Episode 11: 

The Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property “Tateyama Religious Implements”

Hello everyone. I am Takano, Director of the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum.The collections related to Tateyama faith preserved in the two settlements of Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji have been designated by the Japanese government as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property under the title Tateyama Religious Implements. In this article, I would like to introduce how these materials have been studied and why they are considered so valuable. 

(1) Religious Implements of Tateyama Faith in the Ashikuraji Settlement

In the early Edo period (1603–1868), Iwakuraji had 23 temple lodges (bōke), whereas Ashikuraji had only six lodges and a few Shinto priests, making Iwakuraji the dominant center. However, by 1801, during the late Edo period, the situation had reversed: Iwakuraji had 24 lodges, while Ashikuraji had grown to 33 lodges and five shrine priests. 

The religious practitioners of Ashikuraji actively spread Tateyama faith throughout Japan using Tateyama Mandalas. They also attracted the devotion of women from the inner chambers of Edo Castle through the Nunobashi Kanjō-e (Cloth Bridge Consecration Rite). Their missionary activities flourished, and they eventually gained economic prominence as well. As a result, even in the 1960s, a large number of religious implements remained in Ashikuraji. 

In 1968 and 1969, the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education conducted interviews with elderly residents and surveyed folk materials in Ashikuraji. The results were published in Tateyama Folklore: Emergency Survey Report on Folk Materials in the Tateyama District. Based on these investigations, the collection was designated in 1970 as an Important Folk Cultural Property of Japan (today classified as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property). At that time, the designation consisted solely of 1,083 items from Ashikuraji. 

In 1972, the Tateyama Folklore Museum was opened in Ashikuraji to exhibit these materials. In 1991, the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum succeeded its functions and continues to preserve and present these collections today. 

Meanwhile, in Iwakuraji, although local historians had organized and deciphered historical documents, no comprehensive survey of the religious implements preserved there had been conducted. Curators at the Tateyama Museum took on this challenge and began systematic research into the religious materials remaining in Iwakuraji. 

(2) Additional Designation of Religious Implements from the Iwakuraji Settlement

The Tateyama Museum focused its attention on religious implements preserved in three former temple lodges: Enmeiin, Tagabō (now Taga Shrine), and Nakamichibō. 

Iwakuraji once had as many as 24 temple lodges. However, in 1858, during the late Edo period, a massive debris flow swept through the Jōganji River basin, destroying nine lodge buildings. Subsequently, the Meiji government’s policy of separating Shinto and Buddhism forced many religious practitioners to become Shinto priests, leading them to relinquish Buddhist statues and ritual implements that had been used in the mountains and villages. Fortunately, significant numbers of religious objects survived in the three former lodges mentioned above. 

Research by the Tateyama Museum revealed that these former lodges preserved not only implements related to daily life and hospitality in pilgrimage lodgings after the Meiji period, but also tools used by Shinto priests and even woodblocks for printing Guide Maps for Tateyama Pilgrimage Ascents dating back to the Edo period. Some of these items had no counterparts in Ashikuraji. 

It had long been believed that both Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji declined rapidly after the Meiji Restoration. However, the surviving religious implements indicate that lodging activities were revived even in the middle of the Meiji period. These new findings have greatly advanced our understanding of the history of Tateyama faith. Recognizing the value of these materials, the Agency for Cultural Affairs approved an additional designation in March 2020. As a result, 160 items from Iwakuraji and related materials were added to the original collection of 1,083 items from Ashikuraji, bringing the total number of designated objects to 1,243.

(3) Preserving and Passing Down the “Tateyama Religious Implements”

The Tateyama Religious Implements are classified into five categories:
1. Items related to life in pilgrimage lodgings (363 items) 
2. Items related to hospitality in pilgrimage lodgings (440 items) 
3. Pilgrimage clothing and equipment (110 items) 
4. Materials used for preaching and religious propagation (221 items) 
5. Implements used for prayers and rituals (109 items) 

The Agency for Cultural Affairs has evaluated the significance of these materials as follows:

“Tateyama is counted among Japan’s representative sacred mountains and has served as a major center of mountain worship. This collection comprehensively preserves implements related to Tateyama faith, including those associated with lodge life, hospitality, pilgrimage attire, religious preaching, and prayer rituals. It vividly illustrates the nature of mountain worship in Japan and is of exceptional importance for understanding and studying its actual practices.” The spiritual culture known as Tateyama faith, nurtured by generations of people in Toyama, can truly be regarded as a precious cultural heritage that should be passed on to future generations.

