Every February 11, the quiet castle town of Kaminoyama transforms into a scene unlike anywhere else in Japan.
Men dressed in straw cloaks walk through the streets shouting “Kakkakkaa!” as residents splash them with buckets of water.

This is Kasedori, one of Japan’s most unusual winter festivals.

On a freezing winter morning in northern Japan, a strange figure appears in the streets.

Covered entirely in straw and shouting “Kakkakkaa!”, the figure walks through the old castle town while people throw buckets of water over him.

This dramatic scene is part of Kasedori, a traditional winter festival held every year on February 11 in Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture.Despite the cold, the festival is filled with laughter and excitement.
For the people of Kaminoyama, it is a joyful ritual that celebrates good fortune, prosperity, and protection for the year ahead.

A “Bird” That Brings Good Fortune

The name Kasedori is often interpreted as “the bird that brings prosperity.”

In earlier times, people believed that during the New Year season a divine spirit would visit villages from distant lands, bringing blessings for the coming year.

The Kasedori represents this visiting spirit.

As the straw-covered figure walks through the town, residents welcome it and pray for

• successful harvests
• thriving businesses
• family happiness
• and safety from disasters.

Why People Throw Water

One of the most unforgettable sights of the festival is when residents pour water over the Kasedori.

The water is known as “celebration water.”

In traditional belief, clean water symbolizes life, purity, and abundance, so splashing water is a way of wishing prosperity for the year ahead.

There is another meaning as well.Kaminoyama experienced devastating fires in the past, and people once believed that a mysterious “fire-eating bird” in the sky spread flames during those disasters.
Because the Kasedori resembles a bird, throwing water on it also came to symbolize prayers for protection from fire.

A Costume Made from Straw

The performer wears a large straw cloak called a Kendai, woven entirely from rice straw.

It covers the body from head to toe and can weigh up to 10 kilograms when soaked with water.

Making this costume is itself a rare traditional skill.
Only a few members of the local preservation society still know how to weave the Kendai using traditional tools.The straw sandals worn by the performers are also handmade by local residents, reflecting the deep community involvement that keeps the festival alive.

Good Luck from a Strand of Straw

Visitors can participate in several small traditions during the festival.

When the Kasedori arrives, people may wrap a new towel or cloth around the straw costume while making wishes for the coming year.

Strands of straw that fall from the costume are considered lucky charms, believed to carry the blessing of the visiting spirit.

A local saying even suggests that tying a girl’s hair with Kasedori straw will help her grow into a beautiful woman with long black hair.

A Tradition Revived

Like many traditional festivals in Japan, Kasedori once disappeared.

After the political changes of the late nineteenth century, the event was abolished and eventually faded away.

But in 1959, local residents revived the festival, determined to preserve their heritage.
Today the Kasedori Preservation Society continues to pass the tradition to younger generations.

Experience Kasedori

Every year on February 11, the streets of Kaminoyama once again echo with the cry “Kakkakkaa!”
As the straw-clad figures move through the town and water splashes into the winter air, visitors can experience a living tradition that connects the present with centuries of local history.
Kasedori is not just a festival.
It is a celebration of community, resilience, and hope for the year ahead.

Acknowledgment

This article was prepared based on materials provided by the Kaminoyama Folk Festival Kasedori Preservation Society.All photographs are courtesy of the Kaminoyama Tourism and Products Association.

Where Spring Begins Early

– Kawazu Sakura and Hot Springs in Minami-izu –

Report by Masahiko Kaji

Spring in Japan is widely associated with cherry blossoms that bloom in late March.
But in the warm valleys of the Izu Peninsula, spring arrives much earlier.I recently visited Minami-izu, located at the southern tip of the peninsula, to see the famous Kawazu Sakura, an early-blooming variety of cherry blossom.

The Izu Peninsula is recognized as part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, a region shaped by volcanic activity that created dramatic coastlines, abundant hot springs, and fertile river valleys.

Along the Aono River in Minami-izu, about 800 Kawazu Sakura trees line both sides of the river for nearly two kilometers, forming a continuous corridor of soft pink blossoms.

The trees here are large and full-shaped, creating an especially impressive landscape.One of the most memorable sights is the contrast between the blossoms and the steam rising from the nearby Shimogamo Onsen hot springs.
White steam drifts through the riverside air, while the pink blossoms spread across the sky above the river.

A Cherry Blossom That Blooms Ahead of Spring

Kawazu-zakura (Cerasus × kanzakura ‘Kawazu-zakura’) is a cherry tree variety native to Japan.

While Japan’s most famous cherry blossom, Somei Yoshino, typically blooms in late March in Tokyo, Kawazu Sakura begins flowering in mid-February.

