Thatch Harvest

What a great weekend! Saturday was spent gethering kaya (material for thatching a roof. In this area they use nemagaritake and susuki, but it is not called kaya until it is older and ready to harvest). This time we had no foreign guests, and I am kicking myself fro not getting around to inviting anyone. My apologies to anyone who might have wanted to join. We did, however, have about 12 Japanese folks come join - ranging from people who just wanted to see this village, to a father and three-son group who have a second home with a thatch roof, and wanted to be more involved in the process.

The susuki field is way up on top of a mountain, where there is an unbelievably beautiful flat area that was, until three years ago, home to several hundred free-range cattle. Now it is now an abandoned delapitated farm. Buildings don't last long here in the snow country without someone to take care of them.

Anybody out there interested in starting a little eco-community in this area? Keep in mind that durring the winter, the only way in an out is via snow shoe.