Hometown Stories

Season 9, Episode 8

Episode Title: Fruitful Connections

Air Date: 2020-04-18

Overview:

For Japan's aging apple farmers, finding someone to succeed them is a struggle. In Hirosaki City, a community in Japan's leading apple-producing prefecture of Aomori, more than 500 growers have called it quits over the past 5 years. Now, one man is on a mission to change things. Takahashi Satoshi is working to help farmers pass on their precious orchards to a new generation. He calls it "connecting" the trees to a successor. Teaching aspiring farmers all the required skills isn't easy. But Satoshi is hopeful that his efforts will bear fruit.