People Grow
Through the Way They Live.
A Life Centered Around Horses.
An Alternative School Based on an
Equine Centered Form of Life | Tariki Juku
The Teacher
Has No Words.
The horse does not teach.
The horse does not explain.
The horse does not judge.
We live with horses as our teachers.
Life Shapes
Who We Become.
We do not try to change people.
When the way we live changes,
we change.
A life centered around horses.
Working.
Eating.
Sleeping.
Feeling the changing seasons.
These everyday moments,
repeated over time,
shape who we become.
That is why,
rather than focusing on education,
we focus on the way we live.
We call this way of living an “Equine Centered Form of Life.”
Embodied Knowledge
Is Cultivated
Through Our
Relationships
with the World.
Embodied knowledge
is neither information
nor instinct.
It is a kind of knowing
cultivated through
our many relationships
with the world.
A Form of Life is
the accumulation of
these relationships with the world.
Our Day Begins
with the Horses.
At 6:00 in the morning,
our day begins with the horses.
Carrying feed.
Cleaning the stables.
Working the fields.
Splitting firewood.
Preparing meals.
Feeling the changing seasons,
we build each day
one ordinary moment at a time.
We do not live this way
for the sake of learning.
The Form of Life itself
shapes who we become.
Daily Rhythm
ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL
Learn and Grow,
Not in a School,
but Through Life.
Tariki Juku is an alternative school
based on an
Equine Centered Form of Life.
Children can join from elementary school age.
In a life centered around horses,
we work,
learn,
eat,
and sleep.
Through the accumulation of these everyday experiences,
we deepen our relationship with the world
and cultivate embodied knowledge.
During the high school years,
students can continue this Form of Life
while working toward a
high school graduation qualification.
A Journey
into a Form of Life.
Step into the Form of Life at Tariki Juku
and spend time living alongside horses and people.
Don’t Just Observe.
Step into the Form of Life.
Feed the horses.
Clean the stables.
Split firewood.
Prepare meals.
This is not a prepared experience.
You become part of
the life that is already here.
This Is Not a Journey
to Bring Home Answers.
Encounter horses.
Encounter people.
Encounter the land.
Encounter a Form of Life.
Within these relationships,
what does your body sense?
This is a journey to discover that for yourself.
You Do Not Come
Just to Ride Horses.
Feed them.
Clean up after them.
Touch and care for their bodies.
Work alongside them.
This is where
your relationship with horses begins.
To Work Is
to Live.
In Fudo Pilgrimage,
no one is simply a guest.
We care for the horses,
work the fields,
split firewood,
and prepare meals.
We step into the Form of Life of the land
and share in it with the people who live there.
Working,
eating,
and living
are all part of the same Form of Life.
To work
is to live.
To Eat Is
to Receive from the Land.
We eat what is grown in the fields.
We eat what someone has grown,
and what someone has prepared.
We spend time on the same land
where the horses live.
A meal is not simply
something that fills our stomachs.
It is a time to receive,
into our own bodies,
the gifts of the land
and the care of the people who live here.
Sleeping Is Part of
the Form of Life.
We work through the day,
eat together,
and welcome the night
on the same land.
Not to do something special,
but simply to live
the day of that place as it is.
When morning comes,
the Form of Life with horses
begins again.
To Live Is
to Be in Relationship.
We relate to horses,
to people,
and to the land.
No Form of Life exists in isolation.
We are supported by others,
and we support others in return,
as each day on the land continues.
Fudo Pilgrimage is a journey
into the heart of these relationships.
FUDO PILGRIMAGE
Step into
the Form of Life.
Fudo Pilgrimage is not a program
prepared for you to observe.
You enter the life that is already here.
Live with the horses.
Work with the people.
Eat what comes from the land.
Come and spend time
within these relationships.
TARIKI JUKU
10 Days
Living with Horses
Step into the Form of Life.
For ten days,
you become part of
an Equine Centered Form of Life.
These Ten Days Are
an Entrance into the Form of Life.
10 Days Living with Horses
is neither an event nor a sightseeing experience.
For ten days,
you become part of an
Equine Centered Form of Life.
In the morning,
you care for the horses.
You prepare meals together.
You work in nature.
You live alongside other people.
