Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

“Yui”　Episode 5 – From Ōno to the World (International Contribution)

We protect our groundwater—so that we may share water with the world.

The “Carrying Water Project” — Giving Back to Water

Thanks to sustained efforts over the years, the condition of Ōno’s groundwater has begun to show signs of recovery.
However, among local residents, there still remains a deeply rooted perception that groundwater is something that naturally exists and can be taken for granted.

In response, the city launched the Carrying Water Project (CWP), grounded in the philosophy of “giving back to water.”
The initiative aims to encourage citizens to rediscover their sense of gratitude and pride in water, and to communicate these values and actions to the world. In doing so, the project seeks to enhance Ōno’s brand identity while contributing to regional revitalization—by increasing exchange populations and addressing long-term population decline.

Through donations from citizens and businesses, CWP supports communities in regions that lack access to safe water, while also promoting place-based branding centered on Ōno’s abundant water resources.
By sharing the story of Ōno’s rich water environment not only within Japan but globally, the project provides an opportunity for local residents to reaffirm the blessings of water they enjoy daily. This, in turn, is expected to foster human capital, enhance the competitiveness of local products and industries, stimulate the regional economy, and ultimately contribute to countermeasures against population decline over the medium to long term.As part of its support for water-stressed regions, the City of Ōno formed a partnership with the Japan Committee for UNICEF.
From 2017 to 2019, the project supported initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, helping local children gain access to clean and safe water.

Based on the spirit of Yui—mutual cooperation—the project also seeks to raise awareness among Ōno’s citizens of global water challenges, particularly in Timor-Leste, one of the most water-stressed environments in Asia.
Through citizen-led donations and engagement, residents are encouraged to share an appreciation for water, thereby rediscovering the value of what they routinely use and strengthening their confidence and pride in their local community.

The City of Ōno’s direct involvement in the project concluded in 2020, and its philosophy has since been inherited by a General Incorporated Association.

Foreign-born Leaders Revitalizing Japan’s Rural Mountain Communities

Episode 6: From Local Revitalization to Transnational Collaboration

Expanding Mountain Livelihoods Beyond Borders

Currently, Dhalma is focusing on a project that introduces Japanese agricultural technology and investment into rural communities in Nepal, with the goal of exporting locally produced agricultural products to Japan and potentially to European markets.

“To support this initiative, we established a local subsidiary of Happy Farm in Nepal and organized a producers’ cooperative in rural communities,” he explains.

This initiative originally emerged from discussions on how best to support post-earthquake recovery in affected areas such as Lisank village.

“The region has always been a purely agricultural community, where traditional farming mainly focused on subsistence production for household consumption. As a result, many young people chose to migrate in search of cash income, leaving their home villages with aging populations and declining vitality.

In order for these communities to recover and sustain themselves, it is essential to introduce new forms of agriculture that can generate stable income. Only then will younger generations consider remaining in their villages and continuing agricultural practices.”

An opportunity arose when a health food company based in Toyama inquired about the possibility of cultivating perilla in Nepal as a raw material for dietary supplements. While low production costs were a key consideration, the fact that agricultural land in many parts of Nepal had not been exposed to extensive use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides was also seen as an advantage.

“It’s ironic that what we once considered a disadvantage — not being able to afford chemical inputs — is now seen as a strength,” Dhalma says with a smile.

However, producing several tons of perilla annually that meet the quality standards required by Japanese companies remains a significant challenge for Nepalese farmers.

In response, Dhalma mobilized nearly 400 farming families in and around Lisank village to form a producers’ cooperative. At the same time, a local company responsible for purchasing, processing, and exporting agricultural products to Japan was established near Kathmandu under the leadership of his brother.

Construction machinery was introduced from Japan to improve farm land, accompanied by technical training for local farmers.

In 2020, the first shipment of perilla was successfully exported to Japan.

