Life in Kamikatsu

To live with nature in nature

Hello reader, thanks for being here! I’m Kana and this is the Sunday edition of Tending Gardens, which you can read about here.
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“Kamikatsu Paradise”

Earlier this week, I was asked to contribute to a local website called Kamikatsu Paradise (only available in Japanese). The site aims to showcase what it’s like to live and work here in Kamikatsu. It’s funny to think of this small village being described as a “paradise.” I wonder—does it truly live up to the name?

Kamikatsu Paradise features stories and voices from residents, offering glimpses into everyday life in the village. The website was launched alongside a short TV series also titled Kami Para, which stands for Kamikatsu Paradise.

The TV show follows two salarymen from Tokyo—representatives of Japan’s archetypal office workers, known for their demanding work schedules, repetitive tasks, and post-work drinking culture. These jobs, while often monotonous and stressful, are seen as secure and reliable. In the story, the two salarymen, feeling stuck and unfulfilled in their city lives, stumble upon a pamphlet about Kamikatsu. Intrigued, they decide to leave Tokyo and try living in the countryside. The series captures their experiences as they attempt to understand what makes Kamikatsu a “paradise.”

After continuously feeling unmotivated by work and dissatisfied with life in Tokyo, the two salarymen pick up a pamphlet about Kamikatsu and decide to try living in the countryside. It follows their journey trying to understand what makes the village a ‘paradise’. It’s a simple, but wonderful, short story to get glimpses of rural Japan.

The show finished and can now be found on YouTube. The website continues to run as a place to showcase daily life in Kamikatsu. I was invited by one of the website managers to be featured. She asked me, “In a couple of words, describe what it’s like to live in Kamikatsu.”

The question made me pause. What truly defines the experience of living here? How do I capture the essence of a Kamikatsu-like lifestyle? I’m still reflecting on my answer, but these glimpses help shape the mosaic of what makes Kamikatsu feel like a kind of paradise.

To live with nature in nature

自然の中でボーとしている時も幸せ
I'm happy when I have nothing to do in nature

In Kamikatsu, it’s clear that people live both with and in nature. Here, nature isn’t just the backdrop to our lives—it’s our front yard, backyard, and constant neighbor. It surrounds us, shapes our routines, and anchors our days. In most rural places, this connection to nature is both a necessity and a profound richness, and Kamikatsu is no exception.

Living with nature goes far beyond admiring the scenery. It means actively working with the land and using its resources as a part of daily life. Many people here grow their own food, drink from mountain springs, and use firewood for warmth and cooking. These practices reflect a deep understanding of and reliance on the natural world.

In my first post, I wrote about how so many people I’ve met in Kamikatsu know how to do things with their own hands. I now realize that this self-sufficiency is deeply tied to their connection with nature. To live here is to be in constant partnership with the earth, drawing from it while respecting its rhythms and limits.

For me, Kamikatsu has been a gift of stillness—a chance to truly be in nature. Even when there’s “nothing to do,” I never feel bored. Early morning walks or waking up to the song of birds remind me to set aside distractions and focus on the present. What might seem like “nothing to do” at first is an invitation to savour the moment. Nature gently prompts this choice, encouraging us to embrace its pace and presence.

Appreciating the gifts of the seasons

自然の草木でお部屋を飾れる
Decorate your room with nature

I remember several years ago when I was living with a roommate in Slovenia, I found an entire cherry blossom branch outside our apartment. It must have snapped off from a nearby tree. It was at least an arm's length and I brought it inside the house because I thought it was so beautiful. “Who brings in this much nature indoors?!”, she said and we laughed.

In Kamikatsu it feels normal to pick something from a branch or the ground and use it as decoration. There’s such an abundance of beautiful flowers and plants growing wildly, that it becomes wonderful house decoration. It’s less about bringing the outdoors, indoors; but more about blurring the hard lines between inside and outside and appreciating the gifts of the seasons.

I also enjoy learning about the produce that’s in season. At the local farmer’s market, I can see what farmers are growing by the availability in the store.

Around a small group of friends, a community forms

初めての日本暮らしなのに友達が急増
My first time living in Japan but my friends and community grows

I’ve picked up and moved a handful of times in the last decade and I know the challenges of being foreign and trying to create a new home. In some ways, I anticipated living in Japan would be easier than in other countries and other ways much more difficult. Being half Japanese (born and raised in Canada), I had a grasp of the language growing up but I knew that it would be isolating to be on the fringes of understanding Japanese culture.

Despite my worries before coming, I’ve been fortunate to connect with people who motivate me to create and find my purpose for living in Kamikatsu. I feel supported in my growth and I also feel strongly about helping others in the village.

I’m not sure what factors allow such authentic relationships to form (perhaps it’s living in the countryside and not the city, or maybe it’s the kindness of the villagers that is at the fabric of Kamikatsu), but whatever it is, I’m grateful because it allows me to call this my home. Around a small group of friends, a community forms.

Thank you for being here with me. Leave a comment to help me grow!

Take care,
Kana

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I’d love for you to think of me as your penpal—sharing a note from a tiny village in Japan. With Tending Gardens, I want to bring you a small joy in the form of a newsletter. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.