And then,
you bring the day to a close.
The purpose is not to do something special.
It is to carefully build
an ordinary life,
one day at a time.
Here,
not every day goes according to plan.
When it rains,
we live the day that the rain brings.
The rhythm of the day changes
with the condition of the horses.
We respond to nature.
We respond to the horses.
We respond to one another.
Through the accumulation
of these relationships,
our bodily awareness
begins to change,
little by little.
There is a richness in this way of living
that cannot be found through
convenience and efficiency alone.
After ten days,
the way you see the world
may have changed, even just a little.
Morning Is a Time
to Be with the Horses.
The Day Begins
with Caring for the Horses.
The sound of horses eating grass.
The sound of hooves.
The smell of morning dew.
In the quiet ranch,
life slowly begins to move.
We watch the horses
and move with their rhythm.
In that time,
we also begin to notice
the sensations in our own bodies.
The day begins with the horses.
Touch the Soil,
Grow with the Seasons.
The fields are a place
where we grow vegetables.
But they are also a place
where we feel the seasons
and live in relationship with nature.
We touch the soil.
We work until we sweat.
We harvest what has grown.
And bring it to the table that same day.
Growing food
and eating it
are connected.
We receive the gifts of nature,
and carry them forward
into the next season.
The fields, too,
are part of an
Equine Centered Form of Life.
Touching the soil
is also part of how we live.
Around the Table,
We Receive Life.
In an Equine Centered Form of Life,
meals are not simply
something someone prepares for us.
We harvest what has grown in the fields.
We make a fire.
We prepare the meal together.
And then,
we gather around the table.
“With gratitude, we receive this life.”
In those words,
there is gratitude for nature.
Gratitude for life.
Gratitude for the people
we share our lives with.
And gratitude
for having been able
to live this day.
We prepare food together.
We eat together.
We laugh together.
The table is not simply
a place to fill our stomachs.
It is a place
to encounter life,
connect with one another,
and share the Form of Life.
“With gratitude, we receive this life.”
In the Quiet of Night,
We Take In the Day.
The day’s work comes to an end.
Horses and people alike
enter a quieter time.
What happened today.
What we felt.
What stayed with us.
What cannot yet be put into words.
We may talk with one another,
or spend some time quietly on our own.
Slowly, we take in the day we have lived.
Night on the land where the horses live
is very quiet.
In the darkness,
the presence of the horses.
The sound of the wind.
The voices of insects.
In that stillness,
we also listen closely
to our own minds and bodies.
We take in the day,
and then we sleep.
Ten Days of Living,
One Day at a Time.
Morning comes.
We care for the horses.
We work.
We prepare food.
We eat together.
We rest.
And the next morning,
another day begins.
There is no single lesson
we are trying to teach.
There is no answer
you are expected to find.
Instead,
day after day,
you live among horses,
people,
and the land.
Relationships accumulate.
Your body begins to notice things
it may not have noticed before.
The rhythm of your day changes.
And perhaps,
the way you relate to the world
begins to change as well.
Ten days are not an answer.
They are an entrance.
For First-Time Participants
You do not need
any experience with horses.
You do not need
any experience living with horses.
You can simply come and join us.
No special knowledge or skills are required.
All you need
is the desire to step into
this Form of Life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I participate even if I have never ridden a horse?
Yes.
No previous experience with horses is required.
By caring for the horses and spending time with them,
you will gradually discover how to relate to them.
Q. Can I participate on my own?
Yes. You are welcome to come on your own.
As we work, eat, and live together,
relationships with others naturally begin to grow.
Q. Can children participate without their parents?
Yes.
Before participation, we will talk with you
about the child’s age and current circumstances
to make sure we can welcome them appropriately.
Q. Can adults participate?
Yes.
The program is open not only to children,
but also to adults and families.
Q. Can I participate if I am not confident in my physical fitness?
Yes. Before you come, we will ask about
your physical condition and any concerns you may have.
You can join the daily life here at your own pace,
following the rhythms of the horses and nature.
Q. Can I participate if I am not attending school?
Yes.
Whether or not you currently attend school
has no bearing on your participation.
Q. Is this a horseback riding program?
No. Horseback riding is not the purpose of this program.