“We are not yet at the stage of making substantial profits, but we have reached a point where the project can continue,” Dhalma notes. “There are challenges, such as requests from Japanese companies to lower purchase prices. On the other hand, we were recently approached by a European company interested in purchasing our perilla products.”

Dhalma is also involved in a more advanced project supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The initiative involves establishing a plant in selected regions of Nepal to process organic waste into fertilizer, which will then be used to cultivate agricultural products for export to Japan.

Several municipalities in Nepal responded to the government’s call for participation, and training sessions have been conducted in Japan. The first region to introduce the plant has now been selected.

Dhalma serves not only as a coordinator connecting stakeholders in both Japan and Nepal but also contributes to the planning process, drawing on his experience as an agricultural entrepreneur to determine which crops should be produced, how they should be processed, and how they can be exported.

“We are currently considering root vegetables that can withstand longer transport times,” he explains. “For example, burdock can be shipped directly to Japan using refrigerated containers. Daikon, on the other hand, cannot be exported fresh, but it can be processed locally into dried strips before shipment. We have already developed prototype products.”

Such products are currently imported into Japan from countries such as China, but Dhalma believes that Nepalese producers can compete in terms of both quality and cost.While this concludes the current series, Dhalma’s ongoing initiatives to connect mountain communities across national borders are likely to continue evolving, linking mountain communities across borders in new ways.

Related Topics

• Transnational Mountain Economies
• Agricultural Value Chains in Rural Regions
• Technology Transfer in Developing Communities
• Sustainable Livelihoods in Mountain Areas
• International Cooperation in Rural Development

Learn More

This episode highlights how technology transfer, cooperative organization, and cross-border collaboration can contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural value chains in rural mountain regions.

Related initiatives can be found in:
• Transnational Rural Development Programs
• Sustainable Mountain Livelihoods
• Community-based Agricultural Export Models

Policy Implications

This series illustrates how local initiatives can evolve into transnational collaborations that address shared challenges in mountain regions.Such approaches may offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking sustainable solutions to labor shortages, agricultural succession, and rural development in aging societies.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

Episode 2
Spring Ephemerals — The Vanishing Flower Gardens of Early Spring

In forests where the snow has just melted, flower gardens suddenly appear.

And yet, they exist for barely two weeks.

In the mountains of spring, one occasionally encounters such dreamlike scenes.

Surprisingly, these flower gardens are often found not in remote alpine regions, but in low mountains close to human settlements — beneath deciduous woodlands and along small mountain streams.

The farther north one travels, especially into snowy regions, the larger these colonies become, and the more vigorously the flowers bloom.

Their brief season begins only a few days after the snow melts and lasts until the cherry blossoms begin to flower.

During this narrow window of time, the plants rapidly send up shoots and bloom all at once — even before fully spreading their leaves — creating the illusion that entire flower gardens have suddenly emerged from the forest floor.

But once flowering ends, taller grasses and newly leafed trees quickly overtake them, and the forest returns to an ordinary thicket of green.

Many of these flowers produce seeds almost immediately after blooming, and within only one or two months, their leaves and stems disappear completely underground.This remarkable group of plants is known as “Spring Ephemerals ”— the “fairies of spring.”

The Hidden Lives of Spring Ephemerals

Although they are often called “spring fairies,” these plants are, in reality, astonishingly patient forms of life.

The katakuri (Erythronium japonicum), perhaps the best-known spring ephemeral in Japan, may require nearly ten years to bloom from seed.

After that, it can continue flowering for decades.

In other words, we merely witness a fleeting two-week appearance in a lifespan that may span generations.

Spring ephemerals include plants such as katakuri, anemones (Ichige species), adonis (Fukujusō), corydalis (Engosaku), amana lilies, and kobaimo species.

They emerge only during the brief early-spring period when sunlight still reaches the forest floor before the canopy closes.

They appear suddenly, bloom quickly, set seed, and vanish just as fast.

Yet they are not annuals.

