Takahashi River Shijuku is a program that aims to achieve the SDGs in the Takahashi River Basin and develop people who can play a central role in community activities.
From June to September 2021, Takahashi River Shijuku, 2nd Term was held, with around 30 lectures planned by instructors active in the Takahashi River Basin.
On Saturday, July 31, 2021, a workshop on making an aroma mist was held by Mako Iwasaki, a Kurashiki City Community Revitalization Cooperator who develops products using mint (hakka) grown in Kurashiki.
I joined the workshop and enjoyed the scent of Kurashiki Hakka with the students. Here, I’ll introduce the class.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in August 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of Takahashi River Shijuku
Takahashi River Shijuku is a program run by the Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association, as a project commissioned by Kurashiki City. Through the history, culture, industries, and fieldwork of the Takahashi River Basin, it aims to foster community development, nurture people who will support a sustainable region, and inspire action.
There are two course options:
- The “SDGs Exploration Course,” which includes practical exercises and presentations
- The “Auditor Course,” which involves attending selected lectures
The first term of Takahashi River Shijuku was held from November 2020 to February 2021, and the second term began in June 2021.
The opening ceremony was held on Sunday, June 27, 2021, and around 30 lectures are planned before the closing ceremony on Sunday, September 26, 2021.
The lectures fall into the following five categories:
| Category | Content |
|---|---|
| SDGs Vision | Lectures where instructors actively working in the field discuss the Takahashi River Basin’s 2030 vision and current initiatives |
| General Knowledge | Lectures to learn about the history, culture, industries, and other aspects of the Takahashi River Basin |
| Skills | Lectures to acquire the skills and know-how needed to carry out community activities, including presentations, using IT tools, and making use of blogs and social media |
| Local SDGs Mission | A workshop to reconsider the 17 SDGs as they relate to the Takahashi River Basin and set goals |
| Fieldwork | Experiential learning in community revitalization in the Takahashi River Basin |
The first term had three categories: SDGs Vision, General Knowledge, and Skills. From the second term, Local SDGs Mission and Fieldwork were newly added.
For more details, visit the special page for “Takahashi River Shijuku.”
Introducing Mako Iwasaki, Manager of Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop
Instructor Mako Iwasaki’s background
Instructor Iwasaki joined as a Kurashiki City Community Revitalization Cooperator in October 2020. As manager of the Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop, she develops products using mint grown in Okayama.
While a student, Iwasaki studied at a university in Sweden, where she learned about reconciling environmental protection with economic development. This experience inspired her to work on developing products with a low environmental impact.
She wanted to put into practice in Japan a business model that contributes to environmental conservation, and became interested in a business featuring mint grown using natural methods, a crop that was once a local specialty.
Iwasaki is also a graduate of the first term of Takahashi River Shijuku, and in the second term she was set to lead a lecture about the Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop’s initiatives.
What is the Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop?
Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop sells products made using mint grown in Kurashiki.
It is run by Kibi no Kuni Future Planning LLC, which works on community development by making use of Kurashiki’s resources and local specialties.
It is a retro building dating from the Taisho period, located about 100 meters west of the Kurashiki City Art Museum.
Products sold at the Kurashiki Hakka Display Shop include essential oil extracted from mint grown in Kurashiki, and the air freshener aroma mist made in this workshop.
Let’s make an aroma mist with Kurashiki Hakka!
We’ll try making an aroma mist using essential oil extracted from mint grown in Kurashiki.
▼Here are the materials for the workshop.
From left: 0.75 milliliters of essential oil, 10 milliliters of anhydrous ethanol, 20 milliliters of purified water, and an opaque bottle with a spray nozzle.
Iwasaki prepared all the materials in advance.
The essential oil looks like a very small amount, but when you open the cap and bring it close to your nose, you can smell the characteristic cool, refreshing scent of mint.
▼First, pour the purified water into the opaque bottle.
Because the bottle opening was narrow, it was difficult to pour in the liquid, so we let the purified water trickle along a disposable chopstick as we poured it into the bottle.
The amount flowing out was controlled by adjusting the angle at which we tilted the bottle containing the purified water.
If we tilted it too far, it would overflow, so we had to pour at just the right angle.