Closing Paragraph

In the next episode, we will introduce the Tateyama Museum itself, focusing on the relationship between nature and human beings in Tateyama. We hope you will continue to join us in this series. 

For readers who would like to learn more about the Tateyama Religious Implements, we recommend Tateyama Faith and Life at the Foot of the Mountain: The World of the Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property “Tateyama Religious Implements” (1,200 yen, tax included). For information on how to purchase the book, please contact the Tateyama Museum.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

(6)　The Last Edelweiss of Tohoku

Perhaps I am simply old-fashioned,
but whenever I hear the phrase “a flower beyond reach,” I immediately think of Edelweiss.

The true Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) blooms in the high mountains of the European Alps and does not grow in Japan.
Yet Japan has several remarkably similar species belonging to the same genus, Leontopodium.

Curiously, while these plants are largely absent from the Japanese Alps and even Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan range (with the exception of Mt. Kisokomagatake),
they are unexpectedly abundant in the mountains of Tohoku.

This was the largest colony of Miyama-usuyukisou I had ever seen.
That day, fierce winds swept across the ridge, nearly blowing my hat away.

Today, however, Miyama-usuyukisou is no longer abundant on Mt. Chokai.
Its disappearance has become a real concern.

In the Ou Mountains, the species now appears to be very scarce.
It was once said to grow in the Waga Mountains and Mt. Yakeishi as well,
but I have never seen it there myself, nor have I heard recent reports from others.

At present, Mt. Akita-Komagatake may be the only mountain in the Ou Range where it still survives.
Even there, the numbers are small, and plants near hiking trails have almost vanished.

In earlier years, photographers used to line up before a particular clump to take pictures.
In recent years, I have not seen them.

Was it stolen by plant collectors?

If so, it is a deeply saddening thing.

(7) Flowers That Pierce the Heart

Many alpine flowers are beautiful,
but when asked which is the most beautiful, I always hesitate.

Personally, I would nominate the Shiogama flowers — especially Miyama-shiogama and Yotsuba-shiogama.

When I was young, the vivid magenta of Miyama-shiogama blooming on Mt. Gassan in early summer struck me with astonishing force.
Its color pierced not only my eyes, but my heart itself.

These flowers bloom in alpine meadows and high mountain slopes far removed from the sea.
So why were they given the name Shiogama, which literally evokes a coastal salt kiln?

To be honest, aside from the flowers themselves, the leaves are not especially beautiful — except in a few species such as Miyama-shiogama.

And what about the scientific name Pedicularis?

Looking it up in a Latin dictionary, I found that pediculum means “louse.”
According to Wikipedia, the plant was once used to remove lice.

East or West, the origins of these names strike me as strange and somewhat forced.Yet once a flower has been named “Shiogama,”
I suppose we must continue calling it so, whether we like it or not.

(8) The serpentine Magic of Mt. Hayachine

Among the many famous flower mountains of Tohoku,
Mt. Hayachine in Iwate may be the most extraordinary of all.

This mountain is home to numerous endemic species found nowhere else in the world.

Among them, the most famous and beloved is surely Hayachine-usuyukisou.

Among Japan’s Edelweiss relatives, this species is considered the closest to the true Edelweiss of the European Alps.
It is one of the endemic plants of Mt. Hayachine, a mountain formed of serpentine rock, and grows nowhere else on Earth.

(This story continues from Part 6: “Japanese Edelweiss.”)

Compared with other Japanese Edelweiss species — such as Miyama-usuyukisou found in the mountains along the Sea of Japan —
this flower is clearly larger both in flower-head size and plant height.

“The Serpentine Magic”

Mt. Hayachine is composed of serpentine rock, a rare metamorphic rock formed from peridotite.