You will feed the horses, care for them,
and spend ten days living alongside them.
If you have any questions or concerns,
please feel free to contact us before you come.
Join 10 Days
Living with Horses
Program Details
2027 Program Dates
Session 1 March 20 (Sat) – March 29 (Mon)
Session 2 April 29 (Thu) – May 8 (Sat)
Session 3 July 17 (Sat) – July 26 (Mon)
Session 4 August 7 (Sat) – August 16 (Mon)
Session 5 September 18 (Sat) – September 27 (Mon)
Session 6 December 25 (Sat) – January 3, 2028 (Mon)
Each session is 10 days, including the arrival and departure days.
Who Can Join
The program is open to everyone,
from elementary school children to adults.
Children may participate on their own,
families may join together,
and adults are also welcome to participate individually.
Capacity
5 participants per session
By keeping each group small,
we make space for each person to spend meaningful time
with the horses and become part of the life here.
Program Fee
¥150,000 (tax included)
Accommodation, meals, and activities are included.
* This is a special rate for participation during the scheduled program dates listed above.
Location
Tariki Juku
Sakura Orochi Ranch
933-2 Kitahara, Kisuki-cho
Unnan, Shimane 699-1341
Japan
People Grow Through the Way They Live.
What awaits you here
is not an event.
It is ten days inside
an Equine Centered Form of Life.
Building a Form of Life
for the Future, Together.
A life centered around horses.
This is not
about returning to the past.
It is about living
in relationship with horses,
with the land,
and with one another.
We call this way of living
a “Form of Life.”
At Tariki Juku,
children who attend school,
children who do not,
adults and children alike,
live together within an
Equine Centered Form of Life.
We work,
eat,
sleep,
and share our days together.
Within this Form of Life,
there are relationships
that cannot be created by school alone,
and ways of learning
that cannot be found only in a classroom.
We want to preserve
this Form of Life as a choice
for generations to come.
But this way of living
cannot continue through our efforts alone.
We want to create a future
where every child can choose this Form of Life,
regardless of their financial circumstances.
We need your support
to make that future possible.
Will you join us
in building a Form of Life
for the future?
This Form of Life
Continues Through
Mutual Support.
Someone carries feed to the horses
in the morning.
Someone works the fields.
Someone prepares the meals.
Someone shares in the life here.
This Form of Life
cannot continue through
the efforts of one person alone.
Each person brings what they can,
and today again,
the horses graze,
people work,
we gather around the table,
and another day unfolds.
Supporting this place from afar
is also a way of becoming part
of this Form of Life.
Your support, too,
becomes an important part
of sustaining this life.
To support this life
is also to share in it.
With Your Support,
This Form of Life
Can Be Open to Every Child.
We believe
that education for children
should be free.
Children who attend school,
and children who do not,
regardless of their family’s
financial circumstances,
should be able to choose
the learning and the Form of Life
that they need.
But today,
learning and ways of living
outside the school system
receive little public support.
Feed for the horses.
Meals for the children.
People who sustain this daily life.
A safe place to sleep.
Sustaining an
Equine Centered Form of Life
requires the support of many people.
With your support,
we can reduce the financial burden
on children and their families,
and one day,
make it possible for every child
to choose this Form of Life
without having to pay.
That is the future
Tariki Juku is working toward.
Beyond school,
let there also be a Form of Life
that every child can choose freely.
Please lend us
your support.
1000 Tariki
Project
Not through the great power of one person,
but through the small contributions of a thousand.
We want every child
to be able to choose this Form of Life
without having to pay.
That is the vision behind
the “1000 Tariki Project.”
Tariki does not mean
leaving everything to someone else.
It means recognizing
that none of us lives by our own power alone,
bringing our different strengths together,
and living alongside one another.
The strength of the horses.
The strength of the soil.
The strength of the people who sustain this life.
The strength of those who support us from afar.
All of these forces come together,
and because of them,
the life here continues today.
A thousand people,
each supporting this Form of Life
in whatever way they can.
With that shared strength,
children can choose
this Form of Life,
regardless of their family’s
financial circumstances.
Become one of the thousand
who make up this “Tariki.”
1000 TARIKI PROJECT
Every Person’s Tariki
Sustains This Life.
