Never Dreamt of Being a Farmer
Opening Google Maps, the search for a place to live began, with a focus on being close to the sea and having access to a larger city. Scrolling through the maps relentlessly, the Seto Inland Sea began to stand out. With remote work becoming more and more commonplace, the move for Shotaro Kojima and Emi Nabe to Innoshima proved effortless. “We thought living on the island meant endless access to fresh vegetables,” remarks a cheerful Nabe-san, who had never envisioned becoming a farmer. “But, what we found in supermarkets was quite the opposite. That led to the idea of starting a home garden, and then we were introduced to this abandoned farmland.”
The beautiful Seto Inland Sea stretched out below the fields that were once citrus orchards. This vista instilled Kojima-san, Nabe-san’s partner, with firm determination.
“When I saw the sea from here, I decided right then and there to be a farmer. I had no experience in farming, and the fields were overrun with weeds. But I thought it would be such a waste for this beautiful land to disappear.”
The two became farmers and chose the name “comorebi farm,” and now cultivate Hassaku and Anseikan oranges across three fields. They farm without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and their lighthearted approach to cultivation eloquently speaks to the joy of farming.
Emi Nabe Shotaro Kojima
Emi Nabe and Shotaro Kojima took over the abandoned citrus orchard in 2021, starting comorebi farm. They practice farming part-time, adopting cultivation methods that are unbound by tradition. You can also find their products on the shelves of Hi.Fu.Mi in Setoda.