Even after their above-ground parts wither away, their underground rhizomes and bulbs remain alive, quietly waiting for the following spring.

Their lives are not truly fragile at all.Rather, they are masters of patience and timing.

Kikuzaki Ichige and Katakuri

When speaking of spring ephemerals, most people immediately think of katakuri.

But in northern regions such as Akita and Iwate, one encounters Kikuzaki Ichige (Anemone pseudoaltaica) just as frequently — perhaps even more so.

Its flowers appear in two forms: pure white and pale bluish violet.

In some places they intermingle with katakuri, while in others they spread across the forest floor like a floral carpet of extraordinary beauty.

Azuma Ichige, Fukujusō, and Engosaku

Azuma Ichige closely resembles Kikuzaki Ichige and is often mistaken for it.

However, it can be distinguished by the shape of its involucral leaves, which are more elongated and softly textured, and by the faint reddish tint on the reverse side of its white sepals.

There are even mountains where Azuma Ichige covers the forest floor almost entirely.In such places, Fukujusō and katakuri bloom together in quiet harmony.

Flower Gardens Sustained by Human Hands

Yet these flower gardens do not exist entirely untouched by human influence.

By cutting back dwarf bamboo, tending the woodland, and continuing to care for the forest, people have helped preserve these spring landscapes for generations.

In this woodland, volunteers regularly clear the undergrowth.

Without such efforts, maintaining large colonies of katakuri would likely be impossible.

The Katakuri Gardens of Nishiki, Semboku City

This famous katakuri colony was originally a chestnut-growing area.

Local people say that while clearing bamboo grass and undergrowth to cultivate better chestnuts — and enriching the soil with compost — katakuri gradually increased on its own until the forest floor became covered in flowers.In that sense, this magnificent colony may be described as an entirely human-shaped landscape.

Other Companions of the Spring Forest

1. Naniwazu

Naniwazu (Daphne pseudo-mezereum subsp. jezoensis) is a deciduous shrub of the daphne family.

It is closely related to Onishibari (Daphne pseudo-mezereum), which is more common in western Japan.Its vivid yellow flowers stand out brilliantly against the still-bare forest of early spring.

2. Violets

The large yellow violet (Ōbakisumire) sometimes forms enormous colonies on avalanche slopes in regions of heavy snowfall.

3. Nirinsō

Nirinsō (Anemone flaccida), celebrated in Japanese songs as flowers “leaning close together,” bloom slightly later than most spring ephemerals.

Rather than mixing with other species, they often form pure colonies along streams and moist woodland floors.

Epilogue

By around Golden Week in early May, the deciduous woodlands that nurtured these spring flowers begin to fill with fresh green leaves.

As the canopy closes, the forest floor grows dim.

Other plants rise quickly in the warming season, and the spring ephemerals quietly retreat from view.

In haste, they finish setting seed and withdraw their leaves and stems underground, disappearing once more beneath the forest floor.

Until the forest awakens again the following spring.

Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

Episode 4 – Science Reveals the Invisible River

How Isotope Research Helped Visualize Ono’s Water Cycle

In 2012, the City of Ono had an opportunity to hear a lecture by Professor Nakano of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), titled “Collecting a Thousand Waters: What We Learned from Sampling a Thousand Points.”
Inspired by this work, the city requested that a similar investigation be conducted in Ono.

A collaborative research initiative was launched involving RIHN, Kagawa University, Doshisha University, and local elementary schools in Ono.
Using data collected from approximately 8,000 wells across the city, a comprehensive groundwater temperature survey was carried out.The purpose of this survey was to determine whether rising air temperatures due to recent global warming have affected the temperature of Ono’s groundwater.

Students in the 4th to 6th grades of local elementary schools participated by simultaneously measuring the temperature of groundwater used in their households on designated survey days.
This approach not only enabled continuous monitoring of groundwater temperature changes across the city, but also fostered environmental awareness among children from an early age.

