Ms. Omotegi exudes resilience in her smiling, calm demeanor. We touch on the flexible way of life of Ms. Omotegi, who has left her hometown and built a new life in Shimosato.

People, pets, and animals all share the same life.

-I heard that you have been to many places, but what is the reason why you settled in Shimosato?

I wonder why (laughs). I guess it was just a hunch. I always wanted to live near the sea, and I had been to Okinawa, Tanegashima, Miyazaki, Kochi, and many other places, but finally I arrived here. It was more like a journey than a place to live.

Before setting up the store, I worked as a caterer, at events and marche stalls, and as a wholesaler of bento boxes for HATI supermarket. Recently, I often hold workshops, and I also cook meals in collaboration with them. I have collaborated with people I have a lot of connections with for workshops such as skin care, making shimenawa ropes, and Thai curry workshops.

-You are really involved in a wide variety of things, aren’t you? On the other hand, there seems to be something consistent about health and food, even though you seem to be doing different things.

I eat in the vegan and vegetarian categories, but it’s easier on my body if I don’t eat beef, pork, or chicken, and I’m very satisfied with just vegetables. Also, non-violence. I believe that Buddhism is about not killing animals, and that is why I chose not to eat meat. I chose not to eat meat because I felt that this vegan way of life suited me well from an environmental, spiritual, and health perspective.

I started eating less animal products because of yoga, but when I went out with friends and family, I would cook and eat meat with them for a while. One day, however, my cat died in a car accident in front of my house. That made me very sad, and I began to feel that pets, people, and animals are all the same. From that point on, I stopped eating meat. It seems that there are many people who give up meat because of pet loss.

Not only to work, but to live with nature with joy.

-That’s a very nice building by the way, isn’t it? How did you find it?

Originally, it was occupied by an acquaintance who was a close family friend. I renovated it as much as possible myself and had an acquaintance build me a counter table. Before that, I had taken the house apart to make it more comfortable to live in. I took out doors and tore down closets. I can only do simple things, and I am a complete amateur when it comes to accuracy and functionality, but even so, I think the house has been renovated in a way that makes it comfortable to live in.

-I would like to know about your future plans for the store and other activities.

We have a guesthouse, an old private house that we rent out to a limited number of 4 people, and pets are allowed. I also work as a massage therapist, so I would like to offer massages, meals, smoothies, etc. to guests staying at the guesthouse, and I would like to connect these activities to various other things.

We would also like to incorporate WWOOF, for example, by having young people who want to live near nature but have no place to live join us in our fields and stores, so that we can exchange needs with each other and make things work. In this way, I hope to systematize a flow of people who are not only working or working, but who are truly happy to work with nature.

Actually, we have another house that is large enough to accommodate 2 or 3 couples, so we are thinking of renovating it and using it as a WWOOFer hosting facility or a shared house. …… You probably don’t even know who I am anymore (laughs). It’s hard for me to explain. That’s about it.

※WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms): A volunteer system in which participants work without pay on organic farms and provide “labor” in exchange for food, lodging, knowledge and experience. Participants are called WWOOFers.

People are happy with what I make. Little things like that lead to the present.

-It has been more than ten years since you started living in Shimosato, though you have already moved to the area,
Have you noticed any changes in the area?

Yes, There are more and more vacant houses, and until recently there were many people growing tea and cultivating fields, but they are getting rougher and rougher every year. I think depopulation is progressing. On the other hand, the number of young people and people doing interesting things is increasing, so I wonder if the area will improve or decline.

I think it depends on what kind of consciousness people have about living there, how they live, and how they think. If people move to a new area but go to work outside because there is no work, the community will not improve. For example, a carpenter may specialize in the local resources and improve the forest. The money goes around and the natural environment is improved. I believe that people with this kind of awareness will build the town.

-If there are no jobs in the area, it is a hurdle to start from scratch on your own. You have been involved in many things, but how did you start out?

I think that working for a company is easier, and there is a sense of security in being able to do things at a steady rhythm. I also had a part-time job and a caregiving job, but when I thought about how rewarding it would be, doing it on my own suited me better. If there is something you want to do, there are many people who formulate what they like to do on the side. Like, I started on the side and then I got the idea and started my own business. It can start with your own people. I think I was very fortunate in that sense because I had connections with people when I started my side business.

When I started the store, I put rice balls made from the rice I grew in a box and asked surfers on the beach in front of the store, “Would you like a rice ball?“ I started with a job that wasn’t really work. I started with a job that really couldn’t be called work. I would ask for 100 yen for a turban shell omusubi or 100 yen for pesticide-free rice. It was like something for fun. I started with something trivial like that. I recommend starting with something small like that.

Listen to your mind and body and live a steady, calm life.

-There are times when a connection with others can unfold more than you can imagine. Finally, what are your goals for the future and what do you want to keep in mind?

Make the community here a richer, more comfortable place to live. Creating a community where everyone can live healthy and happy lives is something I’ve really thought about for a long time. With that in mind, I would like to keep myself light, experience various things in various places, and always feel the joy of living.

Eventually, I have a vision of keeping a base here and traveling to completely different areas, including overseas, to do massage and catering work and have connections there as well. I would also like to have a firmly grounded life here, and I would like to see the outside world, or curiosity. I know that there are many people who are engaged in various good activities, and I would like to be able to work and live freely and happily while going there to learn from them. I would like to learn from them and enjoy my work and life while learning from them.

-Ms. Omotegi has been accumulating what she can, one by one, while being conscious of her health, mentality, natural environment, and local community.
Above all, I could sense that she values living a joyful life with a lifestyle that suits her own needs. Thank you very much for a pleasant time.