Mokichi Okada and Natural Agriculture
The Founder of Natural Agriculture ー Mokichi Okada
What we practice as “Natural Agriculture” is not merely a method of cultivation. It is a way of life—one that listens to the laws of nature and treats the soil and crops with deep respect and affection. The advocate of this approach was Mokichi Okada, who lived from the Meiji to Showa era in Japan.
Okada devoted his life to deeply exploring questions such as: What is true health? Where does real happiness lie? What is nature trying to tell us? Through his personal experience with illness and hardship, he came to the conviction that “Living in harmony with and showing respect for nature is the path that allows all life to shine.”
『Nature teaches us everything.』
From this belief was born Natural Agriculture—farming that uses neither fertilizers nor pesticides, and draws forth the soil’s innate power.
The Life of Mokichi Okada
Mokichi Okada was born in Asakusa, Tokyo, on December 23, 1882 (Meiji 15). From early childhood, he suffered from a weak constitution and was plagued by many illnesses. Even after starting his own business, he battled serious conditions such as cerebral anemia, typhoid, stomach pain, rheumatism, urethritis, tonsillitis, neurasthenia, intestinal catarrh, and heart valve disorders. He was hospitalized three times and even received two incurable diagnoses—so many afflictions that he referred to himself as a “wholesale dealer in diseases.”
Though his business ventures met with initial success, they collapsed due to the bankruptcy of a partner bank. Further misfortune struck when his wife and unborn child died during pregnancy. Okada was plunged into the depths of grief. Although a company he later founded achieved growth, it was devastated by the economic depression following World War I and ultimately destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake. Having experienced repeated hardships—illness, poverty, and loss—Okada made the firm decision to devote his life to the pursuit of truth and the happiness of humanity.
Along this spiritual path, he proposed the importance of refining one’s character and spirit, the power of beauty to purify the soul, and a new concept: “The Art of Agriculture”—Natural Agriculture. He devoted himself to spreading these ideals until his peaceful passing on February 10, 1955.
The Art of Agriculture
Through his lifelong struggle with illness, Okada realized that the medicines people rely on to cure disease often only provide temporary relief—and in many cases, worsen the condition or become the cause of other illnesses.
Likewise, in agriculture, he saw that fertilizers—used in hopes of producing more and tastier crops—ended up polluting the soil, weakening its vitality, and adversely affecting the health of those who consume the food.
In 1935, he proposed a revolutionary principle:
“If one cultivates crops without using any fertilizers—human, animal, or chemical—and instead maintains the soil in a pure state while giving thanks, the land will manifest its inherent power. This will yield abundant, delicious crops sufficient to nourish both people and livestock in the region.”
He began experimenting on about 10 acre plot of land. He found that vegetables grown without fertilizer tasted better and attracted fewer pests. In 1942, he began growing rice without fertilizer and continued research on flowers, fruit trees, vegetables, rice, wheat, and soybeans over several years.
In 1948, he published a paper titled Fertilizer-Free Cultivation, and by 1950, the method came to be known collectively as Natural Agriculture. He declared that Natural Agriculture is “The Art of Agriculture.”
More than thirty years after Okada first introduced Natural Agriculture, public attention in the 1970s finally began to turn toward the health hazards of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Okada’s early warnings and pioneering efforts in spreading Natural Agriculture were far ahead of their time—even on a global scale.
Natural Agriculture is not just an alternative method devised to counter the harms of conventional farming. It is the living embodiment of Okada’s philosophy:
“True happiness is born when we humbly learn from nature and live in accordance with its laws, respecting and adapting to the rhythms of the natural world.”
『Nature teaches us everything.』
Okada expressed this as the essence of his belief.
Today, Shumei Natural Agriculture offers a ray of hope in addressing global environmental and food challenges. It not only nurtures health, but also brings people the joy of living in harmony with nature, through its crops and processed foods born from the power of nature.