In addition to RIHN, Ono has collaborated with other academic and research institutions.
Since 2013, the University of Tsukuba has been conducting water cycle analysis in the Ono Basin using stable isotope techniques.

Furthermore, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism analyzed the groundwater flow of the Ono Basin over a two-year period (2013–2014) using a hydrological circulation model.

Through these collaborative scientific efforts, Ono has increasingly attracted attention in recent years as a valuable research field for understanding groundwater-based water circulation systems.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

Episode 1

Enchanted by Okina-gusa (Japanese pasqueflower)

I believe I was in the second or third grade of elementary school.

Near my family home in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, I found several wild okina-gusa flowers blooming along a farm road.
That encounter was what first drew me toward plants.

But by the following year, the flowers had disappeared.

Sixty years ago, okina-gusa could still be found growing casually along roadsides in rural Akita.
Afterward, however, farmland consolidation and the concrete lining of irrigation channels rapidly transformed the landscape.

The contributor known as Mouzuika reflects, over the course of five essays, on a life shaped by plants — from childhood encounters with wildflowers to the years after retirement devoted to observing nature.

Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito)

Lives in Akita City.

He studied plant ecology at university.
After graduation, he worked in a field unrelated to his academic specialty, yet his habit of observing flowers never faded.

Today, he walks through the mountains and fields of the Tohoku region, recording plants and landscapes on his blog under the name “Mouzuika.”

Drawn to Spring Ephemerals

I was probably in the fifth or sixth grade of elementary school, around the mid-1960s.

Once I became old enough to ride a bicycle farther from home, I often visited relatives living near the foothills of Mt. Kurikoma and other mountains.

Walking through those mountain valleys in spring, I encountered flowers unlike anything I had seen near my home.

They bloomed in rich shades of crimson-purple, blue-violet, yellow, and white.
Many spread across the forest floor in dense carpets of color.

These were the plants now known as spring ephemerals — flowers such as katakuri lilies, wild anemones, and corydalis.I was completely captivated by those hidden spring gardens.

Much of my botanical knowledge had already been acquired through self-study before entering university.

Wanting to study plants more deeply, I enrolled in the Department of Biology at Yamagata University and specialized in plant ecology.

After graduation, however, I found work in a field unrelated to my academic training.
At most, I occasionally enjoyed hiking with colleagues from work.

After retirement, I hoped to travel widely in search of alpine landscapes and mountain flowers.　Yet family caregiving responsibilities and the COVID pandemic gradually led me to focus instead on the mountains of northern Tohoku — Akita, Aomori, Iwate, and Yamagata.

As a result, I began returning repeatedly to places that could be reached on day trips from Akita City.Today, I concentrate on searching for little-known landscapes and seasonal flower scenery hidden within that range.

Returning to the Same Places

I often revisit the same places again and again.

The way flowers bloom changes greatly depending on the year and the progression of the seasons.

I do not believe a flower can truly be understood through a single encounter — or a single photograph.

Even the same flowers and mountain landscapes reveal new discoveries every year.

Among the places I continue returning to, some views have become especially dear to me.

One of them is Mt. Chokai, particularly the view from Mt. Yashio, which remains one of my favorites.

I am also fond of lesser-known views of Mt.Iwate.

Perhaps leaving these records behind is a kind of proof that I lived.

Still, blogs and websites will probably vanish into digital debris once their creators are gone.And since around 2024, the increasing presence of bears and the rapid decline of my own physical strength have made serious mountain climbing more difficult than before. 

#Japan Mountain Foundation
#Spring Ephemerals
#Akita Prefecture
#Mt.Chokai
#Mt.Iwate

Foreign-born Leaders Revitalizing Japan’s Rural Mountain Communities

Episode 5:  Cultural Mediation Through Faith

Religious Practices as Bridges Between Communities

As interactions between Nepalese residents and local Japanese communities in Toyama gradually increased through various cultural exchange activities, Dhalma began to introduce elements of Nepalese religious traditions into these exchanges.

