What is Hello Woods?
What is Hello Woods?
Motegi
Mobility Resort Motegi is located at the eastern end of Tochigi Prefecture, adjacent to Ibaraki Prefecture. It is approximately 100km from Tokyo, 31km from Utsunomiya, and 36km from Mito.
Most of the town is made up of hilly terrain with an elevation of 150-250m belonging to the Yamiyama mountain range, which continues along the border between Tochigi and Ibaraki. The terrain is characterized by valleys that branch out like tree branches, providing a diverse landscape. The town is also blessed with water, as the Sakagawa River, which flows northward and is rare in the prefecture, originates from the southern end of the town, and the Naka River, which originates from the Nasu mountain range, merges with it in the northeastern part of the town.
This region is close to the northern limit of yuzu and mandarin cultivation, while also being the southern limit of apple cultivation, and salmon migration can also be seen. As such, it has both the climatic characteristics of northern and southern Japan.
Composition
Program
At Hello Woods, we hope to inspire more people to take an interest in nature and to promote coexistence between humans and nature. That is why we offer a variety of experience programs that can be enjoyed throughout the four seasons.
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"Interested・Awareness"
'Forest Play' is a program that conveys the various 'connections of life' overflowing in the satoyama of Mobility Resort Motegi in a real way on the field.
By walking through the forest and directly touching living creatures, you can experience the connections of life and the fun of exploring in the forest. From such an experience, we provide an opportunity to realize the connection between humans and nature, and to pay attention to the environment surrounding oneself. -
"Think and express"
'Making' is a program at Mobility Resort Motegi that uses natural materials from the Satoyama to experience the joy of creating things with your own hands.
By receiving the blessings of nature, we hope to nurture a heart that values things and use unique natural materials to create 'individuality' through free thinking.
There are 'Forest Crafts' that can be enjoyed anytime according to the interests of each season from infants to adults, and 'Woodworking Courses' where you can create works such as plates and bowls using professional tools under the guidance of artists. -
"Notice, Express, Share"
'Outdoor Cooking' is a program offered at Hello Woods, a lively mountain village, to provide an opportunity for participants to feel that 'people eat life to live'.
We have also started growing vegetables (including soil making) since 2008.
It is a challenging task that requires a little extra effort without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We harvest seasonal ingredients from the field with the participants and cook them in a Dutch oven, or bake pizza and bread using a stone oven to bring out their deliciousness. -
"Notice, Think, Share"
'Hello Woods Camp' is a program at Mobility Resort Motegi that utilizes the mountains and nature to enjoy living (eating, sleeping, playing) while sharing realizations towards new possibilities.
Through the experience of 'outdoor living', we hope to feel the connection between nature and humans, reflect on our daily lives, awaken the instincts within us, and create a slightly wilder lifestyle with the energy that should naturally exist within us. -
"Notice and Think"
'Forest Creation' is a program being implemented with the aim of sharing the joy and pleasure of the vast forest of Mobility Resort Motegi with many people, through forest creation, in the beautiful, comfortable, and enjoyable space, and transforming it into a vibrant environment, while awakening the potential charm of various organisms and ecosystems that are sleeping in the forest by working on the forest.
We aim to create a forest that is friendly to both humans and living creatures, while awakening the potential charm of various organisms and ecosystems that are sleeping in the forest by working on the forest, and transforming it into a beautiful, comfortable, and enjoyable space, and a vibrant environment.
Communication
Promotion activities for excavation, regeneration, preservation, and transmission of local Satoyama culture and traditions, with the theme of "coexistence with the community".
Local historical assets and wisdom incorporated
into a coexistence program
- Introduction of local products at the Fureai Walk
- Soba Making Experience
- Charcoal kiln cooperative production, charcoal making experience
- Collaborative Forest Management at Workshops
- Hello Woods Camp, Jomon Lifestyle Experience Program, and more
Participation in Natural Park Conference
- Introduced Hello Woods activities at the 46th National Parks Convention at the request of Tochigi Prefecture.
