What is essential for the survival of the human race?
Food is essential, as are clothing and shelter. More importantly - air and water, but we tend to forget their importance because we take them for granted.
The Earth was created because its size and distance from the Sun happened to be perfect. So then, the Earth can be considered an amazing ‘Miracle Planet’.
This kind of miracle is delicate and fragile in that the fact that it is influenced by many factors.

In 2005, I heard that Furano Prince Hotel golf course was closing down so I proposed to return it to the former forest it once was. Fortunately, my request was granted.
And now, we use the site for two purposes - firstly, restoring the forest and secondly, promoting environmental education within the project site.

Restoring a forest does not simply mean planting trees. It also involves collecting seeds, seedlings and young trees from nearby forests and nurturing them until they are ready to be planted into the earth. As you can see, it takes a great amount of endurance, time and effort. I will probably not live to see the completion of the project and the full forest restored, which is why it is vital we hand this project down to the future generation.

This is not a project to make profit.
We are not growing a forest to produce timber but to produce masses of leaves. We frequently forget that leaves, not the trunk and wood, are the most vital parts of the whole tree; responsible for emitting oxygen into the environment and for storing water.

This project was fortunately able to begin with the support of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

Please take an active interest in your environment, and show your support to us and the world around you.

Program Features

The Green Classroom Situated deep within the ‘green’ of Furano forest, we will explain how forests are vital to humans. You will begin to understand the root of forest restoration within Furano field.	The Stone Earth We will explore a model of the Earth to explain the reason why the Earth is called a ‘miracle planet’ and other such issues. If we first understand the Earth as a planet, we can then begin to think about its environment.
The Barefoot Path This is where you will explore your sense. Experience walking barefoot and blindfolded on various materials in order to stimulate other senses like sound, smell and touch, when vision is no longer available to rely on. If one should seek to learn about the environment, one should first use their ‘senses’.	The Trails of the Earth We will walk along 460m long road that represents 4.6 billion years history of the Earth. By travelling the road, with the instructor guiding you, you will witness every drama and miracle of the Earth up until now.
The Seedling Bed This is where the seedlings are grown and nurtured under carefully monitored conditions. They are either grown from seeds or have been collected from the forests. Here you can take part in collecting seedlings and making bio pots, among other activities, in order to show you what it really takes to restore a forest.	Planting Trees The soil under the turf of the golf course is a harsh environment for trees to grow. We aim to restore the forest using bio pots and other various devices.

This is Japan’s first permanent facility that allows you to explore and experience pure ‘darkness’: a world completely devoid of light. If you can no longer rely on vision, you will automatically hone your other senses to guide you.
Hundreds of years ago, we did not have bright electric lights or street lamps brightening up our world at night; we had to live with our days ending in darkness. It is only recently that we started to live with artificial light. Yet there are still places in the world which are covered in darkness when night falls. In developed cities and capitals however it is a different story.

Furano Natural Studio was established by scriptwriter Soh Kuramoto in 1984 in hopes of training future scriptwriters and actors.

Over 300 students have graduated from the school, most of which have gone on to work as scriptwriters, actors or within related fields of work.

Performances are scheduled to run twice a year lasting roughly a month each time. The plays will run once in summer and again in the winter season, held locally in Furano.

Performance Schedule 2008
June 15-July 20

Story
Hokkaido. Piebetsu; a small farming village bordered by wild forest which is flourishing at the foot of Furano Mountain.
On his wedding night, Yuta,Skampo and brother- in-law Saizo, manage to sneak away from the ceremony. Once they reach the deepest darkest part of the forest, they chance upon some tiny forest sprites called Ninguls. Ninguls have been leaving the villagers messages warning them not to cut down the forest or a great doom would be upon them?
However, the villagers laugh off the warnings, along with the existence of wood sprites and threaten the youngsters to keep quiet about what they saw because the plans to chop down the forest are already underway. Yuta begins to doubt the wood sprites existence as well but Saizo sticks to believing what he saw and urges the villagers to listen to the warnings.
The plans to develop the village keep growing and growing until the villagers are so relieved by their new superficial wealth that they forget altogether the warnings of the forest until it is too late and disasters beyond their imagination befall the village.

There are prevalent messages of environmental preservation within Kuramoto’s published plays and works. ‘Ningul’ tells the tale of the forest and people of Furano and is just one of his many masterpieces which warn society about the dangers of environmental neglect.

If you have any questions or comments about Furano Field please feel free to contact us through email.

Email: shizenjuku@furano.ne.jp