Atarashiki Mura
Atarashiki-mura ( Japanese 新 し き 村 , "New Village") is a Japanese community project , which was founded by the artist and philosopher Saneatsu Mushanokōji .
history
The "village" (Mura) was created in 1918 in Hyūga (Ishikawauchi, ⊙ ), in the mountains of the Miyazaki prefecture in Kyūshū . In 1939 a dam was to be built in the area and a large area flooded , so the community looked for a new place to stay and moved to Moroyama in Saitama Prefecture , in the greater Tokyo area . Some members are still living in Hyūga, but they are heavily dependent on support from the Moroyama community and "external members".
The founder Mushanokōji worked in the village for a while, but soon decided to work outside and support the project with the income from his novels, plays and paintings. There has always been an artist penchant for Mura and there are quite a number of artists who also lived there or supported the project remotely, and there is an art gallery that has published various publications as well. Some residents work as potters, but most of the income comes from the sale of agricultural products (chicken, manure, shiitake , rice, organically grown vegetables, green tea, apricots and bread). The village also had a kindergarten teacher school.
The income earned is paid into a common pot and the residents only receive pocket money. However, all needs are paid for by the community, including housing, food, medical care and education. Members live in their own homes, in privately owned 'conventional' families, but food is usually taken in the communal hall, which has a stage for occasional performances. There are monthly meetings to vote on society's concerns. In principle, all decisions must be made unanimously.
The settlement project was repeatedly predicted to fail, which has not happened so far, but the group of members is outdated and the future seems questionable. In 2007 there were still 21 members in 16 households and around 200 external supporters; in Hyūga 5 members lived in 3 households. In 2016, the number of members fell even further and poultry production had to be stopped due to the age of the members. A large area was equipped with solar modules , which guarantees an income until 2020.
Ideals
The “spirit of Atarashiki-mura” is expressed through a text with only six lines. Mushanokōji wrote this and it is published on the back of every issue of the church letter to this day:
- Our ideal is that all people in the world should fulfill their own destiny, and that the individuality that everyone possesses should develop to its full potential.
- One must therefore not allow the individuality of one person to be preferred over the individuality of others.
- Therefore you have to promote your own individuality in the correct way. In order to fulfill one's own joy, happiness and freedom, one must not violate the destiny or the just claims of other people.
- We want to work so that all people in the world share our ideals and our lifestyles, and in doing so embark on a path in which they are able to fulfill their duties in equality, enjoy freedom, lead correct lives and fulfill their destiny (also their individuality).
- Those who choose to live this way, who believe in the possibility of such a lifestyle and pray or sincerely hope that all people in the world will implement it, these people are members of Atarashiki-mura and they are our brothers and sisters.
- We believe, therefore, that if all people begin to live, or at least strive to, live a correct lifestyle, and if people truly work together in this way, then the world we desire will come about with no struggle between nations or classes. We want to do our utmost to achieve this goal.
flag
Mura has a flag with four fields of colors that symbolize the four races. These fields are surrounded by a blue border, which represents the world in which the four races should live peacefully together.
literature
- Zenzo Kusakari, Michael M. Steinbach, Moshe Matsuba: The Communes of Japan: The Kibbutz on the Other Side of the World. Imaichi Nihon Kyodotai Kyokai, 1977.
See also
Web links
- Community homepage
- Atarashiki-mura art gallery
- Original site in Hyūga
- Japan Times, 2001
- Photos from 1986-7
Coordinates: 35 ° 56 ′ 7.5 ″ N , 139 ° 18 ′ 8.8 ″ E