Because of this unusual geology, many plants grow here that are absent or rare on ordinary mountains.The phrase “Serpentine Magic” is my own invention,
describing the unique floral landscapes seen on serpentine mountains such as Mt. Hayachine.

Miyama-azumagiku

This alpine daisy seems particularly well suited to serpentine rock.
Even outside Mt. Hayachine, it often appears on serpentine mountains — for example, in parts of Mt. Shirouma.

(9) The Yellow Garden of Yakeishi

Many alpine plants bear yellow flowers.
Here I would like to introduce two representatives: Miyama-kinpouge and Shinano-kinbai.

Allow me to share an old memory.

On July 8, 2017, I climbed Mt. Yakeishi (1,548m) in Iwate Prefecture.
Usually I approach the mountain from the Iwate side via Nakanuma, but on that day I entered from Higashi-Naruse Village in Akita Prefecture.For most of the climb, the trail passed through dense beech forest with little visibility.
But as I neared Yakeishi Marsh around the eighth station, the landscape suddenly opened into this astonishing scene.

A Sea of Buttercups

I privately named this place “The Yellow Garden of Yakeishi.”

Why did such a vast yellow garden appear here?

Until about twenty-five years ago, this area was used as summer pasture for cattle.

The cattle grazed on the surrounding vegetation, but like humans, they had preferences.
Plants that were poisonous, bitter, or thorny were avoided.

Since Miyama-kinpouge is poisonous, it was left untouched and gradually spread across the meadow.

(10) Messengers from the North

Where did Japan’s alpine flowers come from?

Some species originated in Japan and neighboring East Asia before adapting to life in the mountains.
But many others arrived from the far north.

These northern plants likely spread southward from Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands before reaching Hokkaido.

Some even have relatives growing as far away as Alaska.

During colder ages, these northern species expanded southward into central Honshu.
Yet some stopped halfway and remained in Tohoku.

In other words, these are flowers absent from the Japanese Alps and central Honshu, but still found in both Hokkaido and northeastern Japan.The number of such species turned out to be smaller than I expected,
yet each of them possesses a striking beauty.

Ezo-tsutsuji

This flower is brilliantly colored and immediately catches the eye.

In Tohoku, it grows from Hachimantai to Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and the Waga Mountains.
Curiously, however, it reaches its greatest abundance near the southern edge of its range — on Mt. Akita-Komagatake.

There, among rocky slopes, it forms unique alpine scenery together with Miyama-daikonsou, whose flowers are yellow.In Hokkaido, by contrast, the plants I saw on Mt. Daisetsuzan were extremely low-growing, almost as though the flowers alone were blooming directly from the ground.

Iwabukuro

The second flower is Iwabukuro.

In Tohoku, it grows on the Hakkoda Mountains, Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and Mt. Chokai.
Like Ezo-tsutsuji, it becomes especially abundant near the southern limit of its range — on Mt. Chokai.

Touge-buki

The third is Touge-buki
(Ligularia hodgsonii var. hodgsonii).

It resembles Maruba-dakebuki, commonly seen in the mountains of Honshu,
but is slightly smaller and easily distinguished by the bracts surrounding the flower head.

In Tohoku, it occurs in alpine regions north of Mt. Gassan in Yamagata Prefecture.
Yet on the Oga Peninsula in Akita and in Aomori, it also appears in low mountains and even near the coast.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

(1) Komakusa — The Queen of the Wasteland

The mountains of northeastern Japan are not especially high, and yet, for some reason, they are blessed with an extraordinary richness of alpine flora.

Let us begin with Komakusa.

The title “Queen of Alpine Flowers” seems inseparable from the harsh and desolate landscapes where this plant grows.
Its habitat stretches across northeastern Asia — from the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and the Kamchatka Peninsula to Hokkaido and central Japan.

In the Tohoku region, Komakusa is found only in a few isolated locations: Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and the Zao Mountains.
(If Mt. Hiuchigatake in Oze is included, there are four.)

(2) Returning for the Violets

There is a mountain in Tohoku remarkably rich in violets: Mt. Akita-Komagatake.

