大阪から車を運転して、宍粟市山崎町にある丸林さんの自宅に着いたのは朝9時。

　インターホンを押しても、電話をかけても梨の礫だった。

　日にちを間違えたのではないかと心配になった。待てど暮らせど丸林さんが現れないので、私は前回案内してもらった丸林さんの畑に行ってみることにした。ビニールハウスへと続く畦道で私を出迎えてくれたのは、本人ではなく二匹の鶏だった。地面に落ちているコーンを啄んでいる愛くるしい姿を眺めていた時、丸林さんがビニールハウスからのっそりと出てきた。今朝は6時頃から畑仕事をしていたそうだ。農家の朝は早い。

　50年前から有機栽培の勉強を始め、15年前から黒豆の栽培を始めた丸林さん。当時は知識が足りず、失敗に終わったという。科学に基づいた農業をするため、昨年から京都大学で農業の研究をしに行っている。

「真ん中の一番太い茎の根本に杭を打っています。こうすれば台風に吹かれても倒れないんです。あと、畔に対して真っ直ぐに植えることで、風通しが良くなり、黒豆が大きく育ちます」

　私たちが取材に訪れたのは2023年の9月末。黒豆の収穫は12月から始まるそうで、すでに小さな実を結んでいた。

　丸林さんの案内で、近くにある別の農家さんの黒豆畑も見学した。その時の様子から察するに、丸林さんは近所の農家さんたちと良好な関係を築いているようだった。ほとんどの人が、丸林さんに近況を報告し、栽培に関するアドバイスを求めていた。

「自分の畑だけを見守るのはだめです。私たち一つの空の下で働いています。壁も何もありません。だからお互いに助け合うことができるのです」

Toshimitsu's field of Dreams

Mr. Marubayashi is a black soybean farmer in Shiso City.

I drove from Osaka and arrived at his home around 9 in the morning. Despite ringing the intercom, there was no response. I started worrying if I had the wrong date. Since Mr. Marubayashi didn't show up after waiting for a while, I decided to visit the field he had shown me last time. Welcoming me on the path leading to the greenhouse were two chickens. They were adorably pecking at the corn kernels on the ground. While I was watching them, Mr. Marubayashi came out of the greenhouse and greeted me. He had been working in the fields since around 6 in the morning. Mornings on a farm start early.

Mr. Marubayashi embarked on his journey into organic farming half a century ago, diving into the world of black soybean cultivation fifteen years ago. Admitting that he failed at first due to a lack of knowledge, he devoted himself to scientific farming. For the past year, he's been attending agricultural studies classes at Kyoto Seniors University to bolster his understanding."Here, you see, I drive stakes into the base of the thickest stem in the middle. This way, even if they are ravaged by typhoons, they stand tall. And planting them straight in relation to the ridges allows for better airflow, allowing for the growth of larger black soybeans," he explained.

We visited him at the end of September in 2023, a time when the tiny pods of black soybeans were already forming, heralding a harvest that would commence in December. Guided by Mr. Marubayashi, we visited another nearby farmer's black soybean field. From their interactions, it was evident that he had cultivated strong bonds with fellow farmers in the vicinity. Nearly everyone approached him, sharing updates and seeking advice on cultivation techniques.

"Watching over just one's own field isn't enough. We all toil beneath the same sky, with no walls or barriers. That's why we can support each other," he emphasized, embodying the spirit of cooperation inherent in the farming community.