Konohana Family is an agriculture-based community at the foot of Mt. Fuji where 80 non blood-related members live as one big family (as of 2013 Dec). In 1994, 20 members found Konohana Farm, which then was renamed to Konohana Family. They aimed to establish a community where people can live together by supporting each other in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan. The name “Konohana” comes from the goddess of Mt. Fuji, “Konohana Sakuyahime no Mikoto”. Since its establishment, the family has built a certain lifestyle based on harmony. All members make full use of their talents in daily life, playing specific roles, and helping each other. Konohana Family practices organic agriculture and does not use any chemical fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, or genetically modified technology. We choose a sustainable method that provides a good balance between self-sufficiency and productivity and paying attention to the natural resource circuits. Our total farmland covers 18 hectares; 9 hectares are for vegetables and grains, and the other 9 for rice. Most of the land is borrowed for free from our local neighbors. We produce most of our food – 260 types of vegetables, grains, 11 types of rice, free-range eggs, pure honey, and miso (fermented soy paste), soy sauce, and other processed food, produced with traditional methods. We only purchase sugar, salt, and some spices. We also use “Konohana-kin” (Konohana-microorganisms), an original cultured microorganism solution based on the Effective Microorganisms (EM), for livestock feed and water, which significantly reduces odor and creates a healthy environment overall. “Konohana-kin” is used for the fermentation process of natural fertilizers, spraying for crops, and for humans to drink as a lactobacillus beverage for our health. Konohana Family has taken unique steps for the last 19 years without any specific ideology or model. Recently, it received high recognition as an ecovillage in various aspects for its initiatives such as: the environmentally friendly life-style that achieved high self-sufficiency of food based on organic agriculture; harmonious community building based on high-level of spirituality; a mutually-supported system based on common economy, and spirituality that is deeply rooted in the daily life without belonging to a specific religion or denomination. These aspects have attracted attention domestically and internationally.

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