Fukui Nature Conservation Center  福井県自然保護センター

http://fncc.jp/

Part 13 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

The Fukui Nature Conservation Center is located in the mountains of Okeutsukogen Prefectural Natural Park, just outside the city of Ōno.  The exhibitions educate about the flora and fauna of Fukui Prefecture with interactive exhibits, models, and activities.   

There is an impressive model of a traditional satoyama landscape that demonstrates how the countryside looked before the industrialisation of farming methods.  The cross-section of the wetland area nestled between mountain ranges shows how fish and other aquatic life were able to pass easily into the rice paddies, providing nourishment for the storks.  This gave us a deeper understanding of the kinds of landscapes the Kōnotori “Call Back the Storks” Farming project hopes to restore with their fish ladders in order to facilitate the return of the Oriental White Stork to the region.

My kids were particularly interested in the live animals that they could observe and sometimes interact with.   The center has aquariums with turtles and other local aquatic animals.  The kids were allowed to take the stag beetle from its cage and handle it.  The center offers many activities for children and grown-ups (JP only) including bird watching, nature walks, nature lectures, and more.  One special feature of the nature centre that we were not able to experience because we were there during daytime hours was its impressive observatory.  More information and photographs can be found on the International Planetarium List. 

Contact information:

169-11-2 Minamirokuroshi, Ono, Fukui Prefecture

〒912-0131　大野市南六呂師169-11-2

Access Map, Google Maps

Tel : 0779-67-1655

e-mail : sizen@fncc.jp

2015 Cathy Munroe Hotes

Yoshimura Organic Farm / よしむら農園

Part 12 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

While in Fukui Prefecture last summer as part of the Satoyama Forum, we met local farmer Yoshihiko Yoshimura.  After retiring from conventional farming, Mr. Yoshimura became interested in organic farming methods.  Together with his wife Haruko, he established Yoshimura Organic Farm (よしむら農園) with the aims of promoting healthy eating, nature conservation, and sustainable organic agriculture in their community of Wakasa. 

The Yoshimuras specialise in the Aigamo Method of rice growing.  This method was originally developed in 1989 by Takao Furuno in Fukuoka Prefecture.  Instead of using pesticides and herbicides, this method uses aigamo ducks to eat insects and weeds.  Aigamo ducks are a crossbreed of wild and domestic duck species.  Aigamo ducklings are released into the paddy a couple weeks after rice seedlings have been planted.  In addition to eliminating the need for pulling weeds by hand, the ducklings’ droppings fertilize the rice paddy and their movements in the paddy increase the oxygen content of the soil. 

For more detailed information about duck farming, visit the Yoshimura Organic Farm website (JP only) or read  FARMING RICE WITH DUCKS: Organic Growing Method Spreads Across Asia (October 22, 2002).

In addition to Aigamo rice, the Yoshimura’s have an organic ume (plum) orchard and sell homemade Ume Jam.   As I mentioned in when writing about Plum Ice Cream Cakes last month, Fukui is famous for its local variety of plum, which is characterised by its thick flesh and small pit.  The Yoshimura’s also sell a lovely Spring Gift Basket (春ちゃんセット) that features an assortment of products including:

Aigamo Rice (Yoshimura Organic Koshikari)

アイガモ米（有機栽培コシヒカリ）500g

Milky Queen (Low Amylose Rice)

ミルキークイーン（低アミロース米）500g

Black Rice

黒米（朝紫)モチ米　100g

Red Rice

赤米（ベニ都）モチもち米　100g

Black Rice Flour

黒米の粉　80g

Red Rice Flour

赤米の粉　80g

Bunch of Dried Flowers

ドライフラワー　1束

Soy Beans

大豆　150g

Azuki Beans

���豆　150g

The baskets range in price from 1,000円 to 1,500円 depending on the availability of products.   All products are grown and processed by the Yoshimuras on their farm. 

To learn more about Yoshimura Organic Farm (よしむら農園), check out their website:

http://hiko3.com/info/omoi.html

Contact information:

Yoshihiko and Haruko Yoshimura

吉村義彦 ・春子

34-28 Aida, Wakasa-chō, Mikatakaminaka-gun, Fukui-ken

〒919-1312

福井県三方上中郡若狭町相田３４－２８

Tel./Fax.０７７０－４５－１０７０

福井県知事認定２１３号

財団法人自然農法国際研究開発センター

認定番号　２０００F－５

農家登録番号　１８－０７

2015 Cathy Munroe Hotes

Soba Making at Starland Sakadani / スターランドさかだにのそば打ち体験

 Part 11 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

The Echizen region of Fukui Prefecture is famous for its soba.  Most people think of rice as being the staple grain of the Japanese diet, but buckwheat is actually the traditional staple in many parts of Japan.  This is particularly true of regions that were not conducive to the growing of rice such as those at higher elevations and in the colder climate of the north.  The popularity of buckwheat is demonstrated in the fact that the Japanese word for buckwheat, soba, is also the common word for traditional Japanese noodles. 

