Film Project

KALA: From Then to Now ― Volunteer Tree-Planting Project in India

A documentary following Ao Suzuki, founder of NPO Jomon Future / Jomon Gakko, and the KALA tree-planting initiative. After planting along Enshu-nada, the next chapter moves to Bodh Gaya, India.

Overview

Film Project

NPO Jomon Future / Jomon Gakko, established in 2002, has continuously worked on environmental and educational initiatives.

Their Network KALA Project began in Hamamatsu after the 2011 earthquake as part of local disaster resilience. From 2012 to 2025, the team planted over 10,000 broadleaf trees along the Enshu-nada coastal embankment.

In December 2024, I joined a one-week field scouting trip to India, where we confirmed the urgency of planting and cleanup efforts. The word KALA carries layers of meaning including art, time, infinity, and wave.

The next action is scheduled for March 2026 in Bodh Gaya, India: a planting and cleanup initiative connecting Japan and India. I am documenting this journey through documentary filmmaking.

KALA Official Site

Activity Report

March 2026 Activity Report: Tree-Planting & Cleanup in India

Prior to planting trees in India, we organized a cleanup activity. Thanks to extensive media coverage of our event, the circle of cleanup activities is now expanding in Bodh Gaya and other regions.

Although the caste system has been officially abolished, it remains deeply rooted in reality. In India, where it is taken for granted that people from lower castes pick up trash, our event was seen as groundbreaking.

The sight of local children and Rotary Club members (from the upper class) picking up trash alongside Japanese participants is making the words of Ao Suzuki—who said, 'This event will break the caste system'—a reality.