I researched, wrote & submitted 3 articles to the largest Japanese-American newspaper in the US which has a circulation of 40K global subscribers. They were selected by the publisher to be printed. I wrote these newspaper articles based on my interviews with Japanese farmers to raise awareness and funds for earthquake & tsunami recovery.
"Iwasa took risks and used unprecedented methods for producing the strawberries. Due to the contaminated soil, he adapted by planting his berries in 'benches' that are about one meter above the ground. He used his experience in computer programming to create cutting-edge technology for strawberry greenhouses using one hundred sensors and custom climate-control software to manage temperature, irrigation, nutrients, pests without pesticides, humidity, and sunshine to grow the highest quality strawberries. GRA utilizes information and communication technology such as cloud and even big data analysis for these state-of-the-art greenhouses."
"Kizuna means 'bonds and connections.' One month after the devastation in 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan spoke of kizuna as the 'bonds of friendship' as he described how over 130 nations and 40 international organizations swiftly came to Japan’s aid. Throughout my visit that day, the farmers kept mentioning kizuna and stressed with appreciation the importance of these local and international relationships in their recovery process."
"After the earthquake and tsunami, it was reported that not a single house in Yamamoto-cho was left undamaged. The JR Yamashita Station’s buildings and tracks were washed away. Miyagi Prefecture had the most loss of lives and injuries. There were over 10,000 killed or missing and 4,000 injured. Most victims drowned from the tsunami’s ferocious floods. The agriculture industry in Yamamoto-cho declined rapidly: many farmers and younger residents left the area because it was too difficult to rebuild, there seemed to be no interest from younger generations to begin farming, and the average farmer was the age of a senior citizen. In order to attract people to the city to farm, Mr. Naito resolved to build his own business that would do just that."
