The Japanese agriculturalist who lived for Bhutan

Dasho Nishioka: a life of selfless contribution

By: Cigay

In the history of modern agriculture in Bhutan and Japan-Bhutan relationship, one man stands tall like the Mt Everest in the Himalayas. He is Dasho Nishioka. Today, Bhutan continues to reap the fruits of his immense and selfless contribution which spanned 28 years from 1964 till his sudden demise in 1992.

On 6 May 1964 at Calcutta Airport, Keiji Nishioka, 31, and his wife Satoko, 28, boarded an old transporter plane to Hashimara. This was a long awaited journey and they were excited, but they were also a bit scared because the plane was very old.
Nishioka loved nature from his childhood and took up agriculture at university. Later, a 1958 Himalayan expedition of his university ignited his love for the Himalayas. When Nakao Sasuke, one of Nishioka's teachers visited Bhutan in 1958, Lyonchen Jigme Palden Dorji requested him for an agriculture expert. Consequently, Nakao's recommendation of Nishioka was affirmed when Nishioka and Satoko visited the Bhutan House in Kalimpong in 1962. Since then, it was a long wait until Japan's Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (now JICA) formally dispatched Nishioka through the Colombo Plan in February 1964.

From Hashimara Airport, a Bhutanese Government jeep brought them to Phuentsholing. After a day's rest, the same jeep took them to Paro. The road to Paro had just been completed a few years ago. When they reached Paro after 15 grueling hours, it was already dark. The next morning, the view of a lush green valley of fields and farm houses with the Rinpung Dzong in the background enthralled them. Since then, they never had second thoughts about the comfortable life they left behind in a fast developing Japan.

Now that he was in Bhutan, Nishioka did not want to waste any time. He immediately reported to the agriculture office. Most of the staff, including the head were Indians. He received a cold welcome. "How can the agricultural techniques of Japan, an island country, suit the needs of Bhutan?" they questioned.

Never the one to give up easily, Nishioka decided to let the results speak for him. Starting with a small experimental farm and three boys as his apprentices, he first attracted the attention of farmers and officials alike with his fresh and healthy vegetables. In particular, his radish, the size of which was never seen before in Bhutan, became the talk of the town.

By the second year, he got a larger and better experimental farm. Working hard, his successes grew. He also successfully experimented with a Japanese variety of rice. He now understood well the climate and soil conditions of Bhutan. But just then, his two year initial appointment was nearing its end. Fortunately, his request for extension was granted by the Japanese government.

Now, the government of Bhutan provided him a much larger area in Bondey for his experimental farm. He named it Paro Farm. He now had enough space to experiment with many varieties of fruits, vegetables and rice. He would get up early and work till late. He grew potato, tomato, onion, asparagus, new varieties of rice, melon, watermelon, cherry, persimmon, peach, pear, apple, grapes, strawberry etc. in his farm.

He also initiated and encouraged the farmers of Paro to sell vegetables in Thimphu and Phuentsholing. In September 1966, he himself rode the first truck carrying vegetables to Thimphu from his experimental farm and other farmers. He was nicely surprised when all the vegetables were sold out within three hours at Thimphu. Selling vegetables in Phuentsholong started in 1967.
Upon his request to the Japanese Government, farm machineries first arrived in the kingdom in 1968.

Among the new methods of farming that he introduced, one of them was transplanting of rice in straight rows using a rope as a guiding line. Farmers were reluctant to give up their age-old method at first. But Nishioka convinced them by proving its effectiveness with better yields.

During the coronation ceremony of His Majesty the King in 1974, Paro Farm was honored to supply fresh fruits and vegetables to be served to the distinguished guests from other countries.

As the government entrusted him with the work of planning the development of agriculture in all Bhutan, it was necessary for him to travel to different places as well. His first visit was to Bumthang during the autumn of 1964. They went by jeep until Punakha where the road ended. From there, it took them eight days to reach Bumthang on foot. In 1966, he also visited Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar, met with the farmers, gave them advices and distributed seeds.

