Man Embraces Radical Simple Living in Japan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2022
- Rupert left the city to grow his own food and to practice radical simple living. He prefers his radically simple lifestyle (all manual work, minimal machinery, 100% chemically free) in the countryside of Japan over anything city life could offer. He lives such that most everything he does would be familiar to the people who lived 200 years ago in his valley. He grows his own food, lives in a 19th century farmhouse and cultivates his own tea. This is part 1, delving into his rice growing joys, struggles and how it ties into a life philosophy that's all about embracing radical simple living, finding happiness in the everyday work and rediscovering the treasures and old ways of the past.
The photos scattered throughout the video have all been taken by Rupert himself. Absolutely incredible stuff! He's worked as a professional photographer for many years and still does occasional assignments. You can follow him on instagram (@rupert.japan) or check out his website (photograph-r.com).
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Sir i belong to a hill tribe in northeast india, i grow up growing rice since i was 8, sometimes i thought that i must be one of the most unfortunate person born and raised from paddy field, your video makes me realize i was wrong the whole time, now i understand that i lived a life what most people dream to live. Thank you and god bless
I'm flattered and humbled I can add a new perspective on the your rice growing life!.
@@satoyama.rupert I belong to Tangkhul tribe, our tribe have more than 280 village each village chief represent for the village in our tribe council. each village rice variants are different from other's. My village rice variants are considered not tasty, during ww2 a small Japanese garrison are set up in my village to launch offensive attack against the allied from Burma with C Bose and his Indian INA. Our(my village) There are stories still around that the Japanese soldiers finds our rice variants very strange and they like our rice so much. When it's hot our rice is sweet, aromatic, sticky but when it become cold it become hard as rock, our rice are full of nutrients and starch which makes it durable, A one plate can take you throughout the day with no hunger My village is situated 1670 above sea level, ending belt of the great Himalayan, during rainy season we live above the clouds. our water are fresh sweet and cool, any stream that flows water is drinkable, we don't have wealth but we enjoy the gift of nature in abundance.
@@cut_putashatsang9784thanks for sharing your story, it was interesting
@@cut_putashatsang9784 That is very interesting!. Actually I was against doing TH-cam feature of my life at first but I'm now so happy to do so, how could I connect with you and others otherwise and touch all these other peoples's hearts!. Rice has changed alot in Japan since WW2 so much insecticide (which is why I grow my own rice) so I understand why those soldiers liked your local rice ... real rice and not hybrid. Equivalent of kodaimai the true rice of Japan. That is what they tasted!. Pre-war rice. In the 1960's rice in Japan became hybrid varieties to work with chemical insecticides.
@@satoyama.rupert Your passion sir, it touch me. I've many thing to learn from the way you find happiness and satisfaction as a simple cultivator. In my place people look up at those who have govt. Job with respect even if its is the lowest ranking, us farmers are seen as the lowest, but recently the table is turning slowly in our favor. We grow our rice without any artificial substance like Pesticides, insecticide. When you said "weed is there for a reason" thats so true, weed is our fertilizer, uproot the weed thrust it deep inside the mud let it rot, weed is our secret to good harvest. This are busy days in our place as this is the paddy planting season. My village use around 6 varieties, all as old as our ancestors and 5 sticky rice variants red, black, murky white in colour. One thing i don't understand is you working alone, why? For us the whole village working together is a tradition, today the whole village work on my family fields, tomorrow our neighbors and the next neighbor, but its a tradition for the host feed the people coming to work.
Visit my place, if you like it we'll see, we can find field for you too.
He found Peace and balance. That's Real happiness.
Until he gets too old to work like that...
@@adrianlouw2499 I've seen 90 year old japanese work like that.
@@happyfrietiez How about 95? Are they immortal and need no looking after, ever?
What's this I hear about an aging population crisis in Japan?
@@adrianlouw2499 How many things do you need when you are that age
@@HolahkuTaigiTWFormosanDiplomat You need someone to bathe, feed and look after you, that's all.
You know this, don't you?
Theres nothing simple about living a life like this... takes alot of knowledge, experience, skill, patience, devotion...
Chris speaks truth
Simple is when you are alone. Complex is when there are others who make things harder than they should be.
