Voluntary Japan reunites once again.

At this point "Voluntary Japan," the loosely applied organization/moniker I use for any and all activism, blogging, trade and other voluntary goodness and activity here in Japan, is comprised largely of two individuals. Myself, the "founder," as it were, of the initiative, and @nicksikorski, a fellow Japan-residing Voluntaryist who lives it and gets it, on a million different levels. Nick began supporting and following my work online about two years ago, I suppose, and eventually we met up. He really took to the idea of Voluntary Japan, and as such, we are now something of a loosely organized team.

Nick is a voluntaryist permaculturalist organic farmer, photographer, blogger, and true wine and Scotch connoisseur with a vast knowledge regarding a wide array of topics. In my view, a real "Renaissance man." It may be a funny thing for the modern society/culture to see all that knowledge, high-cultural wisdom and talent passionate about playing around in horse shit and growing vegetables on a farm, but it makes sense to me, and I love it. Applied knowledge and passion to me are the real meaning of culture.

What did we do this time?

Well, Nick is of course very busy with the million different things that need to be done on a farm to prepare for/begin the growing season, so I basically was there to help with whatever I could. I don't know much about these kinds of things, and am the kind of person that tends to live in my head, so it is always good to get out of that space and into something physical. This time around I was mainly hacking shit down on the property (and at a neighboring home) and this was great therapy to me. Nick also taught me some proper techniques for using a chainsaw, which transferance of knowledge was greatly appreciated!

---

Getting rid of some dead trees to make way for a field.

---

Weeding around the barley.

---

Nick, getting the perfect mix of green stuff (nitrogen) and brown stuff (carbon) to make his compost.

---

We also ended up cutting an old man's grass, who needed some help due to health problems. He lives next to Nick's farm, and as the community here is tight-knit, and looks out for one another, @nicksikorski volunteered to take care of the weeds for him, and I tagged along. Together we got the job done fairly quickly, and were treated to some refreshing cold tea, a couple cigarettes, pickles, a bowl of nutritious rice, and a really neat conversation in a small, cozy room in the man's house with a view of the valley, as a breeze came through keeping everyone happy.

You see! This is what greedy, self-serving Capitalist voluntaryists do! They cut old people's grass and have conversations! BASTARDS! ;) What is funny is that the man, even though we asked nothing and refused several times, ended up paying us both 30 dollars for our work, out of appreciation. Funny how that works....

Organic Dining in Mochizuki, Nagano.

Local venison @ GÜSK, a wonderful little spot in Mochizuki.

---

Organic veggies and local mountain vegetables in this fantastic salad. You can almost taste the soil, it's so fresh. The nutritive value of the food can be FELT as you eat it. Nothing like this place.

---

Nick took me back to one of his favorite local restaurants called GÜSK, where we again had a fantastic lunch before getting down to business on the farm (The first time I visited this restaurant was when I stopped by Nick's farm in October of last year). This shop is owned and run by a single entrepreneur, who sources, cooks, and serves all the food, all on his own, with no other staff really to speak of. Pretty amazing. As I mentioned in the picture captions above, this food is truly soul food. Nourishing, fresh, and organic, it makes the food we traditionally eat day to day taste like plastic, and that is no fucking joke. Eating here reminds me of the extreme degree to which "mainstream food" has been bastardized and toxified through mass processing and chemical preservatives/additives.

The shop also specializes in some fine local wines!

---

Local wines and spirits at GÜSK.

---

Bees and hornets, my latest obsession.

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I am building an African-style beehive to put on my property here, in the interest of garnering some sweet organic honey for my family and neighbors.

This was largely inspired by my journey down to Nick's this past week. Nick has a Japanese-style beehive on the property, and it was really neat to see it so alive, active, and buzzing with busy-ass life! Below are two videos. One of Nick's Japanese-style hive, and the second of an ashinagabachi (I messed up the name in the video and called it a "nagaashibachi") queen getting her nest started in the hanging roots of trees on the side of a hill. ENJOY!

---

As you can see, I had a great time. Now, I've got to get back to work here at the KafkA shack! @nicksikorski also hooked me up with some organic veggies and plants for my new garden! Gotta get them growing up right and also finish my beehive!

---

Gifts from Nick.

---

My little buddy helping me on the beehive here at the KafkA shack. UNSCHOOLING STYLE.

Thanks for reading! Until the next update, stay happy, live anarchy, and be you.

~KafkA

!

---

Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)