What can a small mountain town teach us about finding value in the resources and people already around us?
On this episode of the Ikigai Podcast, Yuki Ohata returns with Satoshi Nonoyama, founder and CEO of Pangaea, a sustainable tourism and educational enterprise in Kamikatsu, Tokushima. Sydney joins us again to interpret our conversation.
Satoshi’s journey to Kamikatsu began with a dream of going to space. Inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam as a child, he attended Space Camp at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center while still in high school. He later studied in the United States, hoping to become an astronaut.
After returning to Japan, Satoshi worked in human resources but wanted to start a business of his own. A television program introduced him to Kamikatsu’s Irodori “leaf business.” He came to the town in 2011 to learn how it worked, met Yuki at Irodori and eventually made Kamikatsu his home. In 2016, he founded Pangaea.
Satoshi Nonoyama
Satoshi Nonoyama is the founder of Pangaea LLC, a company based in Kamikatsu, Tokushima. After visiting Kamikatsu in 2011 to learn about its Irodori leaf business, he moved to the town in 2013 and founded Pangaea in 2016.
Through study tours, outdoor experiences and educational programs, he introduces visitors to Kamikatsu’s natural environment, zero-waste initiatives and community-led approach to regional revitalisation.
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The value of a leaf
Kamikatsu’s leaf business began in 1986. Local farmers grow and gather decorative leaves and plants for restaurants. Because the products are light, the work offers older residents a way to continue earning an income and contributing their knowledge and skills.
It takes more than gathering leaves to make the business work. Farmers need to understand what restaurants want, recognise the quality of a leaf and respond to changes in demand. Their experience is part of the value they provide.
The business also invites us to look beyond the product itself. Its value lies in the relationships and roles it supports. For some farmers, the work may be a source of ikigai. It may also offer ibasho, a place where they feel they belong and where their contribution matters.
Zero waste as a community practice
Kamikatsu is also known for its commitment to zero waste. In 2003, it became the first municipality in Japan to make a Zero Waste Declaration. Residents sort their waste for recycling, and the town’s Zero Waste Center gives visitors a chance to learn how the system works in daily life.
The sorting system requires time and cooperation. Residents take part in it repeatedly, making decisions about materials they would otherwise throw away. Visitors can learn about the town’s environmental goals, but they can also ask what it takes to sustain a shared practice over many years.
The leaf business and zero-waste initiative have attracted attention well beyond Kamikatsu. Yet neither can be understood fully by looking only at its results. We also need to ask how local people developed these ideas, what difficulties they faced and how they continue to make them work.
Learning from the people behind the projects
This is central to Satoshi’s work at Pangaea. He uses Kamikatsu’s leaf business, zero-waste movement and natural environment to create study visits and learning programs for schools, universities and organisations.
Rather than simply presenting Kamikatsu as an example to copy, Satoshi encourages visitors to examine the thinking behind its initiatives. Why did these projects emerge here? What did residents recognise in their town that others might have overlooked? How did they develop an idea into something people could participate in?
He also introduces the idea of tacit knowledge: the practical understanding people develop through experience. A tour can explain the steps of the leaf business or the rules of waste sorting. A conversation with someone involved can reveal the judgement, habits and relationships that help those systems function.
These questions are relevant to a school group, a company or anyone interested in community life. They encourage us to look at the strengths people already have and consider how those strengths might be put to use.
A possible ikigai retreat in Kamikatsu
When Yuki, Satoshi and I met after my Tokyo masterclass in May, we discussed the possibility of hosting ikigai retreats in Kamikatsu.
The idea is still developing, but I can imagine the value of spending time with Irodori farmers, meeting residents involved in zero waste and experiencing the town beyond a brief sightseeing visit. Their stories could prompt visitors to reflect on their own work, relationships and hopes for the future.
There would also be time to slow down. Walking through the landscape and speaking with local people could help someone notice what gives their life energy, where they feel useful and what they want to nurture next. The purpose would be to make space for each person’s own questions and discoveries.
Such a retreat could be meaningful for someone navigating a life change or feeling unsure of their next step. It could also give teams a chance to reflect on how they use their resources, share knowledge and make room for people to contribute.
Kamikatsu offers no single answer to the question of how to live well. What it offers is a chance to meet people who have found ways to work with their circumstances—and to consider what might be possible in our own.