[Spoll! Interview with migrants: Hidezo Takemoto Disseminate the rich natural charms of Kochi through two-sword style: farmers and rafting

Hidezo Takemoto, who runs the Tosa Buntan farmer "Robo Farm" in Sagawa-cho, a town in the midwestern part of Kochi Prefecture, and also serves as a roughing guide in Ochicho, the neighboring town from spring to autumn. In 2004, he moved from Osaka Prefecture to Kochi City, where he became independent as a farmer after working as a company employee. Taking advantage of my experience as a river guide on the Niyodo River flowing through Ochi-cho since my time as a company employee, I started "LoBoRAFTER" individually in 2021 and hosted a tour. Mr. Takemoto, who works with such a farmer and a rafting guide, talked about the background from immigration to the present and the charm of the Niyodo River rafting.

From Osaka to Kochi. After trial and error, agriculture became a business

Mr. Takemoto, who was born in Hyogo Prefecture and was busy working at an event company in Osaka before immigration. In such days, he said that he wanted to live a little more leisurely in the countryside and came to think about immigration. When I was thinking of changing jobs, I found a job at a woodworking company in the field of manufacturing that I was interested in, and decided to move to Kochi Prefecture. 

He decided to work for a woodworking company and moved to Kochi City in 2004. After that, he continued to experience several occupations in search of employment, but the turning point was to find employment at an agricultural corporation in Ochi-cho. Therefore, we decided to manage the Buntan cultivation in Sagawa-cho, and decided to move from Kochi to Sagawa-cho. In 2014, he became independent as a Buntan farmer in the form of goodwill. We started "Robo Farm" and celebrated our ninth year this year.

Niyodo Blue and Rafting

I met Rafting when I was working for an agricultural corporation. I was invited by an acquaintance to give a rafting guide on the Niyodo River flowing through Ochi-cho, and decided to undertake two things in response. He studied under a professional guide in Yoshino River. After training, I started a full-fledged river guide life. In 2021, "LoBo RAFTER" was launched to provide rafting guides mainly from March to November when farming is relatively calm.

"At that time, Kochi was famous for Shimanto River nationwide, but I came here to learn about the beauty of the Niyodo River. It is surprisingly transparent, and I still remember the feeling that I was about to be sucked when I stared at it. In general, when it comes to rafting, I think that the image of going down the torrent by boat is strong, but the Niyodo River, which is guided by "LoBoRAFTER", has a gentle flow, so you can proceed at a slow speed. It is also attractive that everyone can enjoy from small children to elderly people and those who are not good at water. The beauty of the river that is so clear that the bottom can be seen, the leaves of the trees swaying in the wind, the voices of wild birds, the fish jumping on the river surface…You can fully enjoy the Niyodo River and the nature around it. "

The experience of leaving yourself to the flow slowly and feeling nature seems to have an unexpected effect, and the wife who lost her dog was severely depressed, so the couple who participated in the tour with the idea of her husband finished the tour. The expression of the wife who had a dark look brightened and said, "I felt fine. Thank you,” he said.

On the other hand, if you want to enjoy it actively, Takemoto will intentionally shake the boat, turn it upside down, and jump in time to excite you. He also makes full use of talks and paddle judgments, and seems to be devising ways to enjoy them according to the needs of the participants.

Experiences like never before on a nature tour

LoBo RAFTER offers a nature tour that utilizes rafting, as well as the fun of the river activities, as well as the splendor of nature surrounding the Niyodo River. There are experiences where you can feel the nature as it is, such as the "birdwatching Tour" where you can enjoy the bird watching with an expert guide while slowly descending the river on a boat, and the "Starry Sky Observation Tour" where you can see the stars shining in the night sky from a dark river.
The "Starry Sky Observation Tour" is currently considering the contents with the aim of regularizing the menu. As soon as it is confirmed, details will be posted on the Robolafter website, so please look forward to it.

Enrich your life with the blessings of nature in Kochi

Those who purchased Buntan at "Robo Farm" come to play "LoBo RAFTER", and on the contrary, those who participated in rafting may purchase Buntan, "I hope we can carry out some fun project that we collaborated with the farm in the future." In addition, it seems that the recognition of "Niyodo Blue" has spread nationwide, the number of people who are featured in the media is increasing, and the number of people outside the prefecture who visit is increasing, but by working on the transmission himself and supporting the actual experience He says that he wants to contribute to the increase in attractiveness.

"Robo", which is used for the name of the farm and rafting business, was named after Seton Animal Record "Wolf King Robo". He has a terrible sense of smell and sensibility, learns from calm and wise wolves, and will continue to plan something that will enrich life through the nature of the Niyodo River with various ideas.

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