Another distinctive feature is its long blooming season.
Unlike many cherry blossoms that fall within a week or two, Kawazu Sakura can remain in bloom for nearly a month.

Japan is said to have around 600 varieties of cherry trees, each with its own seasonal rhythm.

Kawazu Sakura is cherished because it signals the very beginning of spring in Japan.

A Moment of Life Beneath the Blossoms

While walking along the river, I noticed a newly married couple taking commemorative photographs beneath the blossoms.

Scenes like this are common during Japan’s cherry blossom season.

For many people in Japan, cherry blossoms are not only a natural spectacle, but also a moment to celebrate life—gathering with family and friends, welcoming the arrival of spring, and marking milestones.

In Minami-izu, where the blossoms appear earlier than anywhere else, that celebration begins quietly in February.

Tokyo International Hiking is a Facebook-based hiking group that enjoys nature in Tokyo and the surrounding areas.On February 15, 17 members from nine countries celebrated the opening of Japan’s flower season together.

＃Japan Mountain Day Foundation
#Tokyo International Hiking Club
# Mt Fuji 

Hello everyone,
I am Yasuhiko Takano, Director of the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum.

In the previous installment, I introduced how Jigokudani (Hell Valley) on Mount Tateyama came to be revered as a place where hell described in Buddhist teachings was believed to exist in reality. I also discussed Heian-period Buddhist tales in which women who had fallen into hell were saved through metsuza kuyō—memorial offerings based on the Lotus Sutra—and were reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven.

In this installment, I will focus on the relationship between Tateyama and Taishakuten, the deity believed to reside in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, and examine his role within Tateyama faith.

According to Volume 14 of the Konjaku Monogatari-shū, Tateyama is home not only to hell but also to a great peak known as Taishaku no Take, the mountain where Taishakuten is said to reside. There, Taishakuten gathers with officials of the netherworld to observe and judge the good and evil deeds of human beings, determining whether they are to be cast into hell.

Taishakuten is one of the heavenly beings (tenbu) who protect Buddhism and originates from Indra, the ancient Indian god of war. He is sometimes depicted holding a brush and a scroll, symbolizing his role as a recorder and judge of human actions. In this respect, Taishakuten functioned much like King Enma, serving as a judge of hell in Buddhist belief.Edo-period (1615-1868) sources such as the Wakan Sansai Zue and the Tateyama Mandala identify Mt. Bessan, one of Tateyama’s three sacred peaks, by the alternate name Mount Taishaku. During this period, Taishakuten was enshrined on Mt. Bessan. Near its summit lies Suzuriga-ike (Inkstone Pond), believed to be the place where Taishakuten used its water as ink to record and judge the deeds of sentient beings.

(2) What the Inscriptions on the Standing Bronze Statue of Taishakuten Reveal

At the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum, we preserve and display a Standing Bronze Statue of Taishakuten, designated a National Important Cultural Property of Japan. In 1991, the statue was exhibited overseas at the British Museum as part of the exhibition Kamakura Sculpture, and it is recognized as one of the representative sculptures of the Kamakura period in Japan.

A distinctive feature of this statue is the presence of inscriptions carved across the chest, legs, and pedestal. These include the phrases “Tateyama Zenjō,” “Kanki 2,” and “Raizen.”
The term Zenjō means “mountain summit,” and it is most likely a reference to the summit of Mt. Bessan. Kanki 2corresponds to the year 1230, and Raizen is the name of a monk. From these inscriptions, we can understand that this monk dedicated the statue at the mountain summit.

According to the inscriptions, the purpose of this dedication was to save sentient beings wandering through the Six Realms of rebirth. To this end, the monk copied one fascicle of the Lotus Sutra each day for six consecutive days, following the practice known as nyohōkyō, and placed the completed sutras inside the statue before performing a memorial offering.

In fact, the interior of the statue is hollow and was designed to function as a container for the copied Lotus Sutra.

During the Kamakura period, ascetic practices centered on nyohōkyō—the copying and dedication of the Lotus Sutraaccompanied by rigorous austerities—were carried out on Mt. Bessan at Tateyama. It appears that through these practices, the extinguishing of sins (metsuzai) was believed to be achieved. The judgment of whether such salvation was granted was entrusted to Taishakuten.

(3) Enma, King of Hell at Mount Tateyama

At Mount Tateyama during the Kamakura period, it can be confirmed that Taishakuten (Indra) initially fulfilled the role of judge of the underworld. By the late Kamakura period, however, this role appears to have been assumed by Enma, the King of Hell.

