About "BeeCamp Hachimitsu"
"BeeCamp Hachimitsu" is a community that explores a healthy lifestyle while enjoying beekeeping with friends from around the world.
We aim to provide a place where everyone can experience beekeeping in nature, learn about the ecology of bees, meet and interact with local people and friends through delicious and healthy food and outdoor activities, and spend enriching time together.
"BeeCamp Hachimitsu" supports those who are drawn to rural "farm lifestyle" as well as ones who are already farmers, of all generations.
We hope that our activities can contribute positively to everyone's lifestyle.
The mission of "BeeCamp Hachimitsu"
Our mission is to promote sustainable honey made with care and respect, that inspires to get involved, adopt, nurture, and support natural and healthy lifestyles.
Why beekeeping?
Even in Japan, where the European honeybee is considered "introduced," it
plays a crucial role in producing much of our food, but its numbers are decreasing
due to pesticides and mites. Additionally, the native Japanese honeybee population
has been decreasing year by year as well. In environments where bees cannot
survive, it’s difficult to imagine our healthy diet. Through beekeeping,
we aim to enrich Japan's rural areas safer and more prosperous, while ensuring
that more people understand the role the bees play in this process.
The future vision of "BeeCamp Hachimitsu"
As early as possible, "BeeCamp Hachimitsu" aims to be a place where you can not only enjoy taking care of bees but also engage in various activities.
Early morning yoga, then breakfast. Then it's time to tend to the bees, organic farming in the fields, caring for the healing cows (for milk) and goats (responsible for grass cutting), and looking after the chickens responsible for laying eggs. Occasionally, we make ghee or go for a walk in the mountains to gather bamboo shoots or wild vegetables, or tend to shiitake mushrooms. For lunch, we have onigiri in the fields. In the early afternoon, we quit and get into a sauna session. In the evening, we cook with the harvested herbs and vegetables or bake handmade pizzas in the oven. After dinner, we gather around a campfire for music. It's also possible to watch movies outdoors or make mead cocktails. It would be great if we could provide tent camping spaces as well.
We want to create a place where people of various generations and backgrounds from around the world can come together to share such experiences.
BeeCamp Founding Members
Maria
Maria is an American engineer of Venezuelan descent, with a graduate degree from the University of Michigan. She met Daniel in Los Angeles and they initially lived near Nagoya for about a year after getting married. They later relocated to Michigan. Maria has been actively involved in promoting an exchange student program between the local middle school and Nagahama City. She has also served as the chairperson of the Board of Education and was an active member of the Rotary Club during their four-year stay in the UK.
Daniel
Daniel, Japanese born in the US and grew up in Nagoya, graduated from Rikkyo University and Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management MBA program. He worked for a Toyota-affiliated company and was assigned to the states for a plant start-up project, then he had a long career in business development and sales roles at a US automotive company.
In Matsuyama
In February 2023 Maria and Daniel left Detroit and returned to Japan after 34 years. They settled in Matsuyama, Shikoku, a completely new place where they had no acquaintances or relatives except “Ohenro” walking through Ehime. However, as they gradually found their place in the community, they encountered amazing individuals and kickstarted BeeCamp Hachimitsu. They are enjoying every day of their new life.
Their two wonderful grown up children are thriving in Colorado and California.