Among the flowers of this mountain, Komakusa is by far the most famous.
I had climbed this mountain many times since my youth to see it, yet strangely, I had almost no memory of its violets.

I first became aware of these violets about twenty-five years ago.

In Masashi Igari’s field guide Yama-Kei Handy Guide 6: Japanese Violets,
there was a breathtaking photograph of Takane-sumire blooming across an entire mountainside.

Why had I never noticed them before?

Simply because I always climbed Akita-Komagatake after July.
By then, the flowers of Takane-sumire had nearly finished blooming.

In June 2015, shortly after I resumed mountain climbing,
I returned to Akita-Komagatake specifically to see these flowers.

(3) Seas of Hakusan Ichige

When people think of alpine flowers, what comes to mind first?

For me, it is Hakusan Ichige.

This flower often forms vast colonies — true alpine flower fields —
and because it blooms early in the climbing season, perhaps it leaves such a strong impression.

Several flowers bloom together at the tip of a single stem, usually two to five, sometimes even more.

So at the very least, it is not “one flower” (ichige),
and because they bloom in such abundance, I jokingly call it Takusan Ichige —
“the flower that comes in great numbers.”

In the mountains of central Japan, this species is quite common.
But what about Tohoku?

In fact, its distribution here is surprisingly limited.

Along the Sea of Japan side, it can be found from Mt. Chokai and Mt. Gassan southward to the Asahi and Iide ranges.
But in the Ou Mountains, it survives only in three isolated locations: Mt. Ugo-Asahidake, Mt. Yakeishi, and Mt. Fusōzan at the southern end of the Zao range.

Curiously, it is absent even from Mt. Hayachine, one of the richest mountains for alpine plants on the Pacific side of Tohoku.

(4) Endless Fields of Nikko Kisuge

Nikko Kisuge may be the largest-flowered plant among Japan’s alpine flora.

Its vivid orange-yellow blossoms stand out brilliantly,
and because it often grows in great colonies, it creates magnificent alpine landscapes.

Nationally, famous viewing spots include Kirifuri Highlands in Nikko, Oze, and Kirigamine in Shinshu.
But in Tohoku, this flower can also be found not only in alpine regions, but in low mountains, wetlands, and even along the coast.

Here I introduce the particularly large colonies found on Mt. Chokai and Hachimantai.

Great Colonies on Mt. Chokai

On the western side of Mt. Chokai, along the Nagasaka Trail ridge, lies a vast colony of these flowers.

A One-Day Flower

This flower belongs to the daylily family, and is therefore often called a “day lily.”

It seems almost wasteful that such magnificent flowers last for only a single day.

Wondering if that was truly the case, I observed a cultivated hybrid daylily (Hemerocallis) growing in my own garden.
To my surprise, many blooms remained open for nearly two days rather than one.

So perhaps they should be called “two-day lilies.”In any case, producing such large flowers one after another during the heat of summer must consume enormous energy.
It is no wonder that after a particularly abundant flowering season, the plant may spend the next two years rebuilding its strength.

(5) Hinazakra — Children of the Snow

Hinazakra (Primula nipponica) is a species of primrose commonly seen in the alpine regions of Tohoku.

These flowers often bloom in colonies on gentle slopes or wet flatlands left behind after snowfields retreat.

Perhaps because of its tiny white flowers,
whenever I encounter Hinazakra, I sometimes feel as though the snow that had finally melted has quietly returned once again.

Distribution of Alpine Primroses in Tohoku

At the beginning, I mentioned that Hinazakra is commonly seen in the alpine mountains of Tohoku.
Yet in reality, its distribution is remarkably limited — almost entirely confined to the six prefectures of northeastern Japan.

Along the Ou Mountains, it ranges from the Hakkoda Mountains in the north to Mt. Nishi-Azuma in the south.
On the Sea of Japan side, it stretches from Mt. Chokai to the Asahi Range.

Curiously, it does not occur in the Iide Mountains, which extend into Niigata Prefecture.
(There, it is replaced by Hakusan Kozakura.)

Nor is it found on Mt. Hayachine on the Pacific side,
where another species, Himekozakura, takes its place.

