
On this episode, we meet US-born Tim Jones in the town of Kuromatsunai in Hokkaido Prefecture. A veteran cattle farmer from Texas, Tim was 68 when two years ago, he and his Japanese wife decided to move to her home country to raise cows. In Japan where marbled fatty beef is the gold standard, will Tim be able to sell his leaner grass-fed meat? Join us to find out. We also visit a construction site in Osaka Prefecture where Vietnamese Tran Ngoc Son works as a carpenter under the Technical Intern Trainee program.
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Where We Call Home.
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Enchanting and invaluable, nature spreads over the gentle hills of Kuromatsunai in Hokkaido.
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Raising beef cattle here with minimum impact on the environment is this man from the US.
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Seventy-one-year-old Tim Jones.
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Born and raised in Texas, he's a genuine cowboy.
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He uses no agrochemicals and feeds his cows with only the plants that grow naturally.
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For thousands of years, nature just got along just fine without human input.
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And we think we can try to mimic that, and we can restore the soil health.
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This summer, Tim is ready to sell beef he produced in Japan for the first time.
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But he's having difficulty finding takers.
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Let's follow this old cattleman who works hard to make the farm he envisioned a reality in the summer of his seventy-first year.
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The town of Kuromatsunai is located in southwestern Hokkaido.
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In this northern region of Japan where beech trees grow, the locals put effort into preserving the delicate and precious ecosystem.
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1m 46s
Gather up!
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1m 53s
They need one Japanese word: "oide."
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2m 00s
Tim began farming in the region two years ago.
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2m 05s
His cattle ranch is a bit different.
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The cows spend their days freely among the wild greenery.
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No need to come back to the barn at night.
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Things that all the other farmers call weeds are really nutritious plants that animals do really well on, and they thrive.
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So, there's no reason to spray these fields with chemicals and kill this.
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Tim's farm is eighty-one hectares.
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Pretty much all the land we see here is part of it.
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As this was abandoned farmland until a few years ago, it's home to broadly diversified vegetation.
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3m 05s
Tim divided the area in small sections, each containing a day's worth of plants for his animals to feed.
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3m 12s
He moves the cows to a different section every day.
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3m 22s
The cows eat the plants that grow naturally and vegetables in winter.
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3m 27s
Tim never gives them any grain-based feed.
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3m 33s
Most of that grass-finished beef is finished on a monoculture, where the animal is only fed one type of grass.
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3m 43s
For the next six months, you eat nothing but spinach.
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3m 47s
You cannot get all the nutrition you need out of spinach.
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3m 51s
Same thing with the cows: when we give them a diverse diet, then they can eat all this stuff, and they can be more nutritious and better flavored and happier cows.
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4m 01s
Love that sound.
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4m 03s
It's a happy sound.
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4m 14s
Tim's partner on the farm and in life is his wife Chie.
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The two of them alone take care of some thirty Angus and Japanese brown cows - breeds that are suited to pasturing.
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4m 31s
Tim used to teach social studies at a high school in Texas.
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He and Chie first met back in 2003 when he visited Japan on a teacher exchange program.
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I don't recall when,
but he said he was a cowboy. -
4m 55s
But I thought he was joking at first.
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4m 59s
I thought because he's from Texas,
he thought it'd be a funny joke. -
5m 06s
However, Tim wasn't joking.
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5m 09s
In addition to teaching, he had been working on his father's cattle ranch in Oklahoma.
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5m 16s
When I was a young man, there were fewer than one thousand people in my town.
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So, that's how I got involved in agriculture.
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It's the fact that that's the road I was on, and I knew how to drive.
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Later when Chie visited Texas, the two hit it off.
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5m 35s
Tim mustered up the courage to propose, and they got hitched.
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After Tim retired from teaching, he and Chie ran the family farm.
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5m 50s
However, in 2018, Tim's father passed away.
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5m 55s
After much discussion, Tim and his siblings made the tough decision to split the inheritance by parting with the farm.
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6m 04s
Chie and I decided that we wanted to move to Japan, because Chie's family's here.
