Tags：Food and AgricultureChubu

On November 15, 2025, the “Food, Agriculture, and Health Festival” was held at Ōhito Zuisenkyô in Izu no Kuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with approximately 1,200 participants from neighboring cities and towns. Following last year’s event, it was co-hosted with Izu no Kuni City. From the 9:00 a.m. opening, many families and other citizens arrived with bags and carts in hand. Under the clear blue sky, they enjoyed harvesting experiences in the MOA Nature Farming fields, gathering sweet potatoes, carrots, daikon radishes, taro, and more.

 

 

Various stalls were set up around the traditional house for the Zuisenkyô Market, featuring the sale of agricultural products, introductions to the Wellness Kitchen Garden and MOA School, a Japanese tea café, and cultural exhibits from Mongolia, a sister city of Izu no Kuni City, all creating a lively atmosphere. Under a large tent, the MOA Health Science Center conducted health checks, while the city’s Agriculture and Forestry Division and the Natural Farming College of the Agricultural, Environmental, and Health Research Foundation held consultations for aspiring farmers. Additionally, the city’s Health Promotion Division and Oku-Atami Wellness Center collaborated to sell health-conscious bento lunches and introduced healthy food education recipes.

 

 

Opening Ceremony Held at Ōhito Zuisenkyô “Food, Agriculture, and Health Festival”
At 11:00 a.m., an opening ceremony was held under the large tent. Mayor Masayuki Yamashita of Izu no Kuni City gave a greeting, expressing pride in having Ōhito Zuisenkyô in the city. He expressed gratitude for being able to declare an Organic Village last year with the support and cooperation of those involved in the Nature Farming Method, and looked forward to further collaboration in the future.
Representing the distinguished guests, Kenei Matsumoto, Director of the Agricultural Environment Policy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Daisuke Tabayashi, Director of the Food and Agriculture Promotion Division at the Shizuoka Prefecture Economic and Industrial Department of Agriculture; and Toyokazu Kubota, Principal of Shizuoka Prefectural Tagata Agricultural High School, gave greetings. Taku Abe, Executive Director of the MOA Nature Farming and Culture Foundation, speaking for the Ōhito Zuisenkyô Festival Executive Committee, expressed his hope that the importance of food, agriculture, and health would be expanded to the local community through this festival.

 

 

Participants who enjoyed the delicious and fun experiences shared their thoughts:”My child had a great time digging up sweet potatoes with muddy hands. The fact that we can safely touch the soil and harvest because no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used is one of the charms of the Nature Farming Method.””I came for the first time after seeing the announcement in the newspaper. There were so many events that I never got bored, and I even got to try making salt koji, which I’m excited to use in cooking. I was also happy to find out that my vascular age is younger than expected during the health check.”These comments reflect the positive and engaging experience enjoyed by many attendees at the festival.

 

 

Hosted by: Ōhito Zuisenkyô Festival Executive Committee／Co-hosted by: Izu no Kuni City ／Supported by: Kanto Regional Agricultural Administration Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu City, Atami City, Itō City, Kannami Town