Kumano Shindo educational center located in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture, Japan

1. Low Carbon Society & Early Childhood Education Community Lab
Thursday August 10, 2023
Presentation at Workshop/APD
Adam Lobel｜www.kumano.life
Commercial in Confidence

2. ● Hometown: Great Neck, New York
○ Former Native American settlement and fishing grounds
○ “Why aren’t people swimming?”
○ Environmental educator visits school and demonstrates aquifer → interest in conversation
and marine biology (classes at CW Post)
○ Music lessons at Mannes Prep → Introduction to Japanese culture through Allen Won
● University: Studies Buddhist Psychology, Ecosystemology, and Japanese
● 2000 - 2002: Resides in Nagano ("Japan Alps")
● 2007: Achieves Master's in Environmental and Information Studies
● Conducts environmental surveys for US Forces Japan
● Engages with nonprofit Think Tank "The Institute for Future Technology"
○ Contributes to Japanese 4th Science and Technology Basic Plan
○ Supports research for Industry-Academia-Government collaborations
● 2013 - 2021: Sizung - Develops patented technology for interorganizational collaborations
● 2018 - 2019: Facilitates community building for Distributed Ledger Technology projects
My Background

3. ● Kumano
○ June 2020: Visit Kumano for the first time
○ August 2020: Began activities as Kumano Shindo
project
○ November 2020: Started operating a network hub for
the Government of Japan’s INNO-vation program
○ June 2021: Established Kumano Shindo as a general
incorporated association
○ March 2023: Began construction!
My Background
● Zenschool
○ February 2021: Participate in innovation training hosted by Kouji Miki and his partner Shigeru
Utsunomiya
○ Later translated the curriculum into English
○ December 2021: Earned my Zenschool Master certificate, which allows me to teach the course
● Government of Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “INNO-vation Program”
● 2019 - Present: Factory Automation at ITO Corporation
○ Digital Transformation (DX) in Japanese Factories

4. What is Kumano Shindo?
(Kumano New Path)

5. Community school located along the Sacred Sites and
Pilgrimage Routes (Kumano Kodō = Kumano Old Path)
in the Kii Mountain Range

6. Maruyama Senmaida Rice Terraces (Kumano City)

7. Atashika Beach (Kumano City)
Credit: Kumano City VR

9. 紀伊の国
Kii No Kuni
“Land of the Trees”
Location:

10. Above: Location of Kii No Kuni (now referred to as the Kii
Peninsula), which is about five hours by train from Tokyo
Right: UNESCO Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in
the Kii Mountain Range
UNESCO Sacred Sites and
Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain
Range

11. Ki-no-kuni (木の国) → Kii-no-kuni (紀伊国)→Ki-shū (紀州)
● Kii-no-kuni - An Ancient Administrative District:
○ Also known as Kinokuni, translating to "country where the god of trees dwells"
○ Present-day Wakayama Prefecture holds the name Ki-no-kuni since ancient times
● Mythological Origins:
○ "Nihon shoki" (Chronicles of Japan) recounts Itakeru-no-Mikoto, son of Susano-no-mikoto, planting
trees on divine order from Oyatsuhime and Tsumatsuhime
○ Identified modern-day Wakayama prefecture as a suitable location, choosing to reside there
● Origins of the Name:
○ Initially established in the 7th century as Ki-no-kuni (紀伊国), possibly represented by the Chinese
character for tree (木)
○ Some theories link "Ki-no-kuni" to its abundant rainfall and lush forests
● Historical Significance:
○ Kii Province with a history dating back to the 7th century, formerly known as the Yamato kingdom
based in Nara Basin
○ The Kojiki ("Records of Ancient Matters") mentions Emperor Jinmu passing through Kii Kumano during
his entry into Yamato

12. June 2020 December 2020

13. June 2020 May 2023

16. Japan Virtual Campus <https://www.jv-campus.org/en/>

18. An annual event started in 2016, which
has fostered collaborations and unity
between universities working in the
Kumano region – particularly architects.
Participating Universities:
Kyoto University｜Kindai University｜
Sagami Women's University｜Suzuka
University｜Nagoya City University｜Mie
University｜Waseda University｜Nagoya
University of the Arts
https://kumanosummit.com/
Kumano Summit

19. Collaboration with Kindai University Kozue Sano Housing Planning
Laboratory
https://www.kindai.ac.jp/architecture/news/media/2023/05/038835.html