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6m 09s
Since 2003, I've been coming to Japan several times a year, and I love the country as well.
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6m 14s
And... but it was also our choice to stay in the cattle business.
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6m 21s
Tim was sixty-eight.
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6m 23s
He and Chie searched around Japan for land that was just right for the kind of farming they wanted to do.
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6m 30s
But starting over in a faraway country proved much more stressful than Tim had expected.
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6m 38s
He began to have chest pains.
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6m 42s
It was his heart.
He had angina. -
6m 49s
Worried for Tim's health, the couple were ready to give up their dream when fate brought them to Kuromatsunai.
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6m 56s
Abundant water resources and a diverse ecosystem made the region ideal for pasture farming.
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7m 06s
Kuromatsunai has a reputation for loving nature.
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7m 08s
The town loved and went to great lengths to protect the nature here.
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7m 13s
So, we were made to feel at home.
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7m 18s
In 2020, they moved into town and set up their farm.
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7m 25s
They named it "Gladney Farm" after the cattle ranch Tim's father had run for so many years.
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7m 40s
Tim and Chie visit some people who've supported them ever since they arrived in town.
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7m 51s
I was never a tofu fan in the United States, but I love Miura's tofu.
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7m 55s
Delicious.
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Using organically-grown soybeans to make tofu that produces no waste pulp are husband-and-wife Miura Yoko and Yoshinari.
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8m 07s
They too moved here, drawn to the area for the community's love of nature.
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8m 12s
When Tim first arrived, they proactively talked to him and offered advice when he started his farm.
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8m 22s
He seems modest, but he's a pro.
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8m 27s
I could tell he was
serious about farming. -
8m 32s
His age doesn't bother him.
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8m 36s
The old American cowboy draws the attention of researchers from all over Japan.
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8m 42s
They see in Tim's method of using cows to revive farmland a solution to the global food crisis.
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8m 49s
One of them is Professor Uchida Yoshitaka.
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8m 56s
Tim wants to make use of Uchida's expertise on soil to better partition his land and move his cattle.
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9m 07s
Did you see lots of them this time of year last year?
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9m 10s
- I think it's orchard.
- I think so, enough. -
9m 13s
Maybe instead of moving once a day, maybe we should move twice a day.
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9m 16s
Ah, OK, OK. Yeah.
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9m 17s
- To try to...
- Yeah, try to... -
9m 19s
...stay ahead of the maturity.
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9m 22s
This way of letting cows
roam on unused land so that... -
9m 28s
it becomes fertile to grow produce
is very appealing. -
9m 34s
Without chemical fertilizers,
we risk running out of food... -
9m 40s
if we're not careful.
On that, Tim and I feel the same way. -
9m 50s
Now in the summer of his second year since he started the farm, Tim is facing a new challenge.
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10m 03s
For the first time, he's ready to sell beef he's raised in Japan.
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10m 10s
Two bulls who reached maturity will be sent to be slaughtered between the age of 24 to 30 months so Tim can sell their meat.
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10m 21s
However, he's having difficulty convincing local businesses and restaurants to make a purchase.
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10m 27s
The main reason is in the kind of meat he offers.
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In Japan, the land of "wagyu," grain-fed beef that's high in fat content is the golden standard.
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Tim's grass-fed beef on the other hand is leaner and tougher.
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10m 57s
Informing the consumer with what we have, and...
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that's probably the most difficult part.
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11m 03s
In Oklahoma, it was not grass-fed, it would be finished as a grain-finished product.
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This is our first time to do grass-finished.
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11m 16s
Some helpers have come to lend a hand: Katherine, Tim's daughter from his previous marriage, and her children.
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11m 27s
They now live on a US military base in Japan, but plan to move here to one day take over the farm.
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When your father said that he was going to do farmland in Japan, what was your reaction?
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11m 43s
I loved it. I loved it.
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11m 45s
I mean I grew up on our farm in Oklahoma.
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It's... I couldn't ask for a more perfect place to start looking at raising my kids once I retire, and...
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11m 57s
For Katherine who lost her mother to illness while she was still a child, the family farm was a major part of her life growing up.