At Ashikuraji Temple in Tateyama stands the Enma Hall (rebuilt in 1928), which houses a seated wooden statue of Enma believed to date from the late Kamakura period. The statue measures over 160 centimeters in height and is relatively large in scale. As Pure Land Buddhism spread during the Kamakura period, it is thought that at Ashikuraji, Enma was enshrined together with Taizanō, Godō Tenrinō, Shimei, and Shiroku in what is known as the “Enma Five-Deity Configuration” (Enma Goson Keishiki). Incidentally, the name “Enma Hall” at Ashikuraji appears in historical documents for the first time in a donation record dated 1466 (Bunshō 1), made by the warrior clan Jinbō.

In addition, an Enma Hall once stood in Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and is depicted in several Tateyama mandalas and mountain pictorial maps from the Edo period. According to tradition, a metal statue of Enma was enshrined there, though the building itself no longer survives.Thus, at Mount Tateyama—known as a mountain of hell—the figure of the “judge of the underworld” came to be firmly established. Beginning with Taishakuten and later giving way to Enma, whose striking appearance and distinctive character captured popular imagination, Enma ultimately became the dominant figure.

In the next installment, we will introduce the Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji settlements, which served as key centers of Tateyama worship during the Edo period. We hope you will continue to follow this series.

◎ For more on Taishakuten at Mount Tateyama, we recommend the exhibition catalogue Tateyama and Taishakuten, published in conjunction with a special exhibition.
For Enma, King of Hell at Mount Tateyama, the exhibition Tateyama × Hell is highly recommended.

For information on how to purchase these publications, please contact the Tateyama Museum.

＃https://www.yamanohi.net
＃Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum
＃Mountain Faith
＃Mt Tateyama 
＃ Taishakuten
＃Enma, King of Hell

Hello everyone,
I am Yasuhiko Takano, Director of the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum.The sacred mountain Tateyama is believed to have been opened as a Buddhist mountain, a story that has been handed down as the Legend of the Founding of Tateyama. In this installment, I would like to introduce the essence of this legend as recorded in the Edo-period text Tateyama Ryaku Engi (Sōshinbō manuscript of Ashikuraji).

Chasing the Hawk

In 701 (the first year of the Taihō era), Saeki Ariwaka, acting under the orders of Emperor Monmu, was appointed provincial governor of Etchū Province. He established his residence at Fuse Castle along the Fuse River.

The following year, Ariwaka’s son Arayori took his father’s treasured white hawk and went out hunting. During the hunt, however, he lost the hawk. Enraged by the news, Ariwaka scolded his son harshly. Hoping to atone for his mistake, Arayori set out alone in search of the missing hawk.

When he finally found it and rang a bell to call it back, a bear suddenly appeared and frightened the hawk, causing it to fly away once more. As the bear then charged at him, Arayori shot an arrow, striking the bear in the chest.

Chasing the Bear

The bear did not die. With the arrow still lodged in its body and blood flowing, it fled into the mountains. The white hawk also flew off in the same direction. Following the trail of blood, Arayori pursued the bear.

Along the way, an old man appeared to him in a dream and told him that the bear had entered the mountains of Tateyama. Venturing deep into the mountains, Arayori eventually saw both the bear and the hawk disappear into a cave known as Tamadenokutsu.

Inside the cave, Arayori encountered a golden image of Amida Buddha, accompanied by Fudō Myōō. To his astonishment, the arrow he had shot was embedded in the chest of Amida Buddha, from which blood was flowing. The bear was in fact Amida Buddha, and the white hawk was Fudō Myōō. Amida Buddha had been guiding Arayori in order to have Tateyama opened as a sacred mountain.Overcome with guilt at having wounded the Buddha, Arayori attempted to take his own life. At that moment, Yakusei Sennin, an immortal sage, appeared and stopped him. Arayori then renounced the secular world, took the Buddhist name Jikō, and devoted himself to rigorous ascetic practice. He opened mountain paths, built halls and lodgings, and established Tateyama as a Buddhist sacred mountain.

The Changing Forms of the Founding Legend

In Edo-period versions of the founding legend, the young Saeki Arayori appears as the founder of Tateyama. However, earlier sources tell different stories.

In one of the oldest texts, the Iroha Jiruishō (ten-volume edition), the section titled The Original Account of the Manifestation of Tateyama Great Bodhisattva names Saeki Ariwaka, Arayori’s father, as the founder.
In the Kamakura-period collection Ruijū Kigen Shō, in an entry on the Tateyama Gongen of Etchū Province, an unnamed hunter shoots a bear that transforms into Amida Buddha—making the founder a nameless hunter. This is likely the most primitive form of the legend.Later, in the Edo-period encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue, the founder is identified as Saeki Arayori.
In this way, the founding legend appears to have evolved from a simple tale of a hunter, to one incorporating Saeki Ariwaka, who served as governor of Etchū in the early 10th century, and finally to the completed parent–child narrative centered on Arayori.

