Earthmanship

Program

We offer both indoor and outdoor programs. 
The outdoor programs mostly take place on the weekend, either as one-day programs on Saturday or Sunday or as two-day programs on Saturday and Sunday.

The food we eat during the programs is mostly made from organic, non-toxic ingredients, that are gentle to the earth and our bodies.

Main fields for outdoor programs :  OKUTAMA, Tokyo  &  MUKAWA HOKUTO, Yamanashi

Main place for indoor programs：KICHIJOJI, Tokyo

OUTDOOR PROGRAMS

SHELTER CAMP

The first pillar of the four survival skills taught to us by Native Americans  is “shelter”.  In this program, we do not use tents, but rather sleep in a “house, shelter” that we make on our own.  During these two days, with no watches, we will learn important wisdom and techniques to live in nature, letting our bodies blend in with nature, we will listen to the voice of Mother Earth.

(knowledge and skills to live in the forest, rope work, free time in the forest, outdoor cooking etc…)

 

FIRE BUILDING PROGRAM

We will spend one day with “fire”, which was a very important aspect of people’s lives traditionally since ancient times. 
Starting a fire from scratch is surprisingly difficult.  Observing the “flames of the fire” we have fostered with our hearts and “fire”, we can see the flames dancing with joy. 
During this program, we will each make our own fire and learn basic techniques to foster a fire and keep it burning. 
After fostering our fires, we will enjoy food cooked in campfire.

(collecting firewood, techniques for arranging firewood and raising a fire, starting and raising our own fire, campfire cooking, etc)

AWARENESS CAMP

The theme of this program is awareness. 
Native people have taught us from ancient times that the most important and most profound aspect of living is “awareness”. 
By bringing our hearts and bodies to a place of deep relaxation, we can “recognize” and “perceive” more clearly, this changes the way we see our surroundings. 

During this program, by coming into nature and learning about native people’s skills and wisdom, we shed the layers built up in our hearts and bodies from daily life in the city and experience connection with nature.  The world may seem to be a harsh place to live in but it is actually a world full of joy.

(Native people’s wisdom and skills – awareness, wide-angle vision, fox walk – meditation, solo time, campfire, valley and forest exploration, outdoor cooking, etc)

CARETAKER PROGRAM

We have two types of this program.
【light】is one-day program and 【standard】is two-day program.

Both are nature restoration workshop.  We will learn to care for nature by trimming the trees in the forest, adjusting the flow of the water and air, and giving attention to the forest, not as “managers” of nature but as caretakers.  By taking care of the forest, we are also actually taking care of our selves. 

(caretaker introduction, nature exploration and research, fieldwork in the river and forest, use and care of tools, etc…)

SUMMER NOBINOBI CAMP for children

“Nobinobi” in Japanese is a word we use to describe “freedom”.  This camp is for children to experience playing in deep nature, without much care about time, freely.  There is no set program so children discover new ways to play every year.

During the time we are in OKUTAMA, we fetch our own water from the river, in which we can also swim if the weather is good, we cook with firewood, and enjoy only natural light as there is no electricity.  This is a unique experience for children to live in a wild environment and step out of their sometimes too convenient daily life.  Children can recognize and feel that they are part of a natural cycle of life and that we could not live without nature.

We sleep in tents during the summer camps in OKUTAMA.

(walking in the forest, setting up tents, playing in the river, making delicious food, making a toilet in the forest, and so many other things that the children will find and do.
For example : playing in the river, making secret shelters, looking for fish and animals, observing the night sky, going on walks, night campfire etc…)

Encounter with Childbirth

Throughout this lecture by Mayumi Tsuchiya (ASANOMI JOSANJO / a midwife) and Naoko Okada (EARTHMANSHIP) , we will reflect upon “life” through the topic of “birth”. 
Knowing about the amazing strength of a baby being born leads us to discovering how wonderful we are, knowing about the pleasures of childbirth leads us to a deeper enjoyment of our own lives. 
Whether you are planning or not to go through childbirth, whether you are a man or woman doesn’t matter, anyone who has been born can participate in this lecture.

(discussion about the mechanism of childbirth, natural childbirth, how food makes up our bodies, breastfeeding, childbirth stories, partner childbirth stories (from the father’s viewpoint), group discussion)

more…coming soon…