I was working for an advertising agency in Tokyo. My father was running a hospital and nursing-care facilities in Aomori Prefecture, but passed away 15 years ago. Then my mother who succeeded his business also passed away 10 years ago. I felt “Local healthcare and long-term care service jobs are so meaningful in the society” and “They shouldn’t be closed down just because no one is taking over the business”. So I decided to quit my job in Tokyo and moved back to Aomori for the employees, residents, and for the community.
Nyango use to be a white cat named Shiro which was owned by an apple farming family in Aomori Prefecture. It died of some disease and its ashes seemed to be buried in the apple field.
n 2006, then medical professor of Hirosaki University, Jinichi Sasaki made a research presentation that black garlic fermented at high-temperature for a long time was highly functional.
It all started in 2011. When I returned my hometown from Tokyo, the region was losing population, the shopping street was run down and the whole town looked lifeless. Since I was in advertising in Tokyo, I thought I could do something to make younger generations feel proud of their hometown. So next year I organized the volunteer group called “Ikasu Ohata Kadaru Group ” with my friends to liven up out town.
Aomori Prefecture has various local resources such as nature, history, cultures, local products, industries, technologies and even people who are active both inside and outside of Japan. The “value” of these resources have supported Aomori people’s livelihood.