20. Collaboration with Kindai University Kozue Sano Housing Planning Laboratory

21. Regeneration
&
Transformation

23. Copyright © 2021 enmono Inc. All rights reserved.
True Innovation Patterns in the Ten Ox Pictures
The Ten Oxherding Pictures (Jugyuzu, 十牛図) is a series of ten pictures of a bull that represent the path to
Zen enlightenment. True Innovation involves discovering and distilling one’s "passion."
Eventually, the ten processes follow this pattern to become reality.
Realize that you
don't know what you
want to do.
Struggle to make your
passion your own.
At last discover
“What I want to do!”
(i.e., passion).
Embark on a journey of
self-discovery to find
out what you want to
do.
Passion at last!
I got you!
Captured passion
at your disposal
Realize that the passion
was already "inside" you,
not "outside" you.
Become absorbed in the
passion you have
discovered within, and enter
a flow state.
A series of fortunate events
will lead to greater success
than expected.
Become a natural
communicator of what
you have learned to
others.
23

24. 『再生型な未来社会の実現に向けて、ムスヒ（産霊）という古語に
表される熊野の土地の創造性について』
“Using the Creativity of Kumano as Expressed in the Ancient Word Musuhi (Spirit of
Integrative Creativity) to Create a Regenerative Future Society”

25. Regenerative refers to a creative society beyond
sustainability. It is a system based on the principles of
regenerative economics, which is dedicated to the
regeneration of natural capital. It uses methodologies like
permaculture and biomimicry to extend the earth's natural
regenerative capacity, and incorporates the governance
models required to do so.

26. Organization Overview
Mission: To accelerate our transition to a regenerative society where people have a sense of excitement, we
collaborate in our place, and around the world, to create projects and learning opportunities with new value, using
modern technologies, and respecting nature and the wisdom of our ancestors.
Values:
1. Organizational management that takes into account the values of the ecosystems in which we work, including
the cultures of our company and business partners, the local natural environment and resources, and
biodiversity.
2. Promote projects with the virtue of learning and collaborating with diverse entities, and having fun while doing
so.
3. Contribute to the Kii region, and all regions where we work, by pioneering pathways that lead to well-being and
revitalization of all living things. We do this by creating the proper a. knowledge, b. mindset, c. technology, and
d. human resources, while paying respect to the spirituality of the land of Kumano as expressed in the ancient
word musuhi.
Organization Name: Kumano Shindo General Incorporated Association (GIA)
Date and Location of Incorporation: June 21, 2021 | Mie Prefecture, Japan

27. 1) Regeneration of Satoyama and Satoumi: Ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation projects,
including cooperative farming and permaculture in the satoyama of Ido Town, Kumano City.
2) Environmental Education: Creating a series of online classes on the Carbon Neutrality, the Paris
Agreement, IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), Transforming Today’s Energy Sector for a Low-
carbon Future, Environmental Economics and others.
Also creating a series of classes for early-childhood education, and implementing regenerative forest
educational programs in cooperation with our partner NOJIMOKU Co. Ltd. Also, on-site educational programs
on architecture and carpentry.
3) Innovation Program and Human Resource Development: Activities for entrepreneurs and unusual
people in the community, including evidence-based innovation training through zenschool, and funding
opportunities through the Govt. of Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ INNO-vation
Business Activities

28. Classes such as:
● School Garden Curriculum
● Microclimates
● Supporting Beneficial Insects
● Ecosystems, symbiosis,
interactions
● Mindfulness for Children and
Families
Early-Childhood Environmental Education

29. Adam LOBEL, Representative Director |
Manufacturing DX @ ITO Corporation. Fellow @
Institute for Future Engineering. Previously,
Ecosystem Director @ Sizung, collaboration network
for the 21st century. 2019 Generation Award winner
(Govt of Japan, MIC). UC Berkeley (BA), Tokyo City
University (MS).
Kouji MIKI, Director | Keio University (Master of
Media and Governance). Representative Director at
Zen2.0. CEO at enmono Inc., co-founder of
zenschool. Recovered from mental challenges after a
company restructuring through Zen practice at home.
Started Zen-based management seminars for SMEs,
launched Zen2.0, Japan’s largest mindfulness event.
Satoka SHIMIZU, Director Emeritus | Former director of
JIWF (Japan India Women's Forum), former sustainability
and environmental strategic planner at a Japanese
multinational electronics company. Certified via
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership in
Business Sustainability Management. Accredited climate
change teacher of United Nations Climate Change Learn.
Carolina CARVALHO, Director, Resident Ecologist |
Network ecologist. Accelerating our transition to a
regenerative future as Activation Core Steward at the
Global Regeneration CoLab (GRC) and data scientist at
African Data Technologies. Natural Resource
Management and Conservation (MSc). Certified
Permaculture Designer.
Yuki WATANABE, Communications Manager |
Awarded while working on the revitalization of inns at
Hoshino Resort and SEKAI HOTEL. Launched a
language school for ICT-based learning and creatives.
At Deloitte Tohmatsu, helped venture companies
expand and connect with government agencies and
large corporations to create new businesses.
Dan BIHN, Chief Science Communicator | Systems
engineer working across traditional boundaries to
communicate the possibilities of a low-carbon energy
future. Visiting scholar, Portland State University’s
Hatfield School of Government, Initiative for Community
Disaster Resilience. Previously, visiting researcher,
Kumamoto University. M.S., ECEE, UC Davis.
Kumano Shindo General Incorporated Association (GIA)