In Nepal, where daily life is deeply intertwined with religious practices, rituals are not confined to temples or sacred sites but are often conducted within households and local communities. Dhalma believed that sharing these practices could provide a meaningful way to deepen mutual understanding between Nepalese residents and their Japanese neighbors.One such initiative involved organizing Buddhist memorial services and prayer ceremonies led by Nepalese monks. These events were held in collaboration with local communities and offered Japanese participants a rare opportunity to observe and take part in traditional Tibetan Buddhist rituals.

For many Japanese participants, it was their first time witnessing prayer ceremonies involving chanting, incense offerings, and the application of tika — a red blessing mark traditionally placed on the forehead.

Dhalma also introduced workshops on traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting, drawing on his own experience as a Thangka artist. Participants were invited to learn about the symbolism and techniques involved in mandala painting, as well as the philosophical ideas embedded within these visual traditions.

“These activities are not intended to promote any particular religion,” Dhalma explains. “Rather, they provide opportunities for people to learn about each other’s cultural backgrounds and values.”Through such initiatives, religious practices became a platform for dialogue and trust-building between Nepalese and Japanese residents.

Participants often commented that the shared experience of preparing offerings, listening to chants, or engaging in artistic expression helped to create a sense of familiarity that transcended linguistic and cultural differences.

These events also allowed Nepalese residents living in Toyama to reconnect with their own cultural heritage, which they might otherwise find difficult to maintain in their daily lives abroad.As these exchanges continued, Dhalma began to recognize the potential of faith-based practices as informal yet powerful tools for fostering intercultural understanding within rural communities.

Related Topics

• Cultural Mediation in Rural Communities
• Faith-based Community Exchange
• People-to-People Diplomacy
• Intercultural Dialogue in Mountain Regions
• Community Leadership Across Cultures

Learn More

This episode highlights how cultural and faith-based exchanges can foster trust and mutual understanding between communities, creating informal yet meaningful pathways for cross-cultural collaboration in rural mountain regions.Related initiatives can be found in:
• Intercultural Community Engagement Programs
• Faith-based Dialogue Initiatives
• People-to-People Exchange Platforms

Episode 9: Devotion to “Onbasama”

Hello everyone,
I am Takano, Director of the Tateyama Museum in Toyama Prefecture.

In Ashikuraji at the foot of Mt. Tateyama, a statue of a mountain deity known as Uba-son is enshrined.
Locally, it is affectionately called “Onbasama”, and even today it is deeply revered, especially by women in the community.
In this episode, I will introduce Onbasama and the faith surrounding it.

(1) Who is Uba-son of Ashikuraji?

Uba-son is depicted as an elderly woman, with sagging breasts, seated with one knee raised.
Some representations resemble Datsueba, the old woman said to sit by the banks of the Sanzu River in Buddhist cosmology.

It is said that in the past, the Uba Hall housed three principal statues, along with 66 additional figures—matching the number of provinces in Japan during the Edo period. However, in the early Meiji era, the hall was destroyed, and many statues were lost. Today, 24 statues remain, preserved in Enma Hall and the Tateyama Museum.

The exact origin of Uba-son worship is unknown, but the oldest surviving statue bears an inscription dated 1375 (Eiwa 1), indicating that the cult existed at least as early as the Nanbokuchō period.

In the Edo-period encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue, Uba-son is described as the mother of the founder of Mt. Tateyama, Jikō Shōnin (also known as Saeki no Ariyori or Ariwaka), and is sometimes regarded as the mother of Tateyama Gongen—suggesting her role as a mother deity.

