Tammo's enthusiasm for Japanese sports cars gave rise to an interest in the language - and with it grew his fascination for Japan's unique culture and traditions. During his time as a work & holiday traveler and language student, he got to know the country intensively and eventually met Sayaka. After beginning his studies in energy technology, he decided to redirect his focus and founded ENJ in northern Japan to establish sustainable tourism.
Half Kiwi and half Japanese, Sayaka grew up in New Zealand but spent almost every summer in Japan. She later moved back to the country of her ancestors permanently, where she now uses her language skills to build a valuable bridge between cultures. Together with Tammo, she shares the dream of living as sustainably as possible, appreciates quiet moments in nature with birdsong - and hopes that future generations will be able to experience an intact environment.
A modern lifestyle and an awareness of tradition are not mutually exclusive - on the contrary, they can complement each other perfectly. Traditions and customs can be enriched by modern impulses, while original ways of working can be facilitated with technical aids. We are convinced that the combination of modern technology and living tradition leads to the creation of small, independent and at the same time resilient communities. Such places also offer young people new perspectives to see their future in rural regions. In this way, we are helping to combat rural exodus and relieve overcrowded metropolitan areas and overtourism in the cities.
We want future generations to find an intact world - a world in which people do not live in opposition to nature, but in harmony with it. Our aim is to reduce our ecological footprint to the essentials. That is why we are aware of the impact of tourism and are working to offset it. We rely on renewable energies, promote the use of modern, environmentally friendly technologies and reduce waste and non-degradable materials to a minimum. At the same time, we are raising awareness of organic farming so that more people take responsibility for their food and where it comes from.
Tourism can have many negative consequences - from emissions from air and local traffic and increasing amounts of waste to a changed cityscape and the displacement of the local population through gentrification. Our aim is to minimize these negative effects, offset them or, ideally, prevent them from occurring in the first place. We focus on measures such as reforestation, the use of renewable energies and the active involvement of the local population in a sustainable tourism concept that creates prospects and brings jobs to rural regions. This creates an environment that benefits everyone involved: travelers experience the local culture in an authentic way, hosts retain their way of life and traditions and can actively contribute to them, and the environment is conserved and protected through conscious travel. We work with small groups, regional partners and sustainable mobility - to conserve resources and facilitate genuine, respectful encounters. Our understanding of tourism is one that not only takes, but also gives back - to people, nature and culture.
The first step has been taken: we have completely renovated a formerly empty house with outdated kerosene heating and a gas stove and converted it to an all-electric supply. The solar power generated on the roof is stored in a battery storage unit, charges our plug-in hybrid vehicle, heats the hot water via an air-to-air heat pump and supplies both household appliances and an energy-efficient induction hob.
Thanks to intelligent resource management, we can fully cover our own requirements with solar power - and even feed surplus energy into the public grid.
We are also involved in regional reforestation projects and are working on implementing innovative technologies and renewable energies on small agricultural areas. Our aim is to find practical ways of sustainably meeting the food requirements of a single-family household with minimal effort.
We are actively involved in the local taiko group, practise various Japanese martial arts such as karate, iaido and kyudo and support local cultural associations - including a group of young float builders who spend months designing traditional floats for the Tanabata festival, which are illuminated from the inside and lovingly crafted by hand.
Our contribution may seem small, but it serves to preserve centuries-old culture and living traditions. We are convinced that even a small spark can have a big impact - especially if it inspires others to get involved and play an active role in shaping cultural heritage.