Besides introducing better varieties of fruits, crops and vegetables, his other concern was the development of skilled manpower and future leaders in agriculture for Bhutan. He groomed the boys who worked with him to be future leaders. He also initiated and sent the first two Bhutanese, Jampel Dorji and Dolay Penjor, to study the Japanese techniques of agriculture for a year in Japan in 1968.

Meanwhile, Bhutan Government was deeply concerned about the poverty of Zhemgang region. The people of Zhemgang owned almost no rice fields and depended on shifting cultivation which failed to produce enough to feed them. In 1972, the government entrusted Nishioka to prepare a general development plan for the region. He submitted the plan after a year. The government then entrusted him to carry out the plan within a span of five years from 1976 to 1980.

It was 1975 and he was now a father of two kids. His daughter Yoko was seven years old and son Tetsuo was two years old. From 1976, he would have to be in Zhemgang, away from his family in Paro. They also had to think about their daughter's education. Therefore, Satoko returned to Japan with the two children in December 1975. They planned to come to meet him once a year.

From 1976 to 1980, Nishioka, with his ten staff, applied himself totally to Zhemgang's cause. They held numerous meetings with the villagers, constructed 17 suspension bridges, many irrigation canals, over 50 hectares of rice fields, farm roads, schools and clinics and also sent young men to be trained as farm machine drivers and operators in Paro. He introduced the new varieties of rice, potato, maize, orange, apple, cardamom and planting of agar wood which holds great export value. The lives of the people of Zhemgang improved drastically.

For his untiring and selfless contribution, His Majesty the King awarded him the red scarf and the title of 'Dasho' in 1980. 'Dasho' means 'the best one' and it is reserved for outstanding individuals who normally hold high posts. So far, Dasho Nishioka is the only foreigner to receive this title. He humbly dedicated it to all the farmers and staff who had worked with him.

In Paro, the rice yield per hectare tripled with new varieties. When Druk Air started its operations in 1983, he also initiated the export of high value produce like asparagus and strawberry to other countries by air. Paro Farm had now grown to about 13 hectares and had about 40 regular staff and it trained about 150 people annually. Farmers also made study visits to the farm. Agriculture Machinery Centre was established the same year.

Diplomatic relationship between Japan and Bhutan was established in 1986, and in 1987, Prince Naruhito visited Bhutan. A visit to the Paro Farm was part of his schedule. Dasho Nishioka was excited. By now, it also had a nursery and a biotechnology lab.
But impermanence often strikes us when we are least prepared. On the evening of 21 March 1992, Satoko received a telephone call from Bhutan. After an awkward pause, the person on the other end said, "This morning, Dasho Nishioka has passed away in Thimphu Hospital. He complained of toothache, but his condition suddenly worsened." The last time he had met his family was less than two months ago when he was in Japan for the New Year.

The loss gripped the hearts of all Bhutanese with profound grief. His family flew in to Paro to pay their last respects. The government held a grand state funeral on 26 March on a small hillock overlooking the Paro valley, his home. The agriculture minister, members of the royal family and civil servants and farmers attended the funeral.

Dasho Nishioka witnessed the transformation of Bhutan into a vibrant modern country from an isolated mystical kingdom. He played his own big part in it. Today, we continue to enjoy the fruits of his love and sacrifice. He will live forever in the hearts and minds of all Bhutanese. Incidentally, one of the bridges that he built in Zhemgang is called 'Nishioka Bridge'. But more than this physical bridge, the human bridge that he built will continue to connect the peoples of Japan and Bhutan forever.

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*Originally submitted to this year's 20th anniversary newsletter of Japan Bhutan diplomatic relations and resubmitted for publication in Bhutan Observer.Celebrations of the anniversary are on in Bhutan and Japan this week (17 October 2006). Japan Bhutan diplomatic relations were established in 1986.
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