Let's Go to Nanporo, Enjoy the Vegetables!! 'NOUEN,' a Team Formed by the Youth of Nanporo

NOUEN is a team formed by young people in their 20s and 30s from various backgrounds in Nanporo, Hokkaido, centered around local farmers, but also including town hall staff and cram school teachers.

Photo courtesy of NOUEN

Their mission is to show the children growing up in Nanporo that "farming is cool" and "farming is fun." They are taking on new challenges, focusing on their summer festival 'Yasai,' as well as offering farming experiences and developing processed goods.

'Yasai' Festival T-shirt. Photo courtesy of NOUEN

NOUEN is now in its sixth year.

"A teacher from the Nanporo town office who taught me judo since I was little asked me, 'Can't we do something interesting in town?' I talked to the friends I usually hang out with, and we decided we wanted to do something as an independent group, beyond the boundaries of the agricultural cooperative's youth division, the Nanporo youth association, the town office, and the co-op. So, we thought, 'let's just try something,' and that's how NOUEN started."
The activities NOUEN is involved in are all about making Nanporo thoroughly fun, delicious, and interesting. Let's take a closer look at what they do.

'Yasai' Festival: A Festival to Thoroughly Enjoy Their Hometown of Nanporo

In 2016, NOUEN's first activity after its formation was a festival called 'Yasai.' The name is a pun on the Japanese word for festival and vegetables. It's an event packed with programs for all ages to enjoy agriculture from various angles, including a massive sale of top-grade vegetables produced in Nanporo like Pure White corn and tomatoes, which are rarely available within the town, an exhibition of the latest tractors, tractor test rides, and even a tractor tug-of-war.

Flyer for the 4th Yasai Festival. Photo courtesy of NOUEN

The Yasai Festival was held for four years starting in 2016. The number of visitors was about 500 the first time, and it doubled each year after that, reaching about 4,000 attendees in the fourth year. A survey of visitors in the fourth year revealed that some had come all the way from Engaru.

Scene from the 4th 'Yasai' Festival in 2019. Photo courtesy of NOUEN

What was the inspiration behind this beloved festival, popular both inside and outside the town?

"When we were kids, there was a festival called the 'Nanporo Kome Kome Matsuri' (Nanporo Rice Festival). It had fun programs like the 'Doronko Cycle Race' (Muddy Cycle Race), where you'd try to ride a bicycle across a narrow plank over a rice paddy for prize money. It was a really fun festival that drew a lot of people. We thought it would be great to have a fun festival like that in town, a place where people could eat top-quality vegetables and learn about the appeal of farming. With that in mind, we launched the 'Yasai' Festival."
Initially, NOUEN was formed by eight young farmers, but as they continued their activities for two, three years, others like town hall staff, cram school teachers, and other farmers joined in, saying, "I want to do it too." This gathering of like-minded individuals, passionate about conveying the charm of agriculture and their town, is creating an exciting movement in Nanporo.

Photo courtesy of NOUEN

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the event was scaled down, limiting it to town residents and holding a drive-through vegetable sale. We're excited to see how it will be held in 2022!

A Mini-Truck in the Field?! Creating Fun Memories in Nanporo with Unique Farming Experiences

NOUEN's activities don't stop at organizing the Yasai Festival. They are also involved in 'Shokuiku' (food education), helping people learn about Nanporo's food through farming experiences.

One day, an acquaintance whose child attends a preschool in Sapporo consulted them, saying, "Due to the pandemic, the preschool has had to cut back on activities. Is there anything you can do?"

"They said the children couldn't come to Nanporo, so they asked if we could come to the preschool. So we thought, 'Let's load a mini-truck with corn and cabbage that are ready for harvest, field and all, and bring the whole field to them!' We called it the 'Mobile Mini-Truck Farm.' Each child got to pick one ear of corn from the mini-truck farm, and they also got to experience harvesting cabbage by cutting it with a proper knife. It was a huge hit."
This video shows what it was like. The smiles on the children's faces are the best part!