Episode 10：　 Nunobashi Kanjo-e
A Bridge-Crossing Ritual for the Salvation of Women

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

Since the Heian period, sacred Mt. Tateyama has been known as a holy mountain associated with the salvation of women. During the Edo period, a religious ceremony called the “Nunobashi Kanjo-e” (Cloth Bridge Consecration Rite) was held on the middle day of the autumn equinox. It was a ritual intended to save women from suffering in the afterlife. In this article, let us explore this unique ceremony together.

(1) The Wishes of Women in the Edo Period

During the Edo period, men entered the mountains of Tateyama, believed to represent “the other world” or the afterlife. Through Zenjo-tohai — an ascetic pilgrimage in which worshippers climbed the mountain while engaging in spiritual training and prayer — they symbolically experienced death once in their lifetime. By enduring these hardships, it was believed that their sins would be purified and that rebirth in Paradise after death would be assured.

Women, however, were forbidden from entering the sacred mountain areas because of the custom known as nyonin kinsei, the prohibition against women entering certain sacred spaces.

At that time, women were said to bear the burden of the “Five Obstacles and Three Obedience,” a Buddhist concept that taught women were destined to fall into hell after death and could not easily attain rebirth in Paradise. What women feared most was the “Blood Pond Hell,” a cold pond of blood believed to be the destination of sinful women. Many women longed to escape the suffering of this hell and achieve salvation in the next world.The religious communities of Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji at Tateyama taught that Tateyama was a sacred mountain capable of saving women. They encouraged women to obtain copies of the Ketsubon-kyo (The Blood Bowl Sutra) and protective amulets believed to cleanse the impurity associated with blood. They also promoted memorial services conducted at the “Blood Pond” near Jigokudani (Hell Valley), where sutra offerings were made. Through these practices, Tateyama became an important center of faith for women.

(2) What Was the Nunobashi Kanjo-e Ceremony?

During the Edo period, female pilgrims gathered at Ashikuraji in Tateyama on the middle day of the autumn equinox in late September.

First, the women dressed in white burial robes and underwent a confession ritual at the Enma-do Hall, dedicated to Enma, the judge of the dead. Next, wearing sedge hats and blindfolded, they were guided by religious leaders across the “Nunobashi” — the Cloth Bridge covered with white cloth and regarded as the boundary between this world and the next.

Crossing the bridge symbolized entering the world after death. After reaching the opposite side, the women entered the Ubado Hall, where they participated in a Tendai Buddhist rite known as the “Shika Hoyo.” There, they received a sacred talisman called a “Kechimyaku,” believed to possess spiritual power.

The women then crossed the bridge once again to return to this world. By doing so, they were believed to secure rebirth in Paradise after death. Scholars interpret this ritual as a symbolic ceremony of death and rebirth.

It is not entirely clear when this ritual first began. However, an old document called Ichizan Kyuki Hikae records that in August 1614, Hoshun-in (Matsu, the wife of Maeda Toshiie) and Gyokusen-in (Eei, the wife of Maeda Toshinaga) visited the Ubado Hall of Ashikura Chuguji Temple. On that occasion, cloth was spread over the bridge and a ceremony called the “Taibu no Gishiki” was performed. This is believed to have been the origin of the Nunobashi Kanjo-e.

In 1590, Maeda Toshiie, the first lord of the Kaga Domain, repaired the bridge, and in 1606, Maeda Toshinaga rebuilt it. In 1624, Maeda Toshitsune donated decorative bridge ornaments called giboshi as part of memorial rites conducted during his lifetime.

These contributions by the Maeda family and their wives likely elevated the prestige of the Nunobashi Kanjo-e ceremony.

(3) A Revived Ceremony of “Healing” in Modern Times

At the beginning of the Meiji period, the Ubado Hall was dismantled, the bridge gradually deteriorated, and the Nunobashi Kanjo-e ceremony ceased to be performed.

However, in 1996, during the National Cultural Festival held in Toyama Prefecture, the ceremony was revived. Enma-do Hall, a newly reconstructed Nunobashi Bridge (rebuilt in the 1960s), and the Tateyