Udara Kametani is a Sri Lankan by birth who has carved out a unique niche for herself in Japan’s farming sector as the only foreign female farmer in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
Over the last four years, Kametani has built a thriving produce business selling tatsoi (an Asian leafy green), romaine lettuce broccoli, other vegetables, and her passion crop, asparagus.
In an interview with The Mainichi, Japan’s national daily, Kametani shared that she discovered asparagus during a farming workshop in the early days of her interest in growing produce; she learned how self-sustaining asparagus plants were and marvelled at how they created an intense jungle of green in their greenhouse environment.
Kametani’s business now supplies fresh produce to around 50 stores in her area and its neighbouring prefectures.
Kametani has had an interest in Japan since her childhood and moved there to study tourism, graduating from Daito Bunka University in 2006. She met and married teacher Akio Kametani, settling in his native Nara Prefecture.
Kametani developed an interest in farming a few years after the birth of her first child, beginning her journey with a year-long workshop run by the Agriculture Ministry. She is committed to building and growing her business in Asuka with her family, and hopes to grow a wider variety of quality produce in the future.
Sources:
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200607/p2g/00m/0na/064000c
https://www.newstrails.com/udara-sankalpani-sri-lankan-turns-farmer-in-japan/