Rather than asking
one person to carry a great burden,
one thousand people
each contribute what they can,
bringing their strength together.
Even ¥1,000 a month
becomes feed for the horses,
and food for the children.
It supports the everyday life
that continues here,
one day at a time.
Each person’s contribution
may seem small.
But when those contributions
come together,
children can choose
this Form of Life
regardless of their family’s
financial circumstances.
Our goal is to create a future
where children can choose
this Form of Life free of charge.
Become one of
the thousand who make up this Tariki.
PEOPLE OF THE SOIL
To Create a Way of Life
Is to Care for the Place.
For those who hope,
one day,
to create a place of their own.
Creating a place where horses live
is not simply about keeping horses.
It means creating a place
where horses can live peacefully.
A place where people
can feel safe simply being there.
A place where children
can grow through everyday life.
A place where the relationships
between horses, people, and the land
can continue without strain.
What is needed for this is:
Care for the place.
Care for the relationships.
01
Care for the Place.
Prepare feed and water for the horses.
Clean the stables.
Care for the pastures.
Prepare meals.
Return tools to where they belong.
Notice the distance between people.
Observe the relationship between horses and people.
Pay attention to changes in the land.
Work when work is needed.
And when it is not needed,
know when not to interfere.
Notice small changes and subtle discomforts,
and quietly care for everyday life
before small problems become large ones.
This is what it means
to care for the place.
02
Care for the Relationships.
Every person and every horse
has their own condition and rhythm.
Sometimes there is fear.
Sometimes there is exhaustion.
Sometimes relating to others is difficult.
Sometimes something cannot be put into words.
We do not immediately treat these things
as problems that must be fixed.
Do not force lessons.
Do not rush.
Do not compare.
Do not judge.
But neither do we simply leave things alone.
We carefully observe
the horses, the people, and the land,
stand at the distance that is needed,
and quietly prepare
what the situation requires.
This is what it means
to care for relationships.
03
You Don’t Have to Know How
at First.
We are not looking
for people who already know everything.
You do not need to understand horses yet.
You do not need to be good at the work yet.
It is all right to be unsure
about how to relate to people.
Live here.
Meet the horses,
the people,
and the land.
Little by little,
you learn through your body.
Become someone who can care for a place.
Become someone who can care for relationships.
You don’t have to know how at first.
You learn by living it.
04
Become a Person
of the Soil.
A Person of the Soil
is not someone who controls a place.
They watch carefully
the horses, the people, and the land.
They notice small changes.
They continually care for everyday life,
so that each living being
can remain in relationship with the place.
Soil does not announce itself,
yet it supports countless forms of life.
In the same way,
a Person of the Soil supports,
from underneath,
the relationships between
horses, people, and the land.
By entering the life of Tariki Juku
and taking part in its daily operation,
you learn through your body
how to sustain both a way of life
and the place that makes it possible.
It is preparation for the day
when you may create
a place of your own.
05
Learn by Living
and Doing.
Horse care and health management
Management of stables, riding areas, and pastures
Meals, cleaning, and shared daily life
Sharing everyday life with children
Welcoming visitors and participants
Hosting and supporting Fudo Pilgrimage
Learning ranch management and finances
Caring for relationships between horses, people, and the land
06
We Are Looking for
People of the Soil.
- FOR
-
People who hope one day
to create their own ranch
or place of living - AGE
- Generally 18 years or older
- GENDER
- No restriction
- EDUCATION
- No requirement
- HORSE EXPERIENCE
- No experience required
- DAILY LIFE
-
Live at Tariki Juku while taking part
in everyday life and its operation - PROVIDED
-
Accommodation, meals,
and a place to work
The length of stay and starting date
will be decided together with each person.
Equine Centered Form of Life
Step Into
a Life Centered Around Horses.
From here,
choose your way to be part of it.
Live here.
Visit.
Spend time with horses.
Support this place.
And share it
with someone else.
There is more than one way
to be part of this life.
Join this Form of Life
in whatever way you can.
The strength of the horses.
The strength of the land.
The strength of the people
who live here.
The strength of those
who support us from afar.
All of these forces come together,
and another day is created here.
People Grow
Through the Way They Live.
A Life Centered Around Horses.