"A House in the Middle of Nowhere" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sundays 7:58 PM) is a variety show that uses satellite images to find a remote house. In the August 31st broadcast, an American man who is fascinated by ancient Japanese martial arts and culture revisits a martial arts hall he built in the mountains of Ehime Prefecture for the first time in a year.
The search team revisited a lonely house overlooking beautiful rice terraces, featuring an impressive round thatched-roof dojo. The residents are Benjamin (37) and his wife (47), both originally from the United States, who came to Japan 17 years ago and mastered a variety of martial arts. Six years ago, the couple purchased this abandoned farmland and built the conical thatched-roof dojo. They practice "Jijin-do," a comprehensive martial arts style that combines martial arts, agriculture, and architecture in harmony with nature, and also teach ancient martial arts at the dojo.
When we visited a year ago, Benjamin and his wife said, "I want to build a greenhouse where I can grow avocados." This time, we'll get a closer look at how they live a life that enjoys coexistence with nature, and the martial arts instruction at the dojo. Currently, they are building the greenhouse together with the dojo students. We'll also be following the precious traditional construction methods that Benjamin and his wife are practicing.
The search team visited just before the beginning of the plum rains, on rice planting day. Rare varieties of rice such as "Happy Hill" and "Ancient Rice (Red Rice, Black Rice)" are grown without pesticides every year, and the rice planting is done using traditional farming methods handed down from ancient times. Before planting, an old-fashioned ritual is performed to pray for a good harvest, and then the dojo students plant the rice together.
After the rice planting was completed, a colorful lunch of rice balls made with Happy Hill wild vegetables, inari sushi, and home-cooked dishes made with plenty of home-grown vegetables was served.