A Two-Part Legend: Chasing the Hawk and the Bear

The simple motif of a hunter pursuing a bear closely resembles the founding legends of Kumano Gongen. In the Sangoku Denki, the story of Kumano Gongen recounts how a hunter named Chikakane shot a bear, followed its blood trail, and encountered a golden Amida Buddha in a cave—an episode marking the beginning of Kumano faith.

Similar legends that feature hunters as founders can be found at other sacred mountains, including Mount Kōya, Mount Daisen in Hōki Province, and Mount Hikosan.

What distinguishes the Tateyama founding legend, however, is its two-part structure: first the pursuit of the hawk, followed by the pursuit of the bear. This distinctive composition may provide an important clue for understanding forms of Tateyama faith that predate its opening as a Buddhist mountain.

In the next installment, we will explore stories of Tateyama Hell as they appear in Heian-period Buddhist tales. I hope you will continue to follow this series.Written by Yasuhiko Takano
Director, Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum

Editorial Note

At the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum, the story of Saeki Arayori is presented in detail through digital signage. The museum also features a full-scale diorama of Tamadenokutsu Cave, allowing visitors to experience the legendary encounter with Amida Buddha. We invite you to explore the world of the Tateyama founding legend firsthand.

＃https://www.yamanohi.net
＃Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum
＃Mountain Faith
＃Mt Tateyama 
# Falconry
# Amida Buddha
＃ Fudō Myōō

Tateyama faith is the belief in the existence of hell within the mountains. The concept of hell at Tateyama is thought to have emerged from the ancient Japanese belief that the souls of the dead go to the mountains, combined with Buddhist ideas of the afterlife. In this installment, I will introduce Buddhist tales of Tateyama Hell that appear in late Heian-period works such as the Hokke Genki and the Konjaku Monogatari-shū.

Jigokudani: The Hell Valley of Tateyama

Volcanic activity at Mount Tateyama (the Midagahara Volcano) is believed to have begun approximately 220,000 years ago. Around 100,000 years ago, repeated large-scale pyroclastic eruptions formed the Midagahara Plateau. After about 40,000 years ago, phreatic explosions created craters that became Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Mikurigaike Pond, Midorigaike Pond, and other features.

In Jigokudani today, pools of boiling water and vents emitting volcanic gases can be seen throughout the area. Bright yellow sulfur crystals formed by sublimation are scattered across the landscape, and the pungent odors of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide fill the air, creating an eerie and unsettling scene.

During the Heian period, mountain ascetics who traveled among sacred mountains throughout the country likely witnessed these extraordinary landscapes and conveyed stories of Tateyama’s hell back to the capital. The Konjaku Monogatari-shū records that “people of Japan who committed sins were often sent to the hell of Tateyama,” indicating that among aristocrats and monks in the capital, Tateyama was widely recognized as a place where hell existed.

A Tale of Tateyama Hell in the Heian Period (1)

In Dai Nihon-koku Hokke Genki, Volume II, Tale 124, titled “The Woman of Tateyama in Etchū Province,” the following story is told.

An ascetic visiting Tateyama encounters a young woman in the mountains. She explains that she is the daughter of a Buddhist sculptor from Gamo District in Ōmi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture) and that she fell into hell after death for the sin of selling Buddhist objects to support her own livelihood.

She further explains that she is able to leave hell temporarily because, during her lifetime, she had prayed to Kannon and observed a single day of vegetarian fasting. Because of this good deed, Kannon takes her place in hell once each month on the eighteenth day, bearing the suffering on her behalf. She entrusts the ascetic with a message for her parents. After hearing this message, her family commissions the copying of the Lotus Sutra as a memorial offering, and through this merit, the woman is reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, one of the celestial realms.

A nearly identical story appears in Volume 14, Tale 7 of the Konjaku Monogatari-shū.

A Tale of Tateyama Hell in the Heian Period (2)

In Volume 17, Tale 27 of the Konjaku Monogatari-shū, another story is recorded.

An ascetic named Enkō, who is practicing austerities in the mountains of Tateyama, encounters a figure at around two o’clock in the morning. The figure introduces herself as a woman from Shichijō in Kyoto and explains that she died young and fell into the hell of Tateyama.

