In Japan we've forgotten the meaning of food, the value of grains - the milk of the Mother Earth. We've stopped eating grains especially acclimated to Japanese soil and seasons. These staples used to power our resistance and immunity, and we wonder why we grow weaker and weaker!

Day after day, Mother Earth has been calling out, "Drink my milk. Eat your grains, my kids! Get your body straight!"

And then one day thirty years ago, something in me empathized with what she was saying.

I kept trying my hand with native grains day after day though I was not sure what I was doing. Now I finally understand. My role is to spread Mother Earth's message through Tubu-Tubu Future Food.

I asked myself, "Is this why I studied design? To learn how to express Mother Earth's call in cookery? Is this why I worked for so many years training in administration and marketing? To gain the know-how to tell everyone about Tubu-Tubu Future Food?"

Yes! Now the name Tubu-Tubu cooking and its philosophy is recognized throughout Japan.

What a cherished role I've been given! I try out new dishes so I am the first to enjoy their miracle of deliciousness. Each moment I am absorbed in work and play with Tubu-Tubu and I feel at one with Mother Earth. I can pass on her gifts of deliciousness, inspiration, and health.

On March 11, 2011, an unprecedented earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. At the same time, a terrible nuclear accident occurred, and as the situation continues, the severity of the crisis has now exceeded the accident at Chernobyl both in duration and in radioactive materials released. The entire country has been covered with radiation. In the aftermath of this earth-shattering catastrophe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to scale back operations at nuclear power plants in Germany, with the aim of ultimately eliminating its dependence on nuclear energy. Runaway patriarchal culture has led to the dependence on nuclear energy, and the abuse of this dangerous source of energy has become a symbol of that culture. The rapid declaration of the intention to eliminate nuclear power by a female leader is now a symbol marking a time for women to change the world.

Japan is the only nation ever to have suffered a nuclear attack. Diet was then shown to be a factor in warding off the harmful effects of radiation; in Nagasaki, a 29-year-old doctor, Tatsuichiro Akizuki, was 1.4 kilometers from ground zero at the time of the nuclear blast. Refusing to leave, he devoted himself to treating the victims. His tireless efforts saved many lives, including medical staff, by helping their bodies recover from radiation injury through proper diet, upon which Tubu Tubu is based. Dr. Akizuki continued his work until his death at the age of 89. Because we feel that it is important to hand down his legacy to as many people as possible, Tubu Tubu continues to play an active role. ?As more information comes to light about this situation, people have been feeling greater anxiety, fear and anger. This negativity will pull more negative reality. Switching our diet to Tubu-Tubu Future Food, awakens the body's full potential, which greatly prevents the harm of radiation. It is important to rebuild our lives by enjoying our daily food in a bright, positive and thankful spirit. Tubu Tubu has been making efforts to convey this message. The Kami from the Great Mother Sun in all of us must be protected!

Yumiko Otani ”Tubu-Tubu Food Designer Yumiko” is the creator of “Tubu-Tubu Future Food”. She graduated from the Industrial Design Department of National Chiba University’s Faculty of Engineering. In 1982, she began studying traditional Japanese foods, and has since been a vegetarian, establishing the non-governmental organization (NGO) “Tubu-Tubu”(formerly ILFA). In 1996, she published “Mirai-shoku, Kankyo Osen Jidai o Oishiku Ikinuku” (Future Food, For Surviving in the Time of Environmental Pollution), and started the “Life Seed Campaign” under the concept of “changing kitchens and farmland to enrich the Japanese diet with native grains”, and began organizing “Future Food Seminars” to teach her theories and skills with regard to foods that can revitalize the body.

In 2000, she began introducing her concepts to international audiences, and by 2004 Tubu-Tubu Future Food was introduced at ‘Terra Madre’, a slow-food conference of 5,000 producers. More recently, Yumiko has found that Tubu-Tubu Future Food has a significant meaning, allowing women to undergo a spiritual awakening, and this prompted her to start holding “Tennyo Seminars” on female empowerment. She has written over 30 books on native grains and recipes using them. Her most recent books are Simple Tubu-Tubu Gohan for Babies and Moms, Tubu-Tubu Cooking Start Book (Gakuyo-shobo) and Gohan no Chikara (KKLongsellers). Yumiko is now a representative of the NGO "Tubu-Tubu" and a member of the Millet Society of Japan. She currently manages Fu Future Living Laboratory, inc., which organizes seminars, and Team E, which manages restaurants and cafes, as part of her efforts to understand the relationship between the universe and humanity.