According to the “Origin Story of the Uba Hall” from Nikkōbō in Ashikuraji, she is the mother of all beings, said to have flown down holding grains in her left hand and hemp seeds in her right—symbolizing the blessings of food and clothing.Thus, Uba-son embodies multiple layers of meaning:

• A water deity worshipped by agricultural communities 
• A mountain deity revered by hunters 
• A Buddhist figure, later interpreted as an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai 

Scholars suggest that over time, the original “Uba deity” evolved into “Uba-son” under Buddhist influence.

(2) What Was the Uba Hall Like?

During the Edo period, the Uba Hall stood on the left bank of the Uba Valley River (now Ubadō River).Architectural drawings by Yamagami Zen’emon, an official carpenter of the Kaga Domain, show that the hall measured approximately:

• 9 meters (five bays) wide 
• 7 meters (four bays) deep 

It was built in the irimoya (hip-and-gable) style.

The hall was destroyed by fire in the Tenmei era (1780s). While the three principal statues survived, many accompanying figures and decorations were lost.
As an officially funded construction of the Kaga Domain, it was rebuilt in 1787.

Numerous fundraising records (kanjin-ki) and origin texts (engi) from this period suggest that active donation campaigns supported its reconstruction.

Today, the site is marked by a foundation platform constructed in the 1960s, with a stone water basin donated in 1844 placed in front.

(3) Devotion to Onbasama

Faith in Onbasama extended even to feudal lords.

• In 1466, Jinbo Naganobu, deputy governor of Etchū Province, donated tax revenues
• In the Tenshō era, Sassa Narimasa made offerings twice
• Maeda Toshiie of the Kaga Domain donated land equivalent to 100 koku

One of the most important rituals at the Uba Hall is the “Omeshikae” (Changing of the Robes).

This annual ceremony involved:

• Seven women aged 61 or older
• Ritual purification beginning on January 8
• Spinning hemp, weaving cloth, and completing garments by February 5
• Offering prayers on February 9 before dressing the deity

By renewing the garments at the arrival of spring, the ritual symbolized:

• Renewal of the deity’s vitality
• Gratitude toward the mountains

Today, the ritual continues on March 13, with cotton cloth garments prepared by local women’s groups such as the Ashikuraji Women’s Association.

This living tradition offers a rare glimpse into the continuity of Tateyama faith.

In March 2024, this ritual was officially designated as a national intangible folk cultural property requiring documentation and preservation, recognizing its importance for future generations.

Next time, we will introduce the Nunobashi Kanjo-e, a Buddhist rite for the salvation of women practiced in Ashikuraji.
We hope you will continue to follow this series.

For Further Reading

If you would like to learn more about Onbasama, we recommend:

• The Earth Mother of Tateyama: Onbasama 
• Enshrining Uba-son 

For purchase inquiries, please contact the Tateyama Museum.

Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

Episode 3 – Citizens and Rules
Governing Groundwater as a Shared Civic Resource

In Ono City, groundwater has not been treated merely as a resource to be managed by administrative authority, but as a shared civic asset sustained through collective responsibility.

As early as the 1970s, the city began establishing rules to ensure that groundwater would be protected by the community as a whole.
Regulations requiring prior notification for groundwater extraction and restricting the use of groundwater for snow-melting during winter were introduced—not simply as technical controls, but as social agreements embedded in daily life.A distinctive feature of Ono’s approach lies in citizen participation in groundwater monitoring.
Since 1976, local residents have continuously measured groundwater levels at observation wells distributed across the city. These measurements, conducted daily at multiple locations, are publicly displayed—transforming environmental monitoring into a shared civic practice.

Agricultural land has also played a vital role in sustaining groundwater.
Since 1978, the Winter Paddy Field Flooding Project has utilized rice paddies during the non-growing season to retain water and promote infiltration into underground aquifers.
In this way, farmland functions not only as a site of food production but also as infrastructure for groundwater recharge.Recognizing that groundwater conservation extends beyond hydrology, Ono City has sought to preserve the cultural practices associated with spring water.