She recounts that during her lifetime she attended the Jizō devotional gatherings at Gidarin-ji Temple once or twice. Because of this good deed, Jizō Bodhisattva descends into hell and endures the suffering in her place three times a day—morning, noon, and night. She entrusts Enkō with a message for her family, who then create an image of Jizō Bodhisattva and copy the Lotus Sutra. As a result, the woman is saved from her suffering.

This tale was later illustrated during the Kamakura period and is now preserved as the Illustrated Scroll of the Miracles of Jizō Bodhisattva in the Freer Gallery of Art in the United States.

A Tale of Tateyama Hell in the Heian Period (3)

Another story set in Tateyama Hell appears in Volume 14, Tale 8 of the Konjaku Monogatari-shū.

A government clerk from Etchū Province (present-day Toyama Prefecture) performs memorial services on the forty-ninth day after his wife’s death. Later, his three children, together with a holy man, climb Tateyama to mourn their mother. Upon reaching Tateyama Hell, they hear her voice.

Their mother asks them to commission the copying of one thousand volumes of the Lotus Sutra as an offering in order to escape from hell. This request reaches the ears of the provincial governor. After the copying is completed and a Buddhist service is held, the family receives a revelation in a dream that the mother has been reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven.

The Meaning of Tateyama Hell Tales

In these Heian-period tales, women who have fallen into hell appear either within Jigokudani or elsewhere in the mountains of Tateyama. In every case, they are saved from suffering through memorial offerings based on the copying of the Lotus Sutra, which was believed to extinguish sins.Stories associated with Tateyama Hell continued to be created in various forms in later periods, and Tateyama became widely known as “the mountain where hell truly exists.” During the Edo period, this reputation further developed into the image of Tateyama as a mountain of salvation for women, attracting widespread devotion among female believers.

In the next installment, we will explore Taishakuten and King Enma in the context of Tateyama faith. I hope you will continue to follow this series.

Written by Yasuhiko Takano
Director, Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum

Editorial Note

At the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum, tales of Tateyama Hell are presented in an easy-to-understand format through interactive touch-panel displays. We also recommend several exhibition catalogs, including Tateyama in Literature, A Tour of Hell, and Tateyama × Hell Exhibition. For purchase details, please contact the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum.

＃https://www.yamanohi.net
＃Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum
＃Mountain Faith
＃Mt Tateyama 
# Tateyama Hell
＃Konjaku Monogatari
＃Lotus Sutra
# Amida Buddha
＃Fudō Myōō

This Millennium Forest did not begin as a project.
It began with one person standing before a clear-cut hillside,
asking how a human being should relate to nature—
and over what span of time.

Rather than seeking quick answers,
or attempting to control outcomes,
a simple choice was made:
to plant trees, and to entrust time to nature.

A forest does not respond immediately.
Yet to those who continue to stand with their questions,
it eventually begins to speak—quietly, through its form.A Millennium Forest is not only an act of reforestation.
It is a place where one learns, over a lifetime,
what it means for humans to live alongside nature.

Life Devoted to Forest Creation

In this three-part essay series, Takeo Tsurumi reflects on a life devoted to forest creation—
a journey shaped not by a single project, but by decades of quiet commitment to land, time, and learning from nature.

Born in 1946 to parents who returned to Japan from Manchuria after the Second World War, Tsurumi grew up in a postwar reclamation village, where life was marked by material poverty and hardship. These early experiences formed a lifelong sensitivity to the relationship between human survival, land, and time.

Over nearly fifty years, he has continued to engage in forest creation as a personal, long-term practice rather than a short-term intervention—planting trees, observing change, and allowing natural processes to unfold beyond human control.

A former professor at Ehime University with a Ph.D. in Economics, Tsurumi’s work bridges lived experience, academic inquiry, and hands-on forest practice. Through the creation of the Millennium Forest, he has come to see forests not as resources to be managed for immediate results, but as teachers—revealing, over time, how humans might live more humbly and responsibly alongside nature.

Part 1 — Origins of the Thousand-Year Forest

In the late 20th century, while teaching at an agricultural high school in Chiba, I began helping a friend manage a small forest. One day I saw an industrial waste site in the mountains, leaking toxic liquid into a valley stream. I realized then: once nature is destroyed, it may take a thousand years to heal. From this conviction, the idea of creating a “Thousand-Year Forest” was born.

In 2000, I moved to Ehime Prefecture to take a university post. By chance, I purchased an old farmhouse in the terraced hills, where neighbors warmly welcomed my family and taught us how to cultivate rice. Soon after, I acquired six hectares of bare land nearby. For the first time, I had a place to plant freely, and together with volunteers we began restoring the mountain.

