Interview with Shiomi: Finding Life's Keyword in Half-Farming, Half-X

Whether a small flower or a big flower
No two are the same
Even if you can't be No.1
You were already the most special Only one

Born in 1965 in Ayabe, Kyoto, Naoki Shiomi quit his job at age 33 and returned to his hometown to begin practicing the "half-farming, half-X" life. So-called "half-farming, half-X" means using small-scale agriculture and one's own talents put to use in society (that is, the X) to simultaneously support oneself and contribute to society. Once this book was published, it sparked a wave of discussion in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Thailand and elsewhere. "The Half-Farming, Half-X Life" has already reached its ninth printing in Taiwan, showing clearly that he has raised a thought-provoking and resonant issue.

Naoki Shiomi is not only a farmer but also a philosopher of the land. In this chaotic and uneasy moment, the importance of agricultural development for people and the Earth is self-evident, but he has pondered the question one layer deeper. He believes the human heart is like a "seed" that must be sown in a suitable place, but before that, the fundamental question is, "Why were you born into this world?" Please listen as Naoki Shiomi explains it all:

Q: I understand you have visited Taiwan several times. Could you talk about your observations of Taiwan's agriculture and rural villages? In the past two or three years, more and more young people in Taiwan have been building careers in farming. What do you think of this?

Shiomi: In Taiwan's countryside I saw many things that no longer exist in Japan. I was deeply impressed by Sanhe Village in Longtan, Taoyuan. The people are very simple and warm, and when people meet they greet one another. Even friends meeting for the first time can naturally express their inner feelings.

By comparison, Japanese rural areas are more modernized, and some of the feelings that people naturally showed to one another have disappeared. Japanese people are polite to others, but that politeness carries a sense of distance. This feeling is hard to express in words. I think the people in Taiwan's countryside have a kind of "maternal nature," a kind of "meddlesomeness" (laughs), meaning they very actively care about others. This feeling no longer really exists in the Japanese countryside, and when I visited rural South Korea I couldn't really feel it either, but this "maternal nature" is very important for developing the "half-farming, half-X" life.

Q: In recent years, more and more young people in Taiwan have been building careers in farming. What do you think of this?

Shiomi: As far as I know, a trend of young people building careers in farming has also emerged in France now. I think all developed countries around the world are encountering the same problem now, and Japan is no exception. As far back as I can remember, Japan has had 3 social trends related to "farming." At those times, people tried to find answers to their physical and mental problems from the land.

The 1st was the oil crisis that occurred in my father's generation, the 2nd was when manufacturing technology advanced greatly, people ate too much refined food, and the brown rice comeback movement arose, and the 3rd was in 1990 when Japan's bubble economy burst and many office workers who had originally lived in big cities returned to their hometowns to live. I believe the 4th and 5th waves will arrive soon. Interestingly, a while ago Japanese variety shows invited famous groups and entertainers such as TOKIO and SMAP to go to the countryside to farm and make miso. After young people saw the programs broadcast, they all felt that "country life is super cool!" Through TV programs, the younger generation in the cities has a chance to understand rural culture. This is a wonderful thing.

Before "Half-Farming, Half-X" was published, farming books didn't really sell (laughs), but now bookstores often carry related themes such as "how to live in the countryside." The monthly "Inaka Kurashi no Hon" and the quarterly "Jikyu Jisoku" from the well-known Japanese publisher Takarajimasha both have good sales.

Q: How do you define your own work now?

Shiomi: It might be a little hard to understand if I explain it to someone I just met (laughs), but now I would say I am a "regional revitalization planner." My work includes promoting the philosophy of "half-farming, half-X," continuing deeper research on this theme, and also supporting everyone in the world in finding their own "X."

Q: So have you ever worried about money?

Shiomi: No. My older sister got married, and my father left an old house to me in Ayabe. My wife is from Yamaguchi Prefecture and is the only daughter in her family. Neither of us has strong material desires, and we don't want to become rich. We don't feel uneasy about not owning certain things.

Q: You have many loyal readers in Taiwan. Do you have plans to write a new book in the future?

Shiomi: Yes, especially after the powerful 311 Japan earthquake, I talked with many people, and a lot of ideas came together in my mind. I really want to write on a theme like "How should we live in the future after 311?"

As for the "half-farming, half-X" part, I want to interview people around the world who practice "half-farming, half-X," for example "half-farming, half-X women," "half-farming, half-X poets," and "half-farming, half-X poetry collections." Next I will establish a "Half-Farming, Half-X Publishing House," find a local printing factory in Ayabe to help, and also find "half-farming, half-X" editors and photographers to assist. I've already thought it all through. When the books are published, they can be placed at Ayabe's tourism center so everyone can buy them.

Now in Japan, it is not only Ayabe that practices the new concept of "half-farming, half-X." Places like Azumino in Nagano, Kamogawa in Chiba, Kunitachi in Kyushu, Izu in Shizuoka, Irokawa in Wakayama and Kagoshima are also doing it. For example, Yae, the daughter of the famous Japanese female singer Tokiko Kato, lives a "half-farming, half-singer" life in Chiba.

Q: What does the future look like through Mr. Shiomi's eyes?

Shiomi: The future will be a very harsh era full of anxiety. Economic changes are getting faster and faster, and environmental, food and energy problems have not been completely solved. I really cannot bring myself to say things like "a wonderful future awaits us." But precisely because of this, I have even more confidence in practicing and promoting the "half-farming, half-X" life. I believe it will be one of the methods for solving the common problems humanity faces at this stage.