These women in the photos are selling rattan shoots. They live close to a forest, and often go into the forest to collect rattan shoots. Since the rattan shoots are edible, they are valued as cash crops.

On July 20 and 21, my mom participated in a study tour on regional development, and visited Iga and Nabari, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Both are known for Ninjas. My mom and the tour participants walked around in Iga and Nabari in Ninja clothes.

Yasuko Ose made a presentation on “’OVOP’ as a Rural Poverty Reduction Approach in Africa,” based on her experience in having worked for the One Village One Product Promotion Project in Ethiopia.

One of my mom’s favorite books is “The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.” Forty-four villages are introduced in the book. People in those villages have made strong efforts to preserve the natural environment and their cultural and historical assets.