Over the years, we planted more than 9,000 broadleaf trees. Families joined to mark life events, children planted camellias as graduation memories, and couples planted trees for anniversaries. Each tree became more than a seedling; it carried human hopes and stories.What began as one professor’s personal commitment slowly grew into a community’s shared vision. The Thousand-Year Forest is not just a piece of land—it is a living symbol of care, resilience, and the belief that our actions today can shape a forest for generations a thousand

# Prof Takedo Tsurumi 
# Reforestation
# Ehime Prefecture

Learning from the Forest

Ten years after intensive planting and maintenance began in the Kawauchi Millennium Forest, we asked a simple question: What had the forest become?
In 2014, after years spent preparing the land, planting trees, clearing undergrowth, and cutting vines across seven hectares of the ten-hectare site, we commissioned a professional forest survey.

At the time, I carried a sense of unease. Maintenance had not always been as thorough as I wished. Yet the survey results surprised and reassured me. The forest was described as “a good forest,” already developing rich biodiversity. Even when our human efforts had been limited, natural processes had continued to nurture the land. This realization brought both encouragement and relief.Ten years later, in 2024, we asked the same researcher to return. The second survey, focusing explicitly on the monitoring of broadleaf forests regenerating on former conifer clear-cut sites, reflected a deeper and more focused understanding than the first. Our questions had matured, and so had the forest.

Learning Through Science and Education

Between these two surveys, my own thinking underwent a significant transformation. From 2015 to 2018, I was involved in developing national high school curriculum guidelines in forestry, covering forest science, forest management, and forest product utilization. From 2019 to 2021, I authored the high school textbook Forest Science.

These years became a period of intensive learning for me. During the textbook’s preparation, I received frequent guidance from Professor Takao Fujimori, a leading forest ecologist. His advice was clear: forest ecosystem functions and services must be explained as a coherent story—one that shows how they can be harmoniously realized through appropriate management, and what kinds of technologies, human resources, and policies are needed to support them.While writing under strict deadlines, I often found myself watching ripe apricots fall from the single tree in our yard, slowly decaying in the terraced rice fields below. That quiet image became inseparable from my understanding of time, cycles, and patience in both forests and human learning.

Clarifying the Goal

The insights gained through study and practice gradually crystallized into a clear direction for the Millennium Forest. Our ultimate target forest type would be a natural forest. We defined our objective as the conversion of clear-cut sugi (Japanese cedar) and hinoki (Japanese cypress) plantations into broadleaf forests.

As activities progressed, the forest was divided into eight zones, each with a provisional target: planted forest, semi-natural forest, or natural forest. This zoning allowed us to continue learning through long-term observation rather than fixed prescriptions.

At the conclusion of the survey report, the researchers noted that clear management guidelines for volunteer-led broadleaf forest creation remain largely undeveloped. In that context, they expressed respect for the Kawauchi Millennium Forest as a rare long-term experiment—one that continues through trial and error under diverse natural conditions.

What the Forest Teaches

Part 2 marks a shift from doing to learning.
The forest is no longer something we shape alone; it is something that responds, teaches, and quietly corrects us over time. Through observation, study, and humility, the Millennium Forest has become not only a site of restoration, but a living classroom—one that continues to deepen our understanding of forests, people, and the long arc of coexistence between them.

# Prof Takeo Tsurumi PhD, (retired)
# Ehime Prefecture

What It Means to Create a Millennium Forest

The Point We Have Reached as of 2024

What does it truly mean to create a Millennium Forest?
By 2024, our answer has become clearer: it is not only about trees, but about people—and the relationships that grow alongside the forest.

A Forest That Welcomes the Whole Person

From the beginning, the Ehime Millennium Forest Association has followed a simple principle: participation is never obligatory. People may join as much or as little as they wish, according to their interests, concerns, and physical condition at the time. We do not evaluate or rank participants by experience, skill, enthusiasm, or attitude.

For those unfamiliar with forestry, volunteer work in the forest can feel intimidating. We therefore place great importance on creating an environment where anyone can participate with a sense of safety and ease.

Within such an atmosphere, participants gradually gain emotional space. As they encounter their unadorned selves, many begin to reflect quietly on a deeper question: What is my own role, or purpose, in life?

Sharing Time, Sharing Awareness

We value group sharing sessions held at both the beginning and the end of each activity day. At the opening session, participants talk about recent experiences, thoughts, or feelings they bring with them. At the closing session, each person reflects on what they experienced during that day in the Millennium Forest.

Through these simple practices, individual awareness is shared, and mutual understanding deepens naturally. Over time, these repeated moments of reflection have strengthened two core aspirations of the Association: to provide a place where people can encounter their true selves, and to explore future-oriented, circular ways of living.The Millennium Forest is gradually becoming an irreplaceable place—not merely a forest to be managed, but a space for profound human and ecological experience.

