Konchan

Konchan is the name of our idol, the peridot-eyed redhead that haunts our neighborhood. This morning at 4:30 I saw her harassed on the beach by a gentleman on patrol. She came running my way, through the narrow gap between my house and the next, and onto her rumored home behind the temple. "She comes for the salt water," the neighbors say, "I have seen her with her cub." The corridor must have been her favorite since the two houses had been vacant before I moved in a month ago.
Foxes had been introduced into this area for vermin control; now they have propagated to become the new vermin. Whatever Konchan has done to receive this kind of treatment, she always jerks me out of the "Haidarii". Bright-eyed bushy-tailed we are, leaping from the sea of green.

Run, Konchan, run! (Where is she?)

"Haidarii"

"Haidarii" is what you say here when you have done everything you could-nothing has ever worked nor ever will-you feel destined to live in eternal lethargy.

... is what you say when you have toiled over the forest floor trying to get those red pines and mushrooms growing again, and when, after so many years of work, all you have is a bed of pale pink lilies on the hill overlooking the pond.

When the view is magnificent enough to well you up, you give in to the "Haidarii".

Mushiokuri in Sutta

Last night was the mushiokuri event in Sutta, Wakayamamachi, Suzu City.

Mushiokuri (虫送り) is an agricultural rite that had been widely practiced among Japanese rice cultivators to chase away (送るokuru) bugs (虫mushi) that infest the paddies at this time of year. With the spread of agrichemicals and recent changes in socio-economic arrangements in rice production, however, the significance of the event has faded away. The Sutta version is said to be the closest to the original form in the area.
Nevertheless, local 5th and 6th graders were called in to join the torch procession led by the lantern, the nusa carrier, the drum and the Shinto priest.

(will add pics and texts)

The children thus sung:

Unkamushi, unkamushi, tondeike
Sadono shimamade tondeike

Fly away, (unka bug),
Fly away to Sado Island.



--Why Sado?

Soyogo (Ilex pedunculosa)

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Kusakizome themes

Kusakizome (草木染め) is a collective term applied to Japanese natural dyeing technology. As the word "kusaki (草木herbs and trees) + zome (染め dye)" implies, most of the dyes are taken from plants.

A single material could yield various colors depending on the fixative and fabric. The resultant combination of hues are striking yet harmonious, bold yet subtle, and simply mesmerizing to the eye.

We are currently trying to develop a web color theme based on materials available within the Noto area, as an alternative expression of biological diversity observed in the Noto satoyama-satoumi landscape.

The kusakizome color theme project is in collaboration with a thesis program for Mrs. Ayumi Ie (家　安祐美さん) enrolled at the "Noto Satoyama Meister Training Program" by Kanazawa University, under the funding of JST.

Testing out design templates

Testing out formats and designs prior to the launch of the Satoyama Satoumi Blog.