 Learn more about Fukui's Buckwheat Fields (pdf)

As part of the Satoyama Forum in Fukui Prefecture last summer, we visited Starland Sakadani to participate in a soba-making workshop.  Soba noodles consist only of buckwheat mixed with wheat flour and water.  The art is in how the dough is kneaded, rolled, folded, and sliced. 

As we made the soba, behind the scenes women were cooking traditional local food to serve with the noodles.  The meal was completely vegetarian because this is a mountainous area.   Traditionally they would have they would not have had much in the way of livestock and in the days before modern transport, the location was too far from the sea for fresh fish and seafood.  Outside of Buddhist temples, it is rare to be served a vegan meal in Japan, let alone a feast such as the one we enjoyed at Starland Sakadani.

If you would like to try making soba yourself, check out Starland Sakadani’s step-by-step instructions with photos (translation below) or book yourself a workshop using the contact details at the bottom of this post.

Handmade Soba in 15 Steps

Step 1 / 手順.1

Sift the flour.  粉をふるいにかける

Sift buckwheat (soba) flour and wheat flour into a large bowl.

そば粉、つなぎ粉の木目を整えるためふるいにかけます。

Step 2 /手順.2

Mix the flour.  粉をよく混ぜる

Using your fingertips, mix the buckwheat flour and wheat flour together.

そば粉と小麦粉をよく混ぜます。混ぜが悪いと水回しがうまくできません。

Step 3 / 手順.3

Add water 1.  水回しその１

Pour water directly onto the flour a small bit at a time. . .

木鉢最大のポイント。水を数回に分けいれながら…

Step 4 / 手順.4

Add water 2.  水回しその２

Using your fingertips, mix the flour and water until the flour resembles large crumbs. 

均一に水をなじませないと後の作業が���てうまくいきません。

Step 5 / 手順.5

Fold the dough.  くくり

Gently turn and press the dough to start shaping it into a ball.

耳たぶぐらいの硬さになったら１つにまとめていきます。

Step 6 / 手順.6

Knead the dough 1.  練りその１

Knead the dough pushing the weight of your body firmly into it until it becomes a smooth consistency.

｢つや｣がでて、なめらかになるまで体重を乗せてねります。

Step 7 / 手順.7

Knead the dough 2.  練りその２

Press and rotate the dough into the shape of a large dumpling.　

｢つや｣がでて、なめらかになったら中の空気を搾り出���ながら大きな団子に仕上ます。

Step 8 /手順.8

Press the dough.  地のし

Slowly press the dough into a fat round of approximately 20 cm in diameter. 

(打ち粉を生地の下に多めに振って) めん棒又は手のひらで押して直径２０ｃｍくらいまで生地を伸ばします。(以後、打ち粉は少なめに)

Step 9 / 手順.9

Roll out the dough.  丸出し

Begin flattening the dough with a rolling pin until the dough has increased in diameter to about 60cm. 

｢めこの手｣でめん棒をすべらせながら直径６０ｃｍくらいまで生地を伸ばします。

Step 10 / 手順.10

Form into a square 1. 角出しその１

With a long slender rolling pin, roll the dough into the shape of a square.

めん棒に撒き取り、ころがしを繰り返して正方形にし、

Step 11 / 手順.11

Form into a square 2.  角出しその２

Continue rolling the square until it reaches the size of 90cm per side.

さらに四隅のばして、９０ｃｍ四の正方形をつくります。

Step 12 / 手順.12

Fold into rectangle. たたみ

Fold the square of dough into a rectangular shape of many layers.  Sprinkle flour generously between each layer to prevent them sticking.   The width of the rectangle should be no more than the length of your knife.

たっぷりと打ち粉を振りそば��り包丁の幅に畳みます。

Step 13 / 手順.13

Cut.  切り

Using a wooden board to mark the size and a large knife, slice the dough into noodles of approximately 2mm thick.

同じ太さに切ることが大切です。太さの目安は２．２ミリです。

Step 14 / 手順.14

Boil.  茹で

Bring water to a full boil, and boil the noodles for no more than 2 minutes.

そばが泳ぐ位のたっぷりのお湯で。茹で時間は、約 ２分以内に。

Step 15 / 手順.15

Serve.  盛り付け

Rinse the noodles and serve them in a dashi broth with grated daikon, bonito flakes, spring onions and other toppings according to your preference. 

出汁を入れ、たっぷりの大根おろしと好みの花かつお、ねぎ等の薬味を添えお召し上がれ。

Contact information:

Starland Sakadani

大野市役所 スターランドさかだに

福井県大野市蓑道1-4 (Google Maps)

1-4 Minomichi, Ōno-shi, Fukui-ken

Tel.  +81 779-67-7250

Open: 9am to 4pm

2015 Catherine Munroe Hotes

Hakusan Heisenji Temple Historical Museum Mahoroba　
白山平泉寺歴史探遊館 まほろば       

Part 10 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

The Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines of Japan have a special relationship to nature.  Although their landscapes are managed, this is done in a very different way than Christian churches as there is a stronger natural element to them.  In urban settings, the temples and shrines are refuges for nature, and in the countryside they often provide a glimpse into historical cultural landscapes. 

Heisenji Temple in Echizen is the site of a medieval mountain temple that was traditionally the start of the ascent of Buddhist worshippers of the sacred mountain Hakusan.  200 hectares of land that the former temple stood on have been a designated Historical Site since 1935 and archeological excavation of the site is ongoing. 

The temple was affluent and prosperous from the Muromachi period (室町時代/Muromachi jidai c.1337-1573) until the Warring States period (戦国時代/Sengoku jidai, c.1467-1603).  It is believed that during this period, the temple rivaled major warlords in terms of its powers and boasted 8000 warrior monks and 6000 dwellings including 48 shrines and 36 temples.  Sustaining such a large temple put a great strain on the local population who were taxed in order to maintain it.  This led in 1574 to the Echizen Uprising by followers of the Honganji sect of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism and Heisenji was burned to the ground.  The temple was rebuilt at a tenth of its former scale.  As part of the 19^th century Meiji government’s program of separating Shinto and Buddhism the temple name of Heisenji was abolished, and became Hakusan Jinja (shrine). 

A still from My Neighbour Totoro (left), Hakusan Heisenji (right)

In addition to the fascinating history of the area, the remnants of the holy mountain path at Echizen are terrific for hikers.  The holy site has beautiful ancient trees, many of whom are over 300 years old.  Some of the trees have been designated as holy with shimenawa – rice straw ropes used in the Shinto religion.   This reminded me of the camphor tree in My Neighbour Totoro (となりのトトロ, 1988).  My kids were delighted by the variety of flora and fauna, discovering cicada shells and even a live millipede.  There was some concern that it might be an example of the millipede’s poisonous centipede cousin (mukade), but close examination of its legs reassured us that we were in no danger. 

The Hakusan region is working towards gaining UNESCO World Heritage Site status under the title “Sacred Mt. Hakusan and the Cultural Landscape at the foothills of Mt. Hakusan.”  Learn more about it here.   

Hakusan Heisenji Temple Historical Museum Mahoroba　

白山平泉寺歴史探遊館 まほろば

Tel. +81 779-87-6001

Fax. +81 779-87-6002

email: mahoroba@city.katsuyama.lg.jp

Museum opening hours: 9am to 5pm (last entry at 4:30)

Closed on Wednesdays and during the New Year’s holidays

Closed the day after a federal holiday. 

Address: (Google Maps)

66-2 Heisenjichō Heisenji, Katsuyama-shi, Fukui-ken

〒911-0822

福井県勝山市平泉寺町平泉寺 第66号2番地12

（平泉寺市営駐車場すぐ近く）

For more information:

白山平泉寺歴史探遊館 まほろば, Katsuyama City website (JP only)

Historic Site: Former Temple Precinct of Hakusan Heisenji, Japanese Archaeological Association

Morimoto, Yukihiro.  “Ecological Dynamics Of Urban And Rural Landscapes - The Need For Landscape Planning That Considers That Considers The Biodiversity Crisis In Japan”, Ecological Issues in a Changing World, 2004, pp 325-336 (link).