@@crisdeugzman3711thats your own definition, each of us has our own definition of "Simple"
@@kFavs some are wrong
@@elfascisto6549 wrong in your perspective, everyone has their own
I believe there's a lot more we can learn from him, 5 minutes won't do it
Thank you! There should be a few more of my views and opinions in the next episode.
@@satoyama.rupert The second part was just uploaded. Great lifestyle, you found your slice of paradise. Great lifestyle and philosophy. Greetings from Catalonia
I wish I could go there . I wanted to live in Japan for so long . I want that kind of peace and nature .
@@satoyama.rupert You should totally make your own videos. It'd be a nice way to make some pocket money for seeds and what not.
There's things you can learn about by just kicking a can. It's not that deep.
I love this man's soul, attitude and philosophy. Wishing for many blessings and good health.
"The cultivation of rice is the highest thing you could ever do"... OK, I'd beg to differ, but OK
@@tienglongmyHe just shared his view...You don't have to agree with him if you don't want to.
I also share the same view as him. He seems to understand life more than most people.
My wish is to meet this man and spend a day with him. Work the way he works.
It's a dream. He found the purpose of life.
I can’t wait till God grants me my desires! Mine are just like this but in a tropical place! :)
@Aziz Azif you speak with wisdom, power and hope! God Bless you my brother! Stand firm and keep the Faith in a Jesus! The Father Will reward openly! 😊
@Aziz Azif dito brother! We don’t find one another often!
Man with a beautiful ❤
Dreams aren't real , he's wide awake and living reality.
He's probably dreaming of getting bit by the snake. 😁
Oh my …I’m from Kyushu, lived in Singapore lost my American husband to cancer, moved to Bali Indonesia with two kids, 10yrs now, living in inconvenience with chickens and cats and one dog. I don’t grow rice but I’m totally with you, your idea of life, sentiment for nature and ‘development’. I hope someday I could visit you in your rice field…. Best of luck and keep doing whatever your doing. It’s beautiful.
I also live in Japan and recently started doing something similar in my free time. I rented a plot of vegetable garden from the city, and recently planted my first batch of veg. I've started baking my own bread and I do all my cooking from home. I'm doing everything organic, no chemicals or artificial fertilisers. I make my own from kitchen scraps and use organic 'teas' as pest control. Diluted vinegar for insects and a garlic tea for slugs. It's the most satisfying thing in the world, working with plants and the soil. Especially when it's personal and intimate, not industrial farming.
This is amazing, kudos to you! Can I ask how you made your way to Japan? You sound Dutch maybe? Just out of curiosity, Im so interested because its such a different culture, and Im always looking at other parts of the world, though I love being in/from Canada.
@Shasa You're not too far off with the Dutch guess, though Dutch on the wrong continent. I'm from South Africa, descended from Dutch settlers and Huguenot refugees.
I suppose I'm a kind of refugee myself. Things aren't exactly going well in SA at the moment. Two of my uncle were murdered in the last couple of years and that's a pretty common story if you have the wrong skin colour.
It's a big reason I left. Couldn't bear to live in a country where half the people want me in destitution and the other half outright brag how much they want to murder me and everyone that looks like me.
So I decided to move out of country. And given my own interest in foreign cultures, and foreign languages, Japan seemed a natural choice. My profession being linguistics also narrowed down the list of countries where I had good career prospects.
@@gideonroos1188 I had actually assumed SA for some reason. Deep condolences regarding your Uncles. What a terrifying situation to be in, I'm so sorry you have been through what I can't even imagine. I had heard about white farmers that were being murdered, but apparently it has been suppressed or overlook by media. How shocking and disgusting. I am so glad to hear you have been able to make your way to a much better life. Really sounds like you're in a great place now and living a peaceful and ever evolving closeness with the earth without the fear for your life. Must be tough to leave home behind in some sense though. What a gift to have the passions that have allowed this new life for yourself. You're clearly made of good stuff and I'm sure you'd make your Uncles very proud. I sincerely wish you a blessed new life in Japan.
@@gideonroos1188 how do you live in japan ? Are you a descendant from japanese ?
@@elfascisto6549 I don't have Japanese blood as far as I know. I immigrated on a work visa and am working towards my permanent residence.
I could listen to him talk about his views forever
Just checking all the comments. Thanks! Quite a compliment.
What an amazing life he has.
Debatable. Amazing for him. But not for most people.
@@laius6047 Agreed. This is more of a curiosity for me.
@@laius6047 yeah you are right that's why his life is interesting, i would like to know why he ended up like this. I am also following the path of religion and no desires so i can understand a few reasons why he is like that but not fully.
@@laius6047 pointless comment, it’s beautiful brother
This man is amazing. I wish him good health, happiness and a long life. Living the dream!
the title says simple living but this is what people would do everyday to survive and live. I think this style of living should be more promoted than the consumer cultural we have evolved into.
He is living life more than most of us trapped inside consumerism and fast and stressed lifestyles...we may have access to everything at anytime, but he is CONNECTED more than us.
make the change!
The easy part is anyone can live like I live. So fundamentally simple to do it as that's actually how our DNA is pre-programmed but governments get in the way!. They need your taxes, they create cities, so that free living is discouraged. Hope i can inspire more to do as i do. Rice!
@@satoyama.rupert Umm no. People created cities as we became more advanced. Cities are the epicenters of civilization where culture and technological innovation thrive.
Governments were created because humans created cities not the other way around.
Also this life may seem simple and "free" but it is far from it. You become a slave to subsistence living constantly at the whims of nature. There is also nothing in our "DNA" when it comes to farming. Its yet another innovation of humanity as we formed communities.
Than do the smart thing and go live like this instead of complaining how disconnected you feel.
@Rupert Singleton, what does the government have to do with living like this? It's not like you are being forced to live in a city. You can easily just go live out in the woods away from society. Nothing on this planet is perfect.
2:18 "Instead of making money, do something that'll feed, so you don't need to make the money"
💗
Car (oil, insurance, repair), children (school, hobbies), health, pension...How to deal with it? I would love to embrace his lifestyle, but is it suitable for a family?
@@cryptooutsider6157 Our forefathers lived that way. But in the modern era, as we already know the available facilities, it's difficult to change the mindset.
@@naturepositivevibes933 Of course it is! Some modern facilities are a real leap forward we can't deny it. I love to live in a natural way but I am happy to know a health system can assist me if I have serious injury. I wouldn't trade this part of my life with my grandfather's one
inflation news is nothing to the self sufficient
I love this English guy so much. It is so peaceful to watch and listen to him.
Long videos please
Ditto!
Can you imagine the energy of this rice?the love ❤️ 😅😅😮❤
Thank you! What an inspiration you are. Positive, productive and earth caring. ♥️
This is one of my favorite videos i've ever seen, now this is a dream of mine also. One day I will do this.
That's a serious compliment. Thank you.
When you devote so much to just doing the right thing and live with nature without doing damage it's hard to accept that there are so many others that do nothing but damage.
These videos always remind me of the van life videos. It's flashy, catchy and looks amazing. In reality it doesn't show the actual nitty gritty of the life. The down time especially.
Zero down time. Reality. the filming was done over just 24 hours,
If there is downtime one can probably rest, go for a hike, bring some produce to share with neighbours, make a salad or rice cakes and have a good time. Also living in a village like this, there are probably a tone of festivities, over which they spend a lot of time and labour celebrating. So it's a matter of perspective, some enjoy these communal activities that seem so effortful, some don't, they just want to go to an exclusive spa to get a message that they worked for all week for that money. As romantic as it seems, I'm not sure I would thoroughly enjoy farming, i just can't deal with the insects. But then being a digit in the economy definitely has it's downsides too. Rupert made his choice, everyone make their own choices, it's just that some people believe they don't have one, and whatever they believe, they're absolutely right.
You are richer than many of us in Singapore. Happy for you, at peace with nature, self sufficient in life. 👍
Beautiful message.
As a native from Samosir island, this reminds my childhood in the village, worked at the rice field and gardens. This is all about healthy food from nature. Thanks for sharing this nice video👍👌
Thanks for sharing your life, sir Rupert!
Keep growing! Videos on this channel are fantastic. Not manicured in any way. Just raw and earthy. Way to go!
He radiates the aura of Contentment 🕊
Now THAT'S a happy guy. He's extremely fortunate.
Wow! A beautiful sharing. God bless!
