On October 25, the first session of the "Northern Land Job Salon," an online event organized by the Hokkaido Government with the aim of communicating and exchanging information on the appeal of Hokkaido's agriculture, forestry, and fishery industry, was held.
The theme was "Introduction to Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries," and the guests were three people involved in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in various parts of Hokkaido. We asked them about how they came to work in the primary industry in Hokkaido and their thoughts on work and life in the industry.

Fishery / Hatsuyamabetsu Village / Hiroyuki Saito, trainee at Kitarumoi Fisheries Cooperative

Originally from Chiba Prefecture, he arrived in Hatsuyambetsu Village in northern Hokkaido from Tokyo in 2017 as a Regional Development Cooperation Volunteer.
He realized the richness of nature and the warmth of the people, which are unique to a small village and not found in the city.
He felt that he could find joy and satisfaction in fishery work that he could not get as a company employee, and began training with local fishermen in May of this year.

Why did he start working in the fishing industry in Hatsuyamabetsu Village?

When I was an office worker in Tokyo, I saw a hanging advertisement on the train on my way home after a long day at work. I wondered what it was, went home to check it out, and thought, "Oh, I have to go here! and I immediately decided to go to Hatsuyamabetsu Village.
There were six main reasons. In accordance with my feelings, I decided to train as a fisherman in Hatsuyamabetsu Village through the "Regional Development Cooperation Corps" experience.

What is Hatsuyambetsu Village like?

The population is about 1,200, and the village produces a lot of products such as water octopus, salmon, and glutinous rice.
As for the climate, there are many windy days. The winter cold is especially harsh, and it is often a whiteout when you open the front door. ...... On a clear night, the stars are very beautiful.
Because the population is small, we have a close relationship with each and every one of our neighbors, and we are often fed and given fish and vegetables, which is a richness that cannot be experienced in the city.

What I realized after working in the fishery

In the slide, there is a scene where the fisherman says, "Now we are going to catch salmon! This is a scene of "We're going to catch some salmon now! Not only do we go out to fish, but we also work in a warehouse to put in nets and ropes to be used for fishing.

On board a boat heading out to fish for salmon.

Training in the fishing industry can last up to three years, and the length of time varies from place to place. The training may seem long, but there are many things in the fishing industry that you can't do if you don't have the skills to do them, so we make sure we learn those aspects of the fishery.
There were a few things I realized after trying fishing. I would like to try fishing! If you want to try fishing, please refer to this page.
As for the lifestyle, I wake up at 4:00 a.m., go fishing, finish work in the afternoon, and have free time from about 2:00 p.m.
Compared to my days as a salaried worker in Tokyo, the difference in free time is obvious, and I have more time for my hobbies.
On my days off, I enjoy surfing and snowboarding, doing housework, and visiting people I know.

Message

If you want to do something, don't stagnate, just go ahead with whatever you want to do.
I want to live a life where I can say, "I have not a single regret in my entire life!" I want my life to be one where I can say, "I have no regrets in my entire life! When you start something, you will probably be told what to do by those around you, but it is your life, so enjoy it and live it!

Forestry / Nemuro City / Mr. Shinji Miyata, Ishiguro Ltd.

Mr. Miyata used to work as a caregiver in Nemuro City, but changed jobs to a forestry company six years ago to try a different career after recovering from an illness.
He finds satisfaction in forestry work, which involves not only cutting down trees but also planting and caring for them for the next generation.
She also feels happy that she can go to work and come home earlier and spend more time with her family since she started working in forestry.

Why did he start working in forestry in Nemuro City?

I originally worked as a caregiver, but I was ill and spent a year recuperating. After that, I decided that I wanted to try a different career, and I found forestry work, which was a major factor in my decision.

My daily work

If you ask me what kind of work forestry is, the first thing that comes to mind is "cutting down trees.

Forestry Work

But, "Isn't cutting trees destroying nature?" I think there are some people who think "Isn't cutting trees destroying nature? In fact, I thought so myself before I started working.
In fact, forestry work is not about destroying forests, but about creating them.
Without human intervention, forests would become overgrown and lose light. To prevent this, trees are cut and "thinned". We use a high-performance forestry machine called a harvester to cut the trees and bring them down from the mountain.
Then, in spring and summer, we "plant" trees to preserve them for the next generation. The trees need to be carefully nurtured for 5~60 years from the time they are planted until they can be cut as trees. Forestry involves a variety of work throughout the year, including "weeding" that grows after the trees are planted and "pruning" that is done to grow trees that can be used as lumber.
We also invite elementary and junior high school students to come to the forest thinning site and touch the trees. Many children's eyes light up at the thought of working in nature, and we are happy if we can get them interested in forestry, even if only a little.

Message

I believe that many people who are interested in primary industry or who want to work in Hokkaido love nature. There really is a lot of nature in Hokkaido, and it smells good when you breathe. Especially in the mountains, it feels really nice.
Please come and have a taste.

Agriculture / Bihoro Town / Sachie Yoshida, a new farmer planning to start farming in 2022

Sachie Yoshida has always been interested in agriculture, and when she became pregnant, she and her husband resigned from their jobs and moved to Bihoro Town, Okhotsk in 2019. She is currently training with her husband Takumi to start farming in 2022 while raising their child.
She is also involved in a project to promote local attractions centered on agriculture, and feels that new forms of affluence and possibilities exist in the connections with nature and people.

Why did I start working in agriculture in Bihoro Town?

Before coming to Bihoro, my husband and I were both working for a company that brought together researchers to solve various problems in society. There, I worked in education and community development, supporting people from all walks of life in the town to do what they wanted to do.
That job was also very rewarding and fun, but my husband and I both originally studied agriculture and were very interested in food production, so we wanted to try farming someday.
I started to seriously consider getting involved in agriculture.
First, I went to a farmers' fair. At that time, I met a person in charge of Hokkaido and was connected with a person in charge of Bihoro Town.
I decided to go to Bihoro as if I was on a trip, and I was able to help a senior farmer with his harvest. After that,
I was very fortunate that Bihoro Town was blessed with a support system, and it was a good environment where quite a few people helped me out.
I think it is important to compare regions in terms of support systems, but I also think it is important to meet people and go with the flow.

What I would like to do in the future

We are currently renting a house and living in it under the "Third Agricultural Management Succession" program. We are also planning to acquire 5 hectares of farmland.

Due to the size of our farmland, we have decided to become vegetable farmers and grow a lot of lettuce instead of being field farmers. We are very excited to find out the money needed for this.

Mr. Yoshida's future challenges

We often talk about what kind of farming only we can do.

The word "wellbeing" has recently become popular, and I think that there should be a word for well-farming.
I think it would be good to have farms that nurture not only vegetables but also people, farms that can serve as demonstration sites in collaboration with research institutions, and farms that can serve as the axis of regional revitalization. ......
I am looking forward to the future in many ways!

Message.

The axis we are working on is "Regret by doing rather than regret by not doing"!
If there is something you want to do, let's do it first!

Summary

We interviewed three people who are working or planning to work in the fishing industry, forestry, and agriculture.
All three are people who have made the decision to change careers or move to Hokkaido from other regions, and their stories are powerful.
The event reminded us that if you are interested in working in the primary industry in Hokkaido or would like to hear more about it, it is important to "take action," even if it is a little at a time, such as participating in online events.

The next "Job Salon in Northern Japan" will be held tomorrow, November 21 (Sat.) at 14:00~. Please sign up here!