Continuing the Work, Together

Forest volunteer activities are held once a month, usually on the third Saturday. Tasks include maintaining walking paths, cutting bamboo grass, and removing vines. As I grow older, working across ten hectares has become physically demanding, and I am deeply supported by the presence of fellow volunteers.We also create opportunities for forest observation and hands-on experiences whenever possible. For us, entering the forest has become part of everyday life. For participants from urban areas, however, stepping into the forest—often for the first time—can be a powerful and moving experience in itself.

Learning from the Living Forest

Perhaps out of a sense of curiosity, I also try to share what the forest has taught me: how forest ecosystems provide diverse functions and services, and how these functions change as forests develop over time. Participants listen, reflect, and gradually incorporate these ideas into their own understanding of forest creation.Part 3 represents a shift from making a forest to living with one.
Here, the Millennium Forest reveals its deeper meaning—not as a completed achievement, but as an ongoing practice in which forests shape people, just as people care for forests.

Prologue：

This three-part essay series presents the life and work of Takeo Tsurumi, who has devoted his life to forest creation.He did not begin this work to be understood,
nor to be evaluated beyond his own conscience.
He simply continued, believing that time itself would respond.

# Professor Takeo Tsurumi　PhD, (retired)
# Ehime University
# Ehime Prefecture
# Reforestation

On 6 December 2025, the Japan Mountain Day Foundation (JMDF) hosted the International Mountain Day 2025 Symposium: “Mountains and Water – Considering Glaciers and Watershed Communities” in a virtual format from Tokyo, Japan. Bringing together leading scientists and mountain practitioners, the event highlighted how glaciers, watersheds, and local communities are interconnected and why safeguarding mountain water cycles is essential for our collective future.

The symposium was organized to mark International Mountain Day (IMD),　also to commemorate the event celebrating Japan’s accession to the Mountain Partnership in April 2025. As JMDF’s inaugural MP-related public programme, it aimed to strengthen Japan’s contribution to global mountain initiatives. Approximately 150 participants joined the study from across Japan.

Keynote speaker Professor Dr. Emeritus Osamu Matsuda (Hiroshima University), a leading scholar of SATOUMI and watershed culture, emphasized that “mountains are living reservoirs that nurture biodiversity, culture, and community identity.” Drawing from decades of fieldwork, he described how mountain–sea linkages shape daily life and why traditional knowledge remains vital for environmental stewardship.

The second keynote was delivered by Professor Dr. Daniel Hunkeler (University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland), who presented recent findings on the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge and glacier-fed river systems. He noted that shrinking glaciers will transform water availability across Asia and require new, collaborative approaches: “Only by integrating hydrology, community knowledge, and policy frameworks can we build resilience in mountain regions.”

The programme concluded with a panel discussion examining the future of watershed communities in Japan and beyond. The panelists underscored the importance of education, youth engagement, and cross-regional learning to strengthen adaptive capacity. Participants also discussed the need for international cooperation so that diverse mountain communities can speak with “one mountain voice.”

The symposium marked a major milestone for the JMDF. Japan is the only country in the world with a national holiday dedicated to mountains—“Mountain Day” on 11 August. By aligning this national initiative with IMD and the Mountain Partnership, JMDF seeks to amplify Asia-Pacific perspectives and contribute more actively to global mountain advocacy efforts.

JMDF President Masahiko Kaji stated, “Mountains sustain not only ecosystems but also our cultures and future generations. As a Mountain Partnership member, Japan is committed to connecting science, policy, and society to safeguard the world’s mountain environments.”

Comprehensive recordings, programme details, and speaker profiles are available on the JMDF website.

Read more:https://yamanohi.net

Mountains and Disaster Preparedness

On 4 December 2025, the 7th National “Mountain Day” Forum, themed “Mountains and Disaster Preparedness,” was held in Shinjuku, Tokyo, organized by the Japan Mountain Day Foundation.

Japan is widely recognized as a country highly exposed to natural hazards. Approximately 7 percent of the world’s active volcanoes are located in Japan, and the country also faces growing risks from earthquakes and climate such as  heavy rainfall and typhoons. At the same time, these powerful natural forces shape Japan’s mountain landscapes and provide essential benefits such as water resources, geothermal energy, and rich ecosystems that support daily life.

Against this backdrop, the forum explored a central question:
How should people living in and downstream of mountain regions understand disaster risks, and how can they better prepare to protect lives?