Need more of this man
I miss doing this! From planting, harvest, drying rice. Back in the day this is how I play and have fun. I want to do this when I retired. Thank you for sharing! ❤❤❤
🖐🖐❤️ …another thing that’s great about rice, it’s in the Chinese food I order every week! Ahhh, peaceful and sleepy rice…and big screen TV I love, love love! 🤣😌
Hat off to this man. You have to be so brave to do what he is doing!
Love to see more of him on here I love the video its fab he living how we all should be living.
This is absolutely beautiful to see, I love this man. We would all be in a much better place if we could go back to the land.
Your happiness shows.God bless your works
Hes living my dream
Rock on, Rupert! Beautifully done!
Thanks Bruce!
Fascinating
Great man! Love your life there! Keep enjoying your simple but gorgeous traditional Japanese life style there.
Your an inspiration. A good life in tune with nature, well done!
i saw thumbnails popping at the video and said "what! it was that short!?" your presentation with the video mesmerized me for a whole 5 minutes.
That’s how 8 I feel in my permaculture food forest. Each plant is so special 💖
He is truly living a zen life. Thank you for sharing this video!
Ther is a farm near where life here in Japan, they started to be completely organic, no chemicals, the even let the snails, (which are supposed to be very dangerous for the rice plants) live in the field. They actually making the plants more stronger. They also started to producing they own seeds.
I go out to my plants at night and remove all the snails. Otherwise they will eat everything. I give them to my friend in a bucket with a lid. His Chickens eat them. I get the bucket back with freshly laid Chicken eggs inside. A good trade I think!
That's really amazing and rewarding as well
His plight emulates what I am doing in outback South Australia. Obviously different environmental conditions, different challenges but to me, there is no other work more noble than this. To live from the land as much as possible. Out in my gardens for hours a day, talking to Mother Earth, nurturing her, while in return, she nurturing me also, both in mind, body and spirit. The most perfect symbiotic relationship that we have seem to forgotten in our modern era.
Now that it's rice season I've been spending 4+ hours a day prepping the rice field, irrigating and weeding the seedling beds. In the heat and humidity, insects, that's a lot of toil but I've never felt such satisfaction. Even if some of my crops fail (and they do), it's all in the doing, that - symbiotic - connection that so many seem to have forgotten or simply choose to evade. We have wild boar invasion issue so the next few days I'm constructing fences. After a hrad days farming how good those aching muscles feel! How you drift off to sleep in the same state as our ancestors.
@@satoyama.rupert I totally empathise with every word you write. Whilst you have the wild boar challenge, mine is kangaroos. We had the driest, hottest summer (40+ celsius for consecutive weeks) and the poor kangaroos came in every night to drink from a leaking tap, and demolished all my fruit trees at the same time --as there was nothing for them to eat. My land is too big for me to finance a fence, but what has worked a treat in the meantime is really hard wire galvanised mesh fencing. (Wire even too hard to bend by hand) I initially used the softer wire, but the kangaroos would also bend it, pull it apart and then eat what was inside to their hearts content! A labour of love for sure. I agree, no matter the setbacks, no work is more satisfying on Earth. Insects here aren't too bad coming into winter, but in the summertime, ants on the ground are unbearable...and plenty of snakes & flies! For the vegetables, flowers, and flatbed gardens, I have spent a small fortune on good quality mossy netting, and every night, roll it out by hand over all the beds to protect them from the kangaroos....rolling it all up when I wake up at daybreak. It's the least I could do to nurture the earth to receive her endless ambrosia and bounty for years to come.
This is my dream 🙏 I long for your kind of life, Rupert. This is a truly rich life
Very cool to see Rupert! You did it!
I did it and more! Even I am amazed at the outcome and how my life has become this!
@@satoyama.rupert I hope you will consider participating in more videos, I'd love to learn more from you on building this life. 3 short clips, beautiful and well produced as they are is just scratching the surface
Priceless, treasures.🙏
This is simple but really hard work. Hard work with real value and meaning.
This is so zen. I would absolutely volunteer to do this on a moments notice.