This perspective led to the formulation of the Echizen Ono Spring Water Culture Revitalization Plan in 2011, which integrates environmental protection with the transmission of water-related cultural heritage to future generations.

Institutional measures have also been taken to safeguard the forested headwaters that support the groundwater system.
In 2012, in response to emerging concerns over land acquisitions by external capital, the city enacted the Ono City Forest and Water Conservation Ordinance. 
This ordinance requires prior notification not only for land transactions but also for the construction of structures within forested areas—an early local policy reflecting public attachment to the forests that sustain the city’s water sources.Citizen engagement has further contributed to spring restoration efforts.
At Honganshimizu, the southernmost habitat of the landlocked Itoyo (three-spined stickleback) and designated National Natural Monument, community-led cleaning and rehabilitation activities began following severe spring depletion in the late 1970s.
Through sustained collaboration between schoolchildren and local residents, some of these spring water sites have since been successfully revived.

Taken together, these initiatives illustrate a model in which groundwater is not governed solely through regulation, but through the combined efforts of institutions, agricultural practices, and civic participation.

Foreign-born Leaders Revitalizing Japan’s Rural Mountain Communities

Episode 4:  Building Connections Through Cultural Exchange

Festivals as Platforms for Mutual Understanding

The primary objective behind establishing the Toyama–Nepal Cultural Exchange Association (hereafter referred to as the Association) was to foster mutual understanding between local residents and the growing Nepalese community in the region through direct interaction.

Unlike major metropolitan areas, rural prefectures such as Toyama had, until recently, relatively few opportunities for everyday contact with foreign residents. While international tourists occasionally visited the area, the number of long-term foreign residents remained limited. As the Nepalese population has increased rapidly in recent years, this demographic shift inevitably generated a degree of uncertainty and, at times, friction within the local community.

Dhalma believed that, as someone positioned between these two groups, it was essential to create opportunities for meaningful engagement in order to build trust and understanding.

As a first step, the Association began organizing events that introduced Nepalese culture to local communities across the prefecture. Among these initiatives, the annual celebration of Dashain has become particularly significant.

Originally a Hindu festival held in autumn, Dashain is now the largest national celebration in Nepal. Lasting nearly two weeks, it provides an opportunity for family members and relatives who normally live apart to gather and celebrate together.

Since 2016, the Association has hosted a Dashain event each year during a weekend in late October. In 2024, approximately 80 Nepalese residents living in Toyama and neighboring areas participated, joined by around 30 Japanese residents. The two-day event was held at Meditation Village in Nanto City, located in the southern part of the prefecture.

Toyama is one of Japan’s most mountainous regions, and several municipalities have established sister-city relationships with towns in Nepal. Nanto City is among them, which is why it was selected as the venue.

However, the site is located far from the population centers in the northern part of the prefecture, such as Toyama City and Takaoka City, where many Nepalese residents live. Public transportation options are limited, and many Nepalese residents do not own private vehicles.

To address this, Dhalma coordinated with local acquaintances who owned larger vehicles to transport participants from various parts of the prefecture to the venue.

“That journey itself often becomes the starting point for exchange,” he explains. “Not everyone who offers a ride can speak English, and many Nepalese participants are not yet fluent in Japanese. But during the two-hour drive, people often become surprisingly close.”

Upon arrival, participants gathered around cooking equipment, food ingredients, and propane gas cylinders transported by Japanese volunteers using small trucks. Together, Nepalese and Japanese participants began preparing traditional Nepalese dishes for dinner.Japanese, English, and Nepali languages were heard throughout the venue, creating a warm and collaborative atmosphere.

“We don’t insist on perfect authenticity,” Dhalma says with a smile. “Even if the dishes don’t turn out exactly right, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we cook together, eat together, and talk together.”

Before attending the event, I had assumed that most Japanese participants were either familiar with Nepal or had previously visited the country. While some had indeed spent time in Nepal as members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and spoke Nepali fluently, the majority of Japanese participants admitted that they had little prior knowledge of Nepal before being invited by Dhalma.

