I applied to the Hokkaido two-week internship program with the intention of learning about agriculture and experiencing the rural areas of Hokkaido firsthand and I have to admit I was quite satisfied with the program. The program was well-organized by the Residence Life Center and the hosts of each places we have been to. Thanks to them, we could experience beekeeping, dairy farm and tomato farm.
Before, I went to Hokkaido for the program, Sapporo was the only city in Hokkaido that I knew and I had no idea about Kunneppu or Shibetsu where we stayed at this time. What I learnt from here is that Sapporo is not the only place to visit when one goes to Hokkaido. There are some many underrated towns and places in Hokkaido that are worth visiting. In fact, after spending two weeks in Kunneppu and Shibetsu, on the last day when I went to Sapporo, I realized that I preferred Kunneppu and Shibetsu more than Sapporo. For me, Sapporo was just like Tokyo, with tall buildings and traffic. Of course, Sapporo is a great place, but I still personally prefer the rural parts of Hokkaido, particularly Kunneppu and Shibetsu.
For the first week of the internship, we stayed at the owner of Beehive Murakami apiary, learning about apiculture. I was born and raised in a city and had never actually seen or been near a swarm of bees, so obviously, when I went to see the beehives, I was terrified. However, with Mr. Murakami’s calm posture near the bees, I felt a bit relieved and I was looking into beehives close-up in no time. The lecture on bees and beekeeping industry was also full of interesting contents and essential tips on beekeeping. I learnt the basic ecosystem of bees and how they live, work and operate in harmony, despite the enormous number of them in one confined place. Moreover, I was happy about the opportunity I had on creating candles made from beehives. Overall, the beekeeping experience with Murakami family was really interesting and knowledgeable.
Two days and one night at Mr.Tanaka’s dairy farm was one of the most memorable parts of the internship. Never had I thought about coming to Japan and do things like feeding food to cows and sheep or woodcutting. It was certainly being at a dairy farm working from early morning until night. There, I think I probably had one of the best breakfasts I had ever had in my life. The life at the dairy farm was so natural with very little technology and no drama at all. No matter how tiring it was, I enjoyed it a lot and it was very memorable life experience for me.
Second half of the internship was held in Shibetsu with Tani family, the owner of Inazo Farm which is famous for fruit midi tomatoes. Believe it or not, I did not like tomato since I was a kid and I always had a hard time eating it. But when I tried the tomatoes at Inazo Farm, for the first time in my life I thought that tomatoes tasted delicious. Each of us was paired with staff and my pair was Mrs.Takahashi. She taught me how to pluck tomatoes and how to take off the green parts on the tomatoes. All of the staff at Inazo Farm were friendly and heart-warming. I felt so welcomed working in the tomato houses. Scrumptious lunches were cooked and provided by Mr,Tani’s parents and they helped us with transportation. Of course, I also learned about how the tomatoes were produced, distributed and sold across Japan from Mr.&Mrs. Tani and it is really intriguing how the Inazo Farm operates.
After two weeks of internship on agriculture in Hokkaido, I had a broader and clearer view on agriculture and people who work in agricultural sectors. While those living in cities were enjoying good, comfortable life, it is those who are working in agricultural areas that have to work so hard everyday so that we, who lives in cities, can eat properly. Without the agricultural people, the world food supply would just stop, and everyone would go into starvation. Thus, after the trip, I begin to respect and honor those agriculture people who are working so hard in the fields and farms every day. For example, I really respect those staff at Inazo Farm. Although it is really hot and humid in tomato houses, they work in those places every day to produce new tomatoes. I learned a lot about beekeeping, dairy farms, tomatoes and so on throughout the internship and I think it was one of the most memorable and knowledgeable experiences I have ever had. Once again, I would like to thank Murakami family and Tani family and all of the other related individuals for making this trip happen. I hope more Waseda students can participate in this program next year.
(P.K.)