Inspired by the 'Mobile Mini-Truck Farm,' they started receiving requests from within Nanporo as well. They now invite children from local preschools and kindergartens to actual fields for hands-on programs tailored to the season and age, such as harvesting corn, cherry tomatoes, and cabbage, and riding on tractors.
They have also been hosting farming experiences for students from Nanporo High School every year for the past 3-4 years. It's a year-long program where students experience agriculture, including rice planting in May, corn seeding in June, weeding and management in July, harvesting in August, and selling at produce fairs.

Photo courtesy of NOUEN

Besides their farming work, the members of NOUEN are involved in a wide range of activities at preschools, high schools, and other places. What is their motivation for these food education activities?

"I hope that they'll remember, 'There were adults in Nanporo doing this kind of thing,' or 'That festival was fun,' or 'I had a great time in Nanporo.' People's actions are often driven by connections, right? The children of today might grow up to do similar activities to liven up Nanporo. I hope we can be that spark, so I try to be involved in many different areas.

Also, as I'm sure most people know, we usually only see vegetables as they are sold in stores. I want people to know how they are grown and harvested, so we are putting a lot of effort into food education."
Learning how to harvest directly from the farming professionals of NOUEN, picking vegetables from the field with their own hands, and eating them fresh—such experiences foster an interest in and appreciation for agriculture and vegetables.

Yumepirika Rice Transformed into Donuts and Pancakes! Exceptionally Sweet and Flavorful Yumepirika Rice Flour

In Nanporo, a town known for its thriving rice cultivation, various rice varieties are produced, including the Hokkaido brand rice 'Yumepirika,' 'Nanatsuboshi,' and 'Oborozuki.'

The desire to find more ways for people to enjoy the rice they cultivate with passion led to the creation of 'rice flour' from Yumepirika rice.
"Chef Oki from 'Shiawase no Recipe Sweet,' one of the patissiers who produced the 'Shime Parfait' (evening parfait) trend, gave this rice flour high praise. He mentioned that due to the characteristics of the Yumepirika variety, this rice flour has an exceptionally high rice flavor and sweetness. This led to the joint development of donuts made with 100% Yumepirika rice flour. Since they're not deep-fried, they are a safe and healthy snack for children."

Rice flour donuts. Photo courtesy of NOUEN

Around the time the pandemic began, they worked with Chef Oki to develop a pancake mix using Yumepirika rice flour as the next product after the donuts. It's a premium product with its main ingredients—rice flour, beet sugar, and buttermilk powder—all sourced from Hokkaido.

'Yumepirika Pancake Mix' made from Hokkaido rice flour

"When dealing with rice, we often hear about gluten-free options and that there are quite a few children with wheat allergies. When I gave the pancake mix as a souvenir to students at Nanporo High School, one student was overjoyed, saying, 'I have a wheat allergy, so I can't usually eat pancakes, but I can eat this.' It made me really happy and feel that it was truly worthwhile to make it. I really want people who suffer from wheat allergies to try it."
Unlike wheat, rice flour contains no gluten, so it's recommended to use a small frying pan or a mold when cooking. These pancakes have a gentle sweetness from the rice and a fluffy texture that you can't get from wheat flour pancake mixes, making them addictively delicious!

Hoping People from All Over Hokkaido, Not Just Nanporo, Will Enjoy the 'Yasai' Festival and the Town

In addition to the Yasai Festival, food education, and product development introduced here, NOUEN is involved in a wide range of activities, engaging with and being engaged by various people. We asked Mr. Jochi about their future ambitions.

"While maintaining our core events and activities, we are constantly thinking about how to make them more fun, implementing new ideas, and always in the process of upgrading. I would be happy if people from all over Hokkaido came to Nanporo's 'Yasai' Festival! I want to always be challenging myself. I have children, so I want to show them my challenging spirit.

Also, I think there are various groups of young people working on town revitalization in different places, so I'd like to interact with them more and more. It would be great if we could say, 'Let's all the young people team up and do this together,' not just limited to Nanporo. I want to break down barriers and jurisdictions and share fun things with everyone.

So, I guess my ambition is to 'conquer all of Hokkaido'? Haha."
The members of NOUEN are always planning something interesting. We look forward to their future activities!