“Nature Was the Best Teacher” — A Letter from the Organizer After the Water Scientist Workshop

Hello there.
This time, I’d like to look back on the “Let’s Become Water Scientists” Workshop from the organizer’s perspective.

The reason we planned this workshop was simple: we wanted to create opportunities for people to touch and engage with nature.

In daily life, we notice changes in nature less and less.
But the smell and color of water, its chill and its flow, all carry countless messages.
We hoped the children would discover those messages with their own eyes.

This nature experience began with that wish.

Once we opened the lid, it was surprise after surprise.
We started with the discovery, “This water smells like sausages!”
Then came an unexpected result: “Is the downstream water colder than the upstream?”

It wasn’t the adults who noticed these things—it was the children.

Their senses were tuned like antennas, catching nature’s voice—
so much so that even the instructors murmured, “We should check this again another day.”

Another big highlight was that families could truly dive in together.

Using water-quality test kits, they checked components drop by drop—from tap water to spring water to river water.
Watching the colors change, they discussed: “Is this iron?” “Maybe there’s chlorine?”

The scene felt just like an old-school science lab.

Some families even said, “Let’s take a kit home and test our tap water too!”
We saw curiosity spreading through households again and again.

And we’ll never forget the picnic bento we all shared.

Culinary researcher Shioyama and the executive chefs at Rusutsu Resort prepared a special lunch just for the day—
a true feast. Sitting on the grass and savoring it under the open sky made a precious moment for both kids and adults.

I also want to record our thanks to the Rusutsu leadership team,
who mowed an entire field of grass that had grown taller than we are, to prepare the site for the workshop.

That effort made today’s smiles possible.
Thank you, truly.

This workshop wasn’t so much a place to teach as it was a place to notice things together with nature.

The mystery of flowing water, the sound of the river, the coldness, the scents—
those five-senses discoveries seemed to blossom into a sense of awe:
“Water is amazing.” “Nature is fascinating.”

Above all, this experience felt like an important first step
toward caring for Rusutsu’s great nature with our own hands in the days ahead.

If this experience lingers somewhere in the children’s memories—
if it nudges them to glance up at the sky or notice the wind in their everyday lives—
then perhaps it will gently reshape how we relate to nature in the future.

We’re already looking forward to seeing you again at the next nature class.