After adding the purified water, we poured in the anhydrous ethanol in the same way.
Then we closed the bottle and shook it to mix the purified water and anhydrous ethanol.
▼Next, add the essential oil to the bottle.
The opening of the small bottle containing the essential oil was very small, so the oil would hardly come out.
So, we poked the opening of the small bottle with the spray nozzle tube to make the essential oil drip out.
▼Here’s how we used the spray nozzle tube to make the essential oil drip out.
After adding the essential oil, shake the bottle well to mix everything together.
▼Here’s what it looked like after mixing in the essential oil.
To my surprise, the aroma mist I made turned cloudy white.
Apparently, it turns cloudy white if you add the essential oil before the purified water and anhydrous ethanol are thoroughly mixed.
▼Here’s the aroma mist made by another participant.
When the purified water and anhydrous ethanol are mixed thoroughly before adding the essential oil, the result is clear.
Incidentally, there is no difference in the scent whether it is clear or cloudy white.
We were told to shake the aroma mist well before using it.
▼Finally, add a sticker and it’s done.
The handmade aroma mist is ready.
This time, we held an aroma mist-making workshop as part of a lecture at Takahashi River Shijuku, but you can also try making aroma mist at the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center.
The fee is ¥2,100 (tax included) for elementary school students and younger, and ¥2,600 (tax included) for junior high school students and older. You can sign up through the website.
Apparently, you can enjoy blending it with other essential oils, not just mint.
Watching the mint distillation
After the lecture, we headed to the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center, where we were told we could watch the distillation process.
The shop is lined with glassware like that used in chemistry experiments.
▼The distillation apparatus.
Dried, finely chopped mint is placed in the upper part of a cylindrical glass vessel divided into two sections, with water in the lower part.
The divider between the upper and lower sections is mesh.
Water vapor heated by a heater is blown into the upper section.
▼The apparatus being heated.
The black material is apparently a substance extracted from the mint.
The mint is heated by the water vapor, turning its components into gas.
The gas passes through a glass tube connected to the top and moves into a coiled glass tube.
The water and mint components in gaseous form are cooled in the coiled glass tube and turn into liquid.
▼The aqueous solution and essential oil after cooling and turning into liquid.
▼The aqueous solution containing dissolved mint components and the essential oil separated from it.
The liquid on top is the essential oil.
The distillation apparatus was packed with a large amount of mint, but I was surprised that only a tiny amount of essential oil could be extracted.
Incidentally, 20 milliliters of essential oil can apparently be obtained from one kilogram of mint.
After the aroma mist-making workshop
This is just my personal impression, but I had thought the name “aroma mist” sounded cute, so I expected it to be a simple workshop.
In reality, it was completely different from what I had expected—more like a science experiment.
I hadn’t listened carefully to the instructor and ended up making a cloudy white liquid. Even that mistake brought back memories of school lessons and made me feel nostalgic.
The last time I had seen distillation was in a middle school science class, when we did an experiment to separate water and ethanol.
I felt that learning about the roles of the parts in the intricately assembled distillation apparatus was an enjoyable experience that stirred my curiosity.
The day I tried making aroma mist was a midsummer day when I could really feel the summer heat, so the workshop made me feel as though I were working on a summer vacation independent research project.
Takahashi River Shijuku, 2nd Term Information
| Name | Takahashi River Shijuku, 2nd Term |
|---|---|
| Dates | Period of Takahashi River Shijuku, 2nd Term: June 27, 2021–September 26, 2021 |
| Location | Coworking Space “Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunpuku” |
| Participation Fee (tax included) | For details, check the Takahashi River Shijuku website. 1. SDGs Exploration Course participants General: ¥12,000; students: ¥8,000 (includes in-person attendance at all programs on the day and access to archived recordings) ※The fee is the same for in-person and online participation. 2. Auditors (participating in classroom sessions only) In-person: ¥1,500 per session (limited capacity); online or archived sessions: ¥500 per session ※A page accessible only to participants will be provided at a later date. ※Some courses may require an additional charge for actual expenses. ※Some courses may be open to the public free of charge. |
| Website | Takahashi River Shijuku | Takahashi River Basin School |
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