The Satoyama Satoumi Project Portal (in English, tentative) is up!

It's been nearly two months since I mentioned our need for an English language portal for the Satoyama Satoumi Project, Kanazawa University. I am pleased to announce the launch of 

The English Portal for the Satoyama Satoumi Project, Kanazawa University.

http://adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/satoyama/en/ -> http://www.adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/satoyama/en/

The site is at its evolving stage as are our projects. We plan to replace it with something more comprehensive in the future, but since it's taking forever with the thesis supervision and the fiscal year-end and whatnot,, Meanwhile we've uploaded the Web version of our “turning the world from its tip” themed leaflet from COP10 Nagoya. Hats off to the Satoyama Meister students who have assisted in the work:

• COP10 theme design … Yuki Hagino
• Web design … Takaaki Kobayashi
• English text edit … Rachel Olanoff (auditor)

If the site image does not accurately reflect the individual designers' work, the blame goes to the coordinatior (me). We did this bit of work in a hurry to meet  the First Global Conference on the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), 10-11 Mar. I'm writing this from Nagoya right now as Kanazawa University will be presenting at the Public Forum on the morning of the 11th.

See you there!

Satoyama in Swedish

I just received two copies of the Swedish Magazine "Natur" from Mats Hellmark. They ran a coverage on Noto satoyama and the COP10 Nagoya. Some of it can be seen here:
http://sn.snf.se/sveriges-natur/artikel.cfm?CFID=21089&CFTOKEN=26919258&id=1593
As we are barely getting used to having Noto's satoyama being covered in English, now we have something in Swedish.
Thanks, Mats, for the great work!

Kanazawa University's Satoyama Satoumi Project Page

Yesterday I mentioned Kanazawa-U's need for a web portal for non-Japanese readers interested in our satoyama-satoumi related activities. Here's our current portal in Japanese: http://www.adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/satoyama/

At the time of the launch of this portal, we were representing ourselves as an aggregate of various ongoing projects including our "Noto Satoyama Meister" Training Program. By fall last year the "metaproject" has been integrated into the formal organizational structure of Kanazawa University. Now we have the "Kakuma Satoyama Headquarters" at the University Main Campus, and "Noto Operating Unit" at our Noto Gakusha, reflecting our bifocal approach to satoyama research and revitalization.

Getting Kanazawa University into the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative and whatnot

If you've followed the Japanese Satoyama movement, you couldn't have missed CBD COP10 Nagoya and its decision to support the Satoyama Initiative. COP10 saw the launch of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) with Kanazawa University as one of its founding members.
Getting KU into IPSI and serving its contact person have, in fact, been part of my side assignments since last fall (and poor excuse for not updating). Now that the IPSI site is up, we're faced with the fact that KU has yet to construct a web portal to introduce its satoyama-related activities to the non-Japanese speaking world (hence its outgoing link to the exchange students' portal). Here comes the new side assignment.
Spreading new ideas across the globe is a painstaking task. First came the brochures, the exhibit panels, the novelty goods we have prepared for COP10. Prior to that we had next to nothing to hand to non-Japanese visitors eager to learn about our projects. We've actually come quite far in several months, and we're getting there -- almost. So again, do stay tuned.

ETA: Creating a website may be a good excuse to try and post those months-old articles

Wake up, yellow tails!

Hail. Hail. Hail.
Yesterday we had them in torrents that it almost sounded like somebody up there knocked over a pail of rice crackers. (Note: small rice crackers are called arare-mochi, or hail rice cakes) Winter is rapidly approaching in Noto. Short storms like these accompanied by thunder are called "buri okoshi", meaning to wake up yellow tails that are sleeping in the Japan Sea -- or rather, to alert fishers for the yellow tail fishery. Crab season started last Saturday and now the sky is calling yellow tails. It's going to be a busy winter.

Hansei-kai

What kind of words can explain the kind of lessons I have learnt during the past ten days? One of the privileges of anthropological fieldwork, I believe, is that one is encouraged to relive the growing and learning process again, to unlearn in order learn, to do the 3 yr old again in a particular setting. Instead of climbing the ladder in that place, one matures through the abstractions made possible through such repetitive learning and unlearning. If you cannot withstand the pain of growth, perhaps you're not cut out for the profession.
The festival in Shoin is over. More precisely, it is about to be over, as the float members have yet to finish their final round of sake. Every social event here is never complete without a 反省会　"hanseikai" or a drink among close circles after the main event. This is where core members get together and discuss points to be improved as well as select committee members for the coming year. Normally the party takes place immediately after the event. This time they have waited for me to return from my work trip. What an honor.
Now for some sake. More to come after the Hansei-kai.

ETA: oops, the Hansei-kai has been postponed. meanwhile stay tuned for more on the main festival.

First time feast, first time host

"Why don't you do it then?"

__"Me? The host?"

That's how it began. I am going to play host at a festival I don't even know, the biggest annual event in the area. It's time for Kiriko, a tall float that people carry through every nook and cranny of the neighborhood. Our ward happens to be one of the most rapidly aging communities in the area, and is in dire need of young people to pull the float. Last year, there were only three people and nobody ever had time to go to the loo. Imagine the situation when the procession could take until 4 a.m. 

Saturday morning I was asked by a neighbor to find "young people" where they are: our "Noto Satoyama Meister" Training Program which enrolls trainees under 45. I sent message in the morning and by afternoon was joined by four from the school. Together we went to meet the group in charge of the float, perhaps for the sake of good sushi. And thus the Meister Crew was formed over abalone and shrimp -- without much talk on the logistics as to where to stay, eat and drink during the all night event. And here was the solution given to me later by the ward lord: I play the host. Crazy? Yes. But this may be the one chance to try...