Transcending Limits

第26話 Animal Welfare Act Violation

I started practicing Aikido again at the Osaka Aikido Association. In Dr. Koda's book, the term "pesticide-free vegetables" appears. This led me to learn about organic farming. There was a gathering of organic farmers called the National Ai-Nou-Kai, and I found out I could help out there.

Initially, I went to help with onion harvesting at an organic farm in Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture. At the time, I received vegetables and transportation expenses as compensation for my help.

Of course, I had issues with my lower back, and there was discomfort from being bent over, which put pressure on my stomach. However, since it had been a while since I worked, there was a sense of exhilaration. Next, I went to another organic farm in the same Kishiwada area to help out.

While talking to the uncle who owned the farm, he suggested, "Why don't you try organic farming too, Kakkun?" So, it was decided that I would go for training on weekends for about a year. The uncle's farmland was perfect. It was in a residential area, but it had good sunlight, greenhouses, and he was pumping up groundwater with a pump.

Furthermore, the uncle had built an apartment on the inherited land when his father passed away, generating rental income. He was also a clinical psychologist. The income from his farm was about 3 million yen annually, so he would often say, "You can't make a living on organic farming alone. You absolutely need a side job."

I looked into various side jobs, asking the uncle about this one and that one, but he said, "None of them are good." However, aiming for affiliate income from blogs that were popular at the time, I started writing.

Since agriculture requires physical strength, I decided to stop Aikido and started going to the gym on weekdays. And I started training my body like crazy. I was also influenced by a bodybuilder I met on social media who was a former Ground Self-Defense Force member.

In the summer, there was an Ai-Nou retreat in Mie Prefecture, and I went there. I met Koyama at a networking event, and he said he was growing vegetables using natural farming methods. I was interested, so I went to see him again after returning to Osaka. However, it turned out he wasn't using natural farming methods; he was doing odd jobs involving conventional farming by fertilizing tea trees.

But he said he'd give me money, so I decided to work for him. On the first night, he told me he used to be an alcoholic and a leftist core member. Well, he was lying about doing natural farming and having me do conventional farming work, so I thought it was fine as long as I was working. But something outrageous happened.

This guy used to raise chickens, but it seemed like things didn't go well, and only the guard dog was left. And this elderly guard dog was tied up with a short rope in an open cage and was being subjected to unimaginable animal abuse: he was given moldy food that had run out at a nearby bento shop.

When I saw this, I said to him, "Could you at least take him for a walk?" But he had the audacity to say, "This dog is already useless." That night, I told him I was going back to Osaka, took the morning train, and returned home. I searched the internet and found the website of an NPO called Animal Rights Center, I think, and looked up how to handle animal abuse cases. I requested guidance from the supervising agency, Mie Prefecture.

To the local Mie Prefecture official who went to investigate, he said, "Then you guys take care of it." However, the official told him that without the family's consent, they couldn't take action, and they also gave him guidance on how to care for the dog. Koyama, who lives in Tsukigase Village or Yamasoe Village in Nara Prefecture! This is about you!! For those who are now interested in natural farming, please be cautious.