I love rice too but it's great to see someone loves it just as much
So nice to see you in your garden my dear friend ❤
Felt so at ease and peaceful when watching this video (:
The more diverse a garden, the healthier the crops and the better quality the produce. This is called companion planting and it enriches the soil with nutrients and keeps pests at bay. Allowing some weeds is good for these reasons as long as they don't overcrowd your crops.
my god what an extraordinary person, thankyou so much for bringing Rupert into my life
Maybe he don't familiar with Masanobu Fukuoka's farming .... he has a unique approach to growing rice without water :)
I am very familiar with Fukuoka-san and his rice straw revolution! I’m growing on 3 fields and one is dry grown like his method. The big field you see in the video it’s the first time I’m growing on it and it seemed appropriate to use the water method. Next year it will be dry grown.
Best way to grow rice
@Rupert Singleton Just wanted to mention what a pleasure it was to listen to you, and I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
@@satoyama.rupert 応援してます！
@@satoyama.rupert Hello Sir! Very happy to see this video and all the work/play you are up to~ I’ve worked in farms in Shikoku and Nagano, so I am curious about your visa situation for this long term stay. If you don’t mind me asking, could you share a bit about that tricky part and how you navigated it?
So smart. I’d love to spend a day with him I feel I could learn so much. Thanks for sharing ❤
What an incredible video and a peaceful way of life. The feeling of being free and not working a job to buy food and pay bills. That must feel amazing.
This man is simple incredible. The radiance that shines through his face. Chapeau!
This man's story is fascinating and inspiring.
What a lovely, peaceful and very tuned in gentleman this is.
The life everyone needs. I literally only subscribed hoping for a part two.
Wow, congratulations. It's going back to basic, enjoying life, and the beauty in it. God bless you.
Need more on this guy! Need to learn from him.
Love your stuff kick on love it
Hey Rupert! I’m not much of a comment kind of guy but I have to say thanks and congratulations! I know I have strange opinions but I have to say it to you. You are one of the most rich and successful person I’ve seen in TH-cam. You are the Man! Keep up the amazing work and thank you again for the inspiration!💪👌✌️
Would love love to see more episodes about his life
I instantly fell in love with this man. More please! 💗
guy must be in incredible shape doing all this work
Reminds me of the rice fields and the farm and the work my family does in Yunnan.
It's amazed me that someone is exactly think like me and doing thwse work.I always wanted the same thing what he is doing now.Only thing is he is living in his dream and i'm not.But you encouraged me to be that person!Thank you!
i would be proud to have this man as my neighbor ; i hope he is doing well and continues to do so
I hope everyone noticed the love and excitement in his face when he spoke about his rice field, inspiring
Amazing and inspiring! I wish you all the best, and I hope there will be much more farms like yours everywhere!
Love his perspective of life 🙏👍🏻
The life I want.
Thank you for sharing 😊
A very happy man, in peace and in harmony with his world. Admirable
Great video!!
yes yes so hip so cool cant wait to hear about his exotic dirt collection
This was beautiful. I've been struggling recently and want to build a life like this.
I LOVE THIS! ❤
This man is living my dream life. I wish he spoke more about approaching the elderly and getting a field to tend and acquiring the seeds.
Not many people in the world have found their place in it and are truly happy with it! You are one of the rarest people on the entire planet who has found this happy place geographically and spiritually.
What he says is so true ❤
This guy is Klaus Schwab's biggest enemy and I love him for what he's doing. Keep going being self-sufficient!
no he aint, he is shitting money
A few years ago I’d have jumped at the opportunity to live this kind of life!
Well done you, sir!
A wonderful existence, beautiful!
If this guy wrote a book I would read it, but I think a few long conversations would be even better
Living the dream. Good for him.
Would love to give it a go. He seems to be at peace. Beatiful.
First, gotta have faith you'll find a land (an affordable one) and I'm still walking on this path 🙏
Thanks for the hope n guidance
This looks like paradise on earth.
The most important here is that he is smiling and happy. you see alot of people thinking about these top jobs in IT and GYM where they work and work and no smile.
Great video I love to visit your place some day. Next year I retire from my work in Tokyo and like to start a vegetable farm for myself somewhere in the country side 😊
I love ds. We can't eat without rice in the Philippines. I love to self sufficient too.
I admire you and all you do😊
He doesnt have any money to his name but, he found peace and happiness. Hes far richer than most.