The people
who make this place.
Meet SHINDO's founding members, Munokai Natural Farm as our base, the craftspeople who support the field, partners from across Japan, and the villagers who work alongside us in Showa Village.
ZEN-BU Inc.
The company that runs SHINDO, which builds the foundations of life from natural farming in Aizu and Oku-Aizu, Fukushima. We bring people active in fields other than farming from across Japan to Aizu, and through dialogue on the ground, turn ideas into projects one by one. By putting people, resources, and money to good use, we create a place for co-creation where both our companions and the region grow richer.
Kōta Uno宇野宏泰
After aspiring to be a scholar, he turned to natural farming in search of a livelihood closer to the essentials. He visited more than 30 farms across Japan before moving to Aizu in 2021. The founder of SHINDO.
The founder's note →Takeo Ōshima大島武生
Moved to Aizu in the winter of his senior year of university. He leads education and site development, bridging city students and rural farming.
SHINDO is a project run by ZEN-BU Inc. Co-creation partner agreements with partners and service contracts with field members are both concluded with ZEN-BU, and the financial statements for the project are published under ZEN-BU's name.
The people whose skills support the field.
In these snowy highlands, it is local skill that makes both life and business possible.
some of Aizu's finest craftsmenAizumisato
the craftsmen of Oku-AizuKaneyama (Oku-Aizu)
civil engineering professionalsAcross Japan
From all over Japan, each from their own place.
More than 35 partners from across Japan are involved.
Ayako Mogi & Naoya Sasaki
Produced our short film. Mogi moved to Aizu in 2026.
Hikaru Kawabata
Supports our web and podcast communications, and works in the field too.
Katsuko Toyoshima
Plans and runs our social media.
Lemon House
Comes to help on the farm a few times a year, in groups of about ten.
Nomadics Inc.
The whole company takes part on the ground. In spring 2026, 65 people came together.
And many others
Natural and organic farmers, doctors, inventors, and small business owners from across Japan.
Creating the village's next chapter together.
Together with the villagers who have sustained this community, we are building a future that continues from the life, water, land, and shared labor that already exist here.
With the residents of Onogawa ／ Onogawa, Showa Village
Where ZEN-BU was born: Munokai Natural Farm
Founded 21 years ago, the largest JAS-certified organic farm in Fukushima, and the source of SHINDO's practical knowledge. Both founders, Uno and Ōshima, started out by learning to farm here.
Terumasa Okamoto
In his twelfth year of farming. Stabilized seedling production and expanded the cultivated area.
Takuya Ueno
Left a company in Tokyo three years ago for Aizu. Responsible for rice cultivation and farm management at Munokai.
Nae Satō
Moved from Sapporo in 2025. Runs vegetable growing at Munokai.
Masataka Saitō
Formerly at a car dealership. Responsible for no-till cultivation and machinery development.
Shiho Koike
Twelve years of growing vegetables. Continues to experiment with no-till cultivation.
We are looking for people to walk the next stretch with us.
See the three ways to take partBuilding the foundations of life in Aizu and Oku-Aizu.
A path toward a new kind of abundance.
Published by ZEN-BU Inc.