“At first, I joined simply because Dhalma asked me to,” one participant said. “I thought it might help keep my mind active.” However, after participating once, many returned year after year.

For Nepalese participants as well, the event provided an opportunity to discover the presence of fellow Nepalese residents living nearby. Many had not realized how many Nepalese people were residing in the region until they attended.

Daily life for many Nepalese residents in Toyama typically consists of commuting between their apartments, workplaces, and Japanese language schools, with limited opportunities for social interaction beyond occasional shopping trips.

For them, Dashain has become a rare occasion to speak Nepali freely, share meals, sing traditional songs, and dance together late into the night.

Unlike in Nepal, where differences in regional origin, ethnicity, or caste may shape social relations, here participants reaffirm their shared identity simply as Nepalese people.

New friendships often emerge through these gatherings, not only between Nepalese and Japanese participants, but also among Nepalese residents themselves.

“That wasn’t something I initially anticipated,” Dhalma says with a laugh. “But as the event has grown, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to manage everything alone. The Nepalese population here will likely continue to increase. Still, I’m sure we’ll find a way.”Perhaps that optimism is one of Dhalma’s defining strengths.

Related Topics

• Social Integration in Rural Mountain Communities

• Multicultural Community Building

• Cultural Exchange in Aging Societies

• Informal Networks for Local Cohesion

• Everyday Coexistence in Rural Japan

Learn More

This episode highlights how cultural exchange initiatives can foster social integration and trust-building between local residents and foreign-born community members in rural mountain regions.Related initiatives can be found in:

• Community-based Cultural Exchange Programs

• Multicultural Integration in Local Communities

• Participatory Social Inclusion Models

Part 3 – Inside the Process
Inside the Process of Woodblock Printing

We are pleased to introduce the world of woodblock prints by Tatsuya Nitta, an artist based in Hokkaido.

Nitta spends his days among the mountains of Hokkaido—climbing, descending, and carving woodblock prints inspired by the landscapes around him.

In this third installment, we take a closer look at how he creates his woodblock prints.
Here, we follow him into the mountains, where he begins with sketching in the field.

Sketch

May 2, 2024

Drawn by the clear weather, I went out to sketch in the foothills near my home.

Nirinso (Anemone flaccida)
Enreisou (Trillium)

Pencil (6B), transparent watercolor

Skunk Cabbage

April 16, 2024

Spring flowers — a sketch

All drawn near my home

Pencil, oil-based conte, transparent watercolor, paper (Avalon)

Butterbur Sprouts

April 11, 2024

Today’s featured work

Another butterbur piece—this time, a sketch.

Woodblock Print: Butterbur Sprouts　 (23 × 14 cm)

April 5, 2024

Spring has arrived ?
It’s my favorite season.

The vitality of plants seems to shine even more.

Today’s featured work

About the Artist

Tatsuya Nitta was born on December 4, 1957, in Date City, Hokkaido, Japan.

After graduating from high school, he encountered an exhibition of Shiko Munakata in Sapporo. Deeply moved by the power of Munakata’s work, he immediately purchased carving tools and began creating woodblock prints.

In his early twenties, Nitta moved to Tokyo, where he spent about a decade. During this time, he also began mountaineering—an experience that would later become central to his artistic vision.

In 1990, after a period of profound personal difficulty, he returned to his hometown in Hokkaido. This marked a turning point in his life, leading him to reconsider both his creative path and his relationship with nature.

He later resumed his career in Sapporo, working in the field of architecture while continuing his artistic practice.

Around 1995, he held his first solo exhibition at Shūgakuso, a well-known outdoor specialty store in Hokkaido. Since then, he has continued to exhibit his work, holding a total of thirteen solo exhibitions by 2025.

His work reflects a deeply personal dialogue with mountains, shaped by both lived experience and inner transformation.