30. Kawamura-sensei (川邑先生)
Kumano-based architect and originator of term “Kumano Shindo”

31. Kumano Shindo Masterplan｜熊野新道の土地計画

32. Kumano Shindo is currently renovating a hundred year old farmhouse as our headquarters

34. - Ongoing restoration of a traditional
satoyama terraced landscape in Ido
Town, Kumano City
- Recovery of built infrastructure to
house an INNO-vation network hub
- Demonstration of regenerative
techniques and technologies:
permaculture, worm compost, olla
irrigation, etc.
Satoyama Terrace Landscape Regeneration and Modernization Project

35. Supporting Community
INNO-vation!
“Supporting the bold ideas of
creative thinkers who,
unfettered by conventional
wisdom and unafraid of failure,
are able to think outside of the
box and take decisive action in
order to create something from
nothing – we call them hen (a
Japanese word meaning
strange or unusual) - all while
creating an environment in
which even bolder ideas can
flourish by bringing these
innovators together.”
…and many others!
INNO-vation Network

36. ● Population Decline in Kumano City:
○ Like many Japanese regions, Kumano City experiences population decline due to youth
migration and aging
○ From 1990 to 2022, the population dropped from 25,783 to 15,861, marking a 39% decrease
○ Lack of local tertiary educational institutions contributes to outmigration
● Educational Migration:
○ Absence of local universities, colleges, and vocational schools leads many high school
graduates to leave Kumano
○ Facilities affiliated with Kinki University in Shingu City and Mie University in Tsu City serve as
alternatives
● Digital Transformation (DX) for Positive Impact:
○ Kumano Shindo aims to leverage digital transformation (DX) in forestry, fishing, and local
industries
○ Believes DX can combat challenges of knowledge loss, economic decline, and brain drain
● Innovation as a Solution:
○ Kumano Shindo sees innovation as a remedy for local industry challenges
○ Aims to counteract economic decline and brain drain resulting from population decrease
(2) Why Drive Innovation in Kumano?

37. Why is Kumano Fertile Ground for Innovation?
Nature that Inspires People
Traces of an ancient belief in
nature (animism) that many people
have forgotten
With the inspiration we get from the land
and nature of Kumano, we are excited to
support “out of the box” and different ideas
to cultivate innovation!
Ancient Word expressing the
divinity of Kumano
産（む）す ＝ Produce / Create
霊（ひ） ＝ Power / Energy
産霊（ムスヒ）＝ Creativity

38. web: www.kumano.life
email: connect@kumano.life
Regenerative + Innovative Community Lab

39. ユダヤと
日本
・
Jewish and
Japanese

40. ● Japan’s culture is “metaverse ready”
○ The quality of a distinct universe within a discrete, bespoke experience is found throughout traditional
Japanese culture (e.g. Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), Noh, and Zen)
● Kumano Shindo is investigating:
○ What are the qualities necessary to allow this Japanese culture/metaverse experience to benefit
people in Kumano and around the world, and lead to the development of regenerative models that
integrate unique bioregional characteristics and local traditions?

41. The tea room and the metaverse similarly provide an opportunity to soften social hierarchies,
providing an equalizing effect. An environment that resonates with our inner INNO!
In the Sengoku period (1467 - 1568), the practice
of entering the tea room with one’s head bowed
through a nijiriguchi (crawl-through doorway) was
introduced. Samurai had to place their sword on a
rack before entering.
The tea room was a space
where hierarchy dissolved,
and one could converse with
all tea masters as equals,
regardless of class or rank.

42. ・Biodiversity Info (3D Images, Ecological Features including Habitat, DNA data)
・Traditions, Knowledge, Religions, Myth
・Personal living proof: name, image, self-introduction, accomplishment
・All data recorded to time layers + GIS (location) coordinates
Creating a local case study through “extended reality”: mashup of
Wikipedia + Metaverse + GIS Data
Kumano Shindo
Metaverse
Platform
Learn about
Kumano
Kōji ONAKA, Director, Kayanoki Museum (link)

43. In the Press
Announcing our Campaign

44. Article published after our December 2020 opening ceremony!

47. 三重県立熊野少年自然の家主催のオンライン教室にて指導