Speakers from science, medical practice, and disaster-response fields shared insights based on research, frontline medical practice, and firsthand experience. Topics included, 

– the potential risks of a major Mount Fuji eruption, 
– emergency support led by volunteer organizations,
– lessons from the Nepal earthquake, 
– the activities of DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Teams

Discussions also highlighted how outdoor and mountaineering experience can be applied to everyday disaster preparedness, as well as the increasing severity of weather-related disasters under climate change.

Across all sessions, two key messages were emphasized: personal preparedness is essential, and experience gained through engagement with mountains and nature is practical knowledge that can save lives.

The forum reminded participants that disaster preparedness is not extraordinary, but an integral part of everyday life in a mountainous country like Japan, and reaffirmed the importance of connecting mountains, people, and preparedness to build a more resilient society.

On Monday, October 13 (Sports Day public holiday), a walking event organized by Shioya Town, Tochigi Prefecture, was held with a total of 330 participants.
Three courses were offered—4.5 km, 10 km, and 18 km—allowing participants of all ages and fitness levels to take part. 

Surrounded by expansive rural landscapes, participants enjoyed walking through Shioya Town while taking in the beautiful autumn countryside scenery.
The 18 km course included a route along the Kinugawa River, passing by the Sanuki Stone Buddhas—a nationally designated historic site featuring Buddhist figures carved into a towering rock face. 

Following the walking event, 

the “Mountain Day Forum 2025 – Mountains and Health,”

hosted by the Japan Mountain Day Foundation, was held.Program：

1. Lecture:
   “How to Walk for Better Health”
   Ms. Mayuko Ando
   (PhD in Physical Education, Certified Health Exercise Instructor, Certified Mountain Guide)
2. Talk Show:
   “Mountaineering as a Lifelong Pursuit – Enjoying It for Years to Come”
   Ms. Ayako Kobayashi

Ms. Ayako Kobayashi, a renowned actress best known for her leading role in the NHK morning television drama Oshin, also serves as a Mountain Day Ambassador.
She shared her personal philosophy that “mountaineering is my life’s work,” speaking about the joy of continuing to enjoy mountains throughout one’s life. Oshin is a Japanese serialized morning television drama that originally aired on NHK from 1983 to 1984.　The series, consisting of 297 episodes, follows the life of its protagonist from the Meiji era to the early 1980s.
It became one of the most widely watched television dramas in Japan and has since been broadcast in 68 countries worldwide, with subtitles in languages ranging from English to Arabic.

Mountain Day – August 11

Since the establishment of the national holiday Mountain Day in 2016, the Mountain Day National Convention have been held annually on August 11.
This year, more than 500 participants—including government officials, local citizens, and mountain and nature enthusiasts gathered in Ōno, Fukui.The 10th Convention in 2026 will be hosted in Takayama, Gifu. At the Ōno venue, the symbolic mountaineering hat of the Convention was ceremonially passed from Governor Sugimoto of Fukui to Governor Ezaki of Gifu, the host of next year’s convention.

Governor Ezaki of Gifu delivered the address

Message from the Governor of Gifu

Mountains have long been the very source of human life, providing food, water, timber, and protection from natural hazards. Japan remains a nation of forests, with 67% of its land covered by woodland, and in Gifu this figure reaches 81%. Safeguarding and nurturing these forests is our solemn responsibility. Yet today, many regions face challenges of overplanting and underharvesting, leaving valuable resources untapped due to a lack of successors to manage the mountains.

As we look ahead to the 10th Mountain Day National Convention in Gifu, our theme will be: “Transforming gratitude for the mountains into action.”

The historic city of Hida-Takayama, known worldwide, will serve as the stage from which we share Japan’s mountain culture and our responsibilities for the future with the international community. Learning from the excellent example set by Fukui, we pledge to take up this relay baton with full dedication and make thorough preparations for the convention.

Introduction to Gifu

Gifu is located in the very heart of Japan, surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges of the Northern Japan Alps. With 81% of its land covered by forests, Gifu is often called “the Land of Mountains.” The prefecture is rich in cultural heritage, traditional crafts, and history, while also serving as a center of sustainable forestry and environmental stewardship. Its mountains, rivers, and hot springs continue to attract visitors seeking both natural beauty and cultural depth.

Introduction to Takayama

Takayama, nestled in the Hida region of northern Gifu, is internationally renowned as a cultural tourism destination. Often referred to as “Little Kyoto of Hida,” the city preserves beautifully maintained traditional townscapes, including merchant houses from the Edo period. Takayama hosts the Takayama Festival, considered one of Japan’s most beautiful festivals, and serves as a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go. With its rich history, warm hospitality, and proximity to the Japanese Alps, Takayama welcomes visitors from around the world as a living symbol of Japan’s mountain culture.