏 (Koji Hirose)
Mr. Hhirose is a representative from Takeue Food Utensils, where he works as kitchen knife coordinator and adjuster. After 16 years of work experience at one of Kyoto’s kitchen knife shops he decided to start up his own business. He burns for the notion that good food is dependent on a sharp edged knife and works to spread the knowledge of that a good cutting edge can better preserve, perhaps even improve or alter, the taste of food.
細見花子氏 (Hanako Hosomi)
A novice hunter based in Miyama who mainly uses traps to catch pray. As a hunter who loves deer meat she endeavors to grow and become more proficient as a trapper.
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感性で楽しむ森林セラピー – A Feast for Your Senses: Forest Therapy
Activities that give you the opportunity to head out in to the fresh air! Give your body a light workout while you enjoy the forest to its fullest. At the same time we appreciate the majestic beauty of nature we will gather plants and materials which we’ll use for crafts and art when we come back inside. This is forest therapy.
Participation Fee: 1500 ¥
Capacity: 10 persons
季節の森林ヨガ – Seasonal Forest Yoga
Would you not like to participate in an outdoor yoga session, embedded and hidden away among the lush forest greens? Let’s revitalize both our minds and bodies by learning the basics of yoga! Better yet, you can take this knowledge home and apply it to everyday use.
Participation Fee: 1500 ¥
Lecturer: 齋藤純子氏 (Junko Saito)
Capacity: 10 persons (bring your own yoga mat)
齋藤純子氏 (Junko Saito)
Junko Saito is an International Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor. A Miyama local, whose classes are easy to understand and highly rated by the locals.
わくわく伝統文化体験 – Hands on Cultural Experiences
Work with bamboo, essential in tool making throughout history. Combine soybeans and the art of fermentation, and have yourself some delicious miso (fermented soybean paste). Familiarise yourself with the thrilling sounds of the taiko (Japanese percussions) that echo through the air during festivals in Japan.
We offer hands on experiences in traditional craftsmanship, encounters through which we hope participants will be able to rekindle the age-old bond between people and nature.
Participation Fee: 1500 ¥
Lecturers: 地元松づくりボランティア (Local Kadomatsu Volunteers)
下吉田みそ加工グループ (Shimoyoshida Miso Manufacturing Group)
平浩之氏 (Hiroyuki Taira)
Capacity: 10 persons
地元松づくりボランティア (Local Kadomatsu Volunteers)
Local volunteers, knowledgeable in kadomatsu (Japanese New Year’s pine decorations) making, help us create the most stunning decorations.
下吉田みそ加工グループ (Shimoyoshida Miso Manufacturing Group)
Shimoyoshida Miso Manufacturing Group “for safe and secure food” gets together with Miyama locals and workshop participants to continue the tradition of making miso. This year’s batch of miso will be made from domestic soybeans and koji (rice fermentation starter) from Miyama.
平浩之氏 (Hiroyuki Taira)
Mr. Taira is a taiko drummer who currently resides in Miyama. He is a member of the “Taiko Drum Rock Band「BATI–HOLIC」”. They have their base of operation in Kyoto, but perform in all of Japan, as well as abroad. He is also active within other groups, and collaborates with artist from other fields, too. Furthermore he acts as a taiko teacher in schools and for taiko teams.
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Healing
In order to properly be able to learn we first need to make sure that our bodies are in good condition. To help you with this task a multitude of various treatments are made available during our workshops. For 1000 ¥ per session you can undergo acupuncture and moxibustion treatments preformed by a professional. For 500 ¥ you can try hakokyu (box-moxibustion), moxibustion using loquat leaves, or choose from some of our other self-moxibustion treatments.
The goemon-bath (a cauldron bath, heated from below with fire) and the wood heated sauna are also at the disposal of our participants for 1000 ¥ per 30 minutes (needs to be reserved beforehand). The goemon-bath does wonders to sore shoulders and a sore back, as the heat helps loosen the muscles, after which you can bask in the comfortable warmth of the sauna. You are also free to use the outdoor cold bath, which is great for cooling down on hot summer days.
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Supervisor
伊藤和憲先生 (Dr. Kazunori Ito) is a doctor in acupuncture and moxibustion. He is a member of the board of directors for The Japan Society for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, a specialist in the acupuncture and moxibustion department at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, an instructor for acupuncture and moxibustion courses, the director of Meiji University of Integrtive Medicine’s Kyoto Katsuragawa Acupuncture and Moxibustion clinic: mythos361, and a specially appointed researcher for courses in integrative medicine at the faculty of medicine at Osaka University.
Dr. Ito is also a specialist in the area of self-care and pain treatment, and has started publishing columns in various newspapers and magazines. He is also the author of several books, such as 「はじめてのトリガーポインット針治療」(published by 医道の日本社).
Dr. Ito functions as the general supervisor for our “Mori no Tojiba” workshops at Miyama Satoyama-sha, and also participates in the workshop as a lecturer each session.
See details here (an introduction of the workshop in Japansese)
Download the pamphlet (PDF) for the “Mori no Tojiba” workshop here (Japanese only)
Please understand that we do not take any responsibility for any accidents, injuries or sudden illnesses that may occur during the workshops. For those interested we have prepared an insurance applied for accidents and injuries during the workshops. If you would like to entre please contact us by either e-mail morinotojiba @ satoyama-sha.com) or phone (0771-75-0015, the person in charge of Mori no Tojiba), at least 5 days before the event you would like to participate in.