Instructor Dispatch
- Firefly Viewing Event (Requested by Motegi Town Tanada Preservation Association)
- Takahara District Bamboo Rice Making (Requested by Motegi Town)
- Thu River Regeneration Work (Requested by Motegi Town)
- Craft workshop (at the request of Ishioka Youth Chamber of Commerce) and others
Participation in Natural Park Conference
- Japan Environmental Education Association
- Utsunomiya City Flower and Green Town Development Promotion Council
- Mobility Resort Motegi
- Hachimizo Regional Revitalization Promotion Council
- Kawachi Town PTA Liaison Council
- Yaita Municipal Otobata Elementary School PTA Training Department
- Nankawachi Town Central Community Center
- Nanai Kindergarten
- Ashikaga City Hall
- Joshiyama Lifelong Learning Center
- Haga Town Lifelong Learning Division
- Kawachi Town Okamoto Elementary School PTA
- Tochigi Prefectural Museum Association
- National Houkoku Group Liaison Council
- Utsunomiya Higashi Lifelong Learning Center
- Doyu Club
- Rikkyo Women's Junior College
- Haga District Forestry Association
- Akita Prefecture Yuzawa City Industrial and Economic Department Agriculture and Forestry Division
- Tochigi Prefectural Comprehensive Education Center
- Haga District City Social Education Management Council
- Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education Kawachi Education Office
- Tochigi Prefecture Agricultural Department Rural Promotion Office
- Ninomiya-cho Kugata Elementary School PTA
- Kamikawamachi Central Community Center
- Ninomiya Town Youth Development Council
- Ichikai Union PTA
- Utsunomiya City Asahi District 4 School Life Guidance Liaison Council
- Moka City Lifelong Learning Division
- Hyogo Prefectural Mikiyama Forest Park
- Chiba Prefectural Nagareyama Municipal Minami Nagareyama Junior High School
- Sakushin Gakuin University Faculty of Comprehensive Policy
- Parti Tochigi Gender Equality Center
- Tokyo Metropolitan Ryogoku High School Attached Junior High School
- Tochigi Prefecture City, Town and Village Forest Promotion Council
- Mashiko Rotary Club
- Hamamatsu University
- Chiyoda Ward Shouhei Kindergarten
Participation in Natural Park Conference
- Participated in a curriculum that focuses on practical thinking for regional revitalization in the same university and regional development department.
School curriculum for providing and supporting "off-campus learning" and "experiential learning" activities
- Kindergarten / Nursery (overnight childcare, nature experience activities, etc.)
- Elementary School (Motegi Elementary School, Sakasagawa Elementary School, etc.)
- Junior High School (such as job experience at Motegi Junior High School)
- Sakushin Gakuin University and Junior College
- Acceptance of special needs schools, etc.
Culture
With the support of many people who are seeking the potential richness of the forest, we are conducting various activities such as forums, outdoor photo exhibitions, forest concerts, and special classes through Hello Woods Camp.
- Midori Forum "Passing on Beautiful Nature to the Next Generation" by Yoriko Mochizuki and Daisaburo Okumoto
- B-Pal (Shogakukan) Tie-up Activities (Editing Tie-up, Grade Magazine, Woods Camp)
- Takuro Sano Talk Show
VS Jiki Kurosasa Former Editor-in-Chief of Beeple (Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama)
VS Tomoyuki Noda (Hello Woods Camp Meeting)
VS Shingo Yagyu Hakuba Club Representative (Hello Woods) - Sakata Akira's Hello Woods Mijinko Classroom
- Art Workshop in the Forest by the Sea
- Takedatsu Photo Exhibition "Message from the Wild"
- Hoshino Michio Photo Exhibition
- Sakata Akira's "Forest Concert"
- Devakant Concert (co-hosted with NPO "Medaka School")
- Environment Exploration Team "Hello! Spring"
- Participation in the Ministry of the Environment's "Monitoring Site 1000-ri Land Survey"
- International Gardening Show Exhibition
- Green Thanksgiving Exhibition
- Ministry of the Environment: Environmental Education Symposium (Yokohama, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Nara) Panel Session Exhibition
- Outdoor Fair Exhibition (Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama)
Collaborative project with NPO "Medaka School"
- "No-till rice cultivation" at the rice terraces of Hatcho Tonbo
- Collaborative production of "Slow Filtration Water Purification System" at Katakuri Stream