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12m 09s
Basically, I took care of Katherine.
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And so, every day after school or whatever, Katherine would go to the farm with me.
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I think she probably would've been having more fun with her friends.
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I don't understand why, but she's here!
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She stuck with it.
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That's the history of our love for cows, and...
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It's probably not so much a love for cows, but it's a love for the land.
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Raised on the ranch, the cows are destined to become meat.
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So, it's in honor and respect for the animals that everyone in Tim's family insists that none of the beef must go to waste.
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13m 05s
My dream in the future is to keep this farm going for a lot of years.
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So, all of the cows that we have will stay in our hearts and be remembered so we will always honor them.
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13m 24s
And we will always honor them so very much.
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13m 31s
July.
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13m 32s
One of the two cows turned 24 months old.
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13m 38s
Although he still hasn't found any buyers, Tim made up his mind and had the animal slaughtered.
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13m 48s
He thought of promoting the beef's appeal first.
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13m 54s
For this one animal, the idea of selling directly to local customers here in Kuromatsunai is much more appealing to us.
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14m 04s
We want them to be able to see our faces.
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14m 06s
They can feel comfortable that they're buying a product that they can trust.
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14m 12s
He wants the people of Kuromatsunai to discover the flavorful taste of his leaner, grass-fed beef.
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14m 21s
Tim and Chie pay a visit to a popular soba noodle restaurant nearby.
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- Hi!
- Hi! -
14m 31s
A beef delivery's here!
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14m 34s
I can have all of this? Wow!
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14m 39s
He asked them to think of recipes that will showcase his beef.
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14m 44s
Fresh ground hamburger.
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14m 51s
He's also enlisted the aid of other eateries to create a small cookbook he can he can hand out to customers who’ll buy the meat.
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14m 59s
Thank you so much!
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15m 03s
In the beginning, they were uncomfortable because of the language barrier.
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15m 07s
But now, everybody's friendly and accepting.
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15m 11s
I want to be able to offer something, have contributions to the community.
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15m 21s
A month later.
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15m 26s
Time for a taste test at the soba restaurant.
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15m 30s
The Miuras of the tofu shop also take part in the event.
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15m 38s
The guests will try soba noodles with grated yam potato and ground beef.
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15m 43s
Not overcooking the meat is key.
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15m 49s
Here you are!
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15m 53s
They'll sample two versions of the dish: hot and cold.
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15m 58s
First, the hot noodles.
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16m 01s
So, do I mix this together?
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16m 07s
So, this foam that's on the top, is this whipped cream?
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16m 12s
No, no, no. Yam potato.
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16m 14s
I see! Wow!
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16m 27s
It's delicious.
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16m 29s
My new favorite.
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16m 34s
And then, the cold.
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16m 41s
It's delicious.
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16m 43s
Both are tasty.
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16m 48s
With warm noodles
the meat might sink to the bottom. -
16m 55s
Yes.
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16m 57s
Cold noodles are better.
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17m 03s
The tasters are unanimous, cold noodles help highlight the meat better.
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17m 08s
So, cold it is!
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17m 11s
The restaurant will add this new recipe as a special item on their menu.
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17m 20s
September.
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17m 21s
Beef has started to go on sale at the ranch.
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17m 30s
The recipe booklet regroups a total of seventeen dishes that take advantage of the flavor and chewier texture of Tim's grass-fed meat.
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17m 44s
It didn't take too long for the first customers to arrive.
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17m 51s
Here you are.
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17m 54s
This couple was visiting nearby Hakodate.
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17m 59s
- A new farm!
- Wow! -
18m 01s
We saw the sign.
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18m 05s
We passed it then thought, 'Beef?'
So, we came back. -
18m 12s
I think you're always nervous on...
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18m 15s
when you're starting something new to know if it's going to be successful or not.
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18m 22s
What would be the most important thing: an open mind.
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18m 26s
And, don't expect things that... don't expect things that just can't happen.
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18m 37s
And, on the fourth day...
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18m 41s
I ate some yesterday.
