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絹と藍に育まれた国際むらづくり協議会

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当協議会は、相模原市緑区旧藤野町の北部の中山間地域、鎌沢で活動しています。

鎌沢地区は八王子から続く中山間地域全体と同様に、代々養蚕農業で発展してきた地域です。しかし養蚕業も衰退し、その後地域での農業は茶業に転換してきました。

山間における茶畑の景観の良さと良いお茶をつくる技術が評価され、朝日新聞主催の「にほんの里100選」に選ばれています。ただ、昨今では耕作放棄地も目立ってきており、また高年齢化は避けられない状況です。

それでも新宿からでも1時間〜1時間半という都心からの近距離にある山間部として、興味を持つ人も増え、様々な技術を持つ移住者が増えてきています。

養蚕、藍染、竹細工、家具製作、日本料理、等々、それらの技術を都市住民に伝えていくとともに、国際的にも展開し、地域の発展と移住者の促進を目指して、農業を中心とした活性化を行なっていきます。

The International Village Development Association Nurtured by Silk and Japanese Indigo is based in Kamasawa, a hilly and mountainous region in the north of Midori-ku, the former Fujino-machi, in Sagamihara city.

The Kamasawa area had been developed from sericulture for generations, just like the entire hilly and mountainous region, which extends from Hachioji. However, sericulture has declined and since then, the local agriculture has switched to the tea industry.

As the scenic view of the tea fields in the mountains and the good techniques in making tea were well received, it was selected for the “The Best 100 Japanese Villages” rated by The Asahi Shimbun. Yet, in recent years, abandoned farmlands are becoming more noticeable and it is facing a situation where an aging population is unavoidable.

Despite these, as it is a mountainous region in close proximity to central Tokyo, of just 1 to 1½ hours from Shinjuku, there are more people interested in the area, with more people having various skills moving here.

With sericulture, indigo dyeing, bamboo craft, furniture making, Japanese cooking, etc., alongside the teaching of these skills to people living in urban areas, we seek to develop internationally, and we will revitalize the area with agriculture as its core, with the aim of developing the area and facilitating people to move here.