Shepherding dreams at Menno Village, Japan

We invite your prayers for Akiko Aratani, Raymond Epp, and the Menno Village community. Menno Village is an agricultural initiative of Mennonite churches near Sapporo, Japan, that embodies a commitment to faith and sustainable living. Aratani and Epp are building Hitsuji (“sheep” in the Japanese language) House to serve as an educational center and a place of spiritual reflection, centered on biblical teachings of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the sacrificial Lamb, and God’s people as tended sheep of God’s pasture.

Akiko’s late father, Noboru Aratani, was an architectural design professor at Hokkaido University before his retirement. He was a pioneer in using insulation and using the gifts of the earth’s heating and cooling to reduce costs and make houses more comfortable. Noboru saw using fossil energy to heat and cool houses as a form of violence. His ideas served as inspiration for the project.

Epp views the project as a multifaceted endeavor. “It appears that we are involved in promoting regenerative agriculture, but our deeper purpose is to bear witness to God’s plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth under Christ’s lordship,” he explains, referencing Ephesians 1:10 as the inspiration for this work.  

On August 15, the Menno Village community gathered for a dedication ceremony uniting in reflection, hope and commitment to God’s guidance. 

Epp shared,

“We are a small group, but God often chooses the weak and humble to confound the strong and to reveal God’s glory. Over our 30 years in Japan, our influence has far exceeded our numbers. I have been dreaming about Hitsuji House for years — a place where visitors see God’s work through us, not our own. We also want Mennonite youth at Hitsuji Camp to know Jesus, embrace community, and learn about our calling as peacemakers.”  

The ceremony drew inspiration from Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” They also drew inspiration from Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34:15-16, 31, which depict the Lord as our Shepherd.

Epp said,

“The fields surrounding Hitsuji House will be grazed by sheep. We will be able to witness their communal nature. Individual sheep are “lost” sheep. It is a critique of modern society. The building will contain images of the Good Shepherd to remind us of God’s care. The building will also be insulated with 16” of sheep wool insulation that we will make together. The building will require very little energy to heat and cool. Wool too is a gift of God’s grace. I want people to know that we are surrounded by God’s grace. We experience this through being surrounded by these walls of sheep wool insulation. We want people to awaken to this reality and to be grateful to God for it!”  

They were further uplifted by the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John 10:14: “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.”  

The ceremony was marked by a poignant moment when Kirai-san, a revered and trusted leader of Yuai Church, took up a ceremonial shovel to break ground for the foundation of Hitsuji House. His action symbolized not only the physical start of construction but also the spiritual commitment of the community to this calling. Following this, Aoi Tamura, Yuai Church leadership team member, led the community in a heartfelt prayer of dedication. Her words lifted spirits, invoking God’s blessing over every beam, stone, and heart involved in this project. 

Note from Ray Epp

“We are doing much of the work ourselves. If you feel called to volunteer, contact Andi Santoso, Mission Network’s regional director for Asia and the Middle East. Or, if you feel led to support Menno Village’s Hitsuji House Project and other projects like this, donate here, designating your gift for Hitsuji House.”