It was wonderful. -
18m 45s
I came to buy some more.
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18m 50s
I'd never had such delicious beef.
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19m 03s
The beef is earning recognition.
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19m 06s
Tim and Chie regain confidence that their decision to set up a cattle ranch here was the right one.
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19m 20s
As he neared the seventy-year milestone of his life, Tim put down roots in this land where he found joy in nature,
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19m 27s
the kindness of the locals, and his beloved bovines.
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19m 32s
Enjoy.
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19m 36s
I love the sound of the animals eating the fresh grass.
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19m 40s
It makes me happy every time I hear it.
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19m 47s
Making slow but steady progress, Tim the old cowboy isn't going to be riding off into the sunset anytime soon.
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20m 16s
I'm Son from Vietnam.
I work as a carpenter in Osaka. -
20m 26s
I work hard to help build
beautiful houses. -
20m 45s
7:30 a.m.
work starts. -
20m 50s
Today, Son and his team
work on a commercial building. -
20m 56s
We'll work on the ceiling.
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20m 59s
The framework is both to support
the ceiling boards... -
21m 04s
and to strengthen
the building's structure. -
21m 11s
Here's OK?
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21m 14s
Let's start here.
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21m 17s
Son and his Japanese junior
get to work. -
21m 25s
Millimeter errors add up
and can become a centimeter. -
21m 34s
He makes sure to accurately
internalize the plans. -
21m 50s
They have to complete this
144㎡ ceiling within five days. -
21m 58s
Let's speed it up!
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22m 11s
They build the framework then put
insulation and panels to make the ceiling. -
22m 22s
Wishing to learn the skills to start
his own business in Vietnam... -
22m 27s
Son came to Japan in 2019
as a Technical Trainee. -
22m 32s
I was surprised.
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22m 34s
It's a different culture.
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22m 38s
My seniors were quite strict.
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22m 45s
I had to learn by observing.
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22m 48s
I learned by watching and
working with my seniors. -
22m 58s
Now in his third year, Son
takes charge of various jobs. -
23m 08s
This is our company president,
Matsubara-san. -
23m 15s
When I first met him...
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23m 17s
I was a bit intimidated.
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23m 22s
He's taught me so much.
-
23m 26s
When I didn't know what to do,
he offered advice. -
23m 30s
I'm so thankful.
-
23m 33s
With the language barrier,
it was hard at first. -
23m 39s
But because of that,
Son listened more attentively. -
23m 44s
So, he learned quickly.
-
23m 47s
He learned by doing.
-
23m 50s
He absorbed the skills
through hands-on work. -
23m 57s
He put a lot of effort in it.
-
24m 00s
He was eager to learn Japanese
and his work quickly. -
24m 08s
He made much progress in three years.
-
24m 13s
I want to keep progressing.
-
24m 16s
When he speaks to other Japanese staff,
I listen to them to learn Japanese. -
24m 26s
The Technical Trainee program
is to learn skills in Japan. -
24m 33s
So now, he has to decide how he'll
make use of what he's learned in Japan. -
24m 43s
I didn't seem him
as a simple temporary worker. -
24m 48s
He wants to use what he's learned
to start a business in Vietnam. -
24m 55s
I feel grateful that he came
to work with us. -
25m 00s
So, I wish him success
in his work in Vietnam, too. -
25m 09s
I'll do my best.
-
25m 21s
This is my treasure.
-
25m 24s
In my 2nd year, I took a national test
to assess my skill level. -
25m 35s
In one hour, Son had to build
a project following a plan. -
25m 42s
I had to align this perfectly.
-
25m 47s
It was hard.
-
25m 51s
If I'd failed, I wouldn't've been
able to stay with the company. -
26m 01s
I'd go back to Vietnam.
-
26m 04s
Son passed the test and could
extend his stay for two more years. -
26m 11s
I was so happy.
-
26m 14s
I want to keep improving.
-
26m 19s
I still have a lot to learn.
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26m 22s
I want to keep growing as a carpenter.
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26m 29s
I'll be as skilled and experienced
as Matsubara-san.