A Japanese who tried to save the world’s hunger and thirst with Japan’ traditional well digging techniques

Droughts in Afghanistan and the southern margin of Saharan Africa (Sahel region) have made it possible to report water shortages. There is a Japanese who has challenged the thirst of the world by the traditional Japanese well digging (tebori). Agronomist Shoichi Nakata (1906-1991) thought, “Water is the most necessary for people suffering from hunger and thirst!” He continued his well digging activities with the motto “Helping is to be helped”.

After the war, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and was dispatched to Afghanistan in 1963 to work on agricultural guidance and contributed to the spread of the agricultural technology curriculum to elementary and junior high schools.

In 1967, with the goal of fostering human resources who will carry out international cooperation centered on agriculture, Nakata established an “International Cooperation Association” (later “School of Wind”), considering passing on his intentions to future generations.

Retired from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 1974, and was assigned to Bangladesh shortly after becoming independent in 1975 as a leader of an agricultural support team. This was dispatched by the Japanese government at the request of the Bangladesh government, but Mr. Nakata planted an Ipiluipil tree suitable for sabo and feed and succeeded in popularizing it.

Mr. Nakata tried to convey to all over the world the maintenance technology and agricultural technology of living infrastructure such as windmills and pumping technology, centering on the traditional well digging technology “Kazusa digging” that has been handed down. Instead of relying on goods and money, he tried to overcome the crisis in cooperation with the local people, making efforts to indoctrinate well moat technology that can be applied even in developing countries without supplies and to improve difficult living conditions such as refugees.

It seems that he had an attachment to Afghanistan, the place of his first overseas activities, and in 1989 when the Soviet troops withdrew, he tried to infiltrate three times as a Mongolian Hazara, but failed. After returning from agricultural assistance in Afghanistan in 1991, he died of a brain tumor.

“Goods and money can be procured from the outside, but water is definitely needed in local area. Water is the most necessary source of life for people suffering from hunger and thirst,” he continued.

He traveled around Bangladesh and Somalia with the students of the “School of the Wind” and continued to dig wells. The well digging technology is “Kazusa digging” that has been handed down to Chiba prefecture.

“I think the opposite of” love “is not” hate “but” indifference. ” The times of satiety and playing money games-I think this is the worst society, “he continued to warn Japanese society.