2015 Catherine Munroe Hotes

Japanese-German Satoyama Research Forum

日独SATOYAMA研究フォーラム

Part 9 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

On Saturday, August 27, 2014 a Satoyama Research Forum was held in Japanese at the Mikata Training Center (三方青年の家).  This event was open to the general public and well attended.  Speakers included Prof. Izumi Washitani (Tokyo) on the concept of ecological infrastructure in the outreach work of the Science Council of Japan, Prof. Tomohiro Ichinose (Keio) on ecological infrastructure in Europe, Dr. Stefan Hotes (Marburg/Gießen) on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Germany, and Prof. Takehiko Yoshida (Tokyo) on nature restoration, biodiversity and restoration services at Mikata-goko.  A welcome address to attendees was done by Andreas Kirchner, director of the Science and Technology division at the German Embassy in Tokyo.

To learn more: 日独で里山保��の知恵を共有　若狭町で研究フォーラム (Fukui Shimbun, JP only)

In the evening all participants in the Japanese-German Satoyama Research Forum were welcomed in a reception, where they were able to meet with local community members interested in sustainable landscapes and cultures. 

The following day, speakers from Germany and Japan participated in an English-language forum:

Perception and valuation of satoyama ecosystems:

Approaches from natural sciences, economics, and the arts

里山生態系の認識と評価－自然科学、経済学、人文科学からのアプローチ

Date:  Sunday, August 26, 2014, 13:30 - 18:00

Location: Fukui Prefecture International Exchange Meeting Hall

日時：平成26年8月31日（日）13:30～18:00　

場所：福井県国際交流会館（福井市宝永3-1-1 ）

Full program and extracts: 発表要旨（PROGRAM ＆ ABSTRACT) (PDF 3,625KB)

Opening Speech

Spatial economic modelling as a tool for integrating ecosystem services into land management

Amanda Eigner and Ernst-August Nuppenau (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)　　　　　　

The challenge of sustainable use and continued biocultural diversity in a satoyama landscape on the west side of Lake Biwa, Shiga, Japan

Katsue Fukamachi (Kyoto University)　　　　　

Ecological restoration of the Five Lakes of Mikata: Current status and future challenges

Takehito Yoshida (The University of Tokyo)　　　　　　

Cultural and social changes impacted by the environmental conservation in the coastal region of Kilwa, Tanzania

Ryo Nakamura (Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute)　　　　　　

Using ecosystem function models as tools for integrating ecosystem services into landscape management decisions

Andrea Früh-Müller (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)　　　　　　

Characterizing cultural landscapes from an ecological viewpoint: An example from central Hesse, Germany

Keiko Sasaki (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)　　　　　　

Vegetation restoration in a floodplain wetland, Watarase wetland, Japan

Jun Ishii (Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute)　　　　　　

Local revitalization through sustainable use of satoyama resources by involving urban citizens

Sora Fukushima (Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute)　　　　　

Detecting the exact timing of paddy field landscape formation using varved sediments

Junko Kitagawa (Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute)　　　　　　　

Ecocritical views of satoyama in Japanese popular culture

Catherine Munroe Hotes (Nishikata Film Review)　　　　　　

Funding opportunities for research collaborations and mobility through the programmes of the DAAD

Franziska Kekulé (German Academic Exchange Service [DAAD] Tokyo Office)　

Discussion and Closing Remarks

Part 7 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

コウノトリ呼び戻す農法

http://www.kounotori.ne.jp/

In the Shirayama district of the city of Echizen, efforts have been made to restore Satoyama landscapes in order to foster the return of the wild Oriental White Stork (コウノトリ/ kōnotori) to the region.  Oriental White Storks have been extinct in Japan and Korea for more than forty years.  By means of a captive breeding program using birds donated by Russia, conservationists have been trying to revive the species.  In 2007, the first chick was born in Japan since 1964 (see: BBC).

In Echizen, they tell of an individual stork named Kō-chan (コウちゃん) who came to the area in 1970.  Kō-chan’s bill was damaged and he could not eat properly, so the locals began to feed him.  Despite these efforts, the bird weakened further and they captured him the following year.  He was sent to a facility in Hyōgo Prefecture where they had a breeding facility.  Kō-chan recovered in captivity and bred successfully, living out his days in the facility for 34 years. 

The story of Kō-chan inspired local people in Shirayama to restore their Satoyama landscape so that storks and humans could live together in harmony.  In 2010, for the first time in 40 years, an Oriental White Stork came to the area and stayed for 107 days.  They named him E-chan (えっちゃん).  This led to the founding of a joint research effort in 2011 by Hyōgo and Fukui Prefectures to reintroduce Oriental White Storks. 

As part of the efforts to introduce sustainable farming methods, local farmers build fish ladders (魚道 / gyodō), also sometimes called fish steps, that allow fish and other aquatic creatures to move between the irrigation channels and the paddy fields.  It is in the paddy fields that many of these aquatic creatures reproduce.  Such creatures are an attractive source of food for the storks.  Although this farming method produces a lower yield than industrial farming methods, the farmers believe that the produce is safer (安心・安全 / Anshin・Anzen / peace of mind ・safe) and tastier to eat.  This is part of a vigorous international debate on the benefits of amount of food produced versus the quality of food produced.  (See: Cornell University’s page on the System of Rice Intensification(EN), Weltagrarbericht (DE),  Japan Association of the System of Rice Intensification (Tōdai), IRRI).

Learn more details about the “Call Back the Storks” farming methods on their website – all in Japanese but with many photographs. 

Learn more about the restoration of rice paddy habitats to reintroduce the Oriental White Stork in Toyooka City here (EN) and here (JP).

Read: Kazuaki Naito and Hiroshi Ikeda's research paper "Habitat Restoration for the Reintroduction of White Storks" (pdf)

Part 6 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

The town of Wakasa in Fukui Prefecture is famous for its production of plums. In fact, plums are particularly mentioned by the town in their case study for the Satoyama Initiative.  The local variety of plum, known as the Fukui Plum (福井梅 / Fukui-ume), is characterised by its thick flesh and small pit.  The most common way to consume the plums is by pickling them to make umeboshi which is then served with rice.  To make umeboshi, the plums are salted, then dried in the sun before putting them into brine.

In the gift shop of Hotel Suigekka, I discovered that a clever entrepreneur had developed ice cream using the plums.  The mild tasting ice cream is served inside a wafer (もなか / monaka).  This is an adaptation of the traditional Japanese treat monaka (最中) which is a wafer filled with sweet adzuki bean, black sesame seed, or chestnut jam. 

It is well worth giving this delicious ice cream a try when visiting Fukui.  Within Japan, the ice cream can also be ordered via Shokokai (JP), Amazon (JP/EN), or Rakuten (JP/EN).  Another unique product they produce is lotus soft ice cream (はすソフトクリーム), as can be seen here.

Manufacturer: こう太郎のアイス屋さん

Address: 〒919-0225 福井県南条郡南越前町東谷6-85

6-86 Higashidani, Minami-Echizen-chō, Nanjō-gun, Fukui-ken

Tel.: 0778-47-2357

Part 5 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

During our tour of the Mikata-Goko Lakes region, we stayed at Hotel Suigekka.  Not only does the hotel offer a comfortable traditional onsen (hot spring) experience and beautiful views of Lake Suigetsu, but one can also book a breakfast cruise.  A traditional Japanese breakfast is presented in lacquer boxes (重箱 / jūbako) with side dishes of rice and miso soup.

Lake Suigetsu is sheltered by wooded hills and its shores are relatively little developed for a Japanese lake.   The town of Wakasa, to which this area belongs, is famous for its plums (the Fukui Plum / 福井梅 / Fukui-ume) and shiso (シソ), and many orchards and gardens growing these are bordering the lake.  We were delightfully surprised by an osprey taking flight from a wooded area as our boat passed by.  Unfortunately, it all happened too quickly for any of us to get out our cameras.

As our boat passed by a research platform, Junko Kitagawa of the Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute, spoke to us about her research about past environments using sediment taken from the lake bottom.  There are different types of sediments in the winter (dark sediment) and in the summer (light sediment).  In that way, one can examine the sediments in a similar way to tree rings.  For this process to work, one needs a sheltered location and a lake that is sinking at exactly the same rate.  That makes this site very unique globally.  The data being collected is being used as a reference for dating events in the past such as major volcanic eruptions and shifts in climate.

Learn more about Kitagawa’s work in the extract of her paper:

“Detecting the exact timing of paddy field landscape formation using varved sediments”

http://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/shizen/satotisatoyama/forum_d/fil/fukui140831.pdf

Also see: "Environmental variability and human adaptation during the Lateglacial/Holocene transition in Japan with reference to pollen analysis of the SG4 core from Lake Suigetsu" in Quarternery International (2004)

To learn more about the research of Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute, check out their blog (JP only).

Hotel Suigekka / 水月花 

http://www.suigekka.jp/

若狭町観光ホテル 三方五湖 水月湖畔 水月花 〒919-1461

51-13 Umiyama, Wakasa

Mikatakaminaka District, Fukui Prefecture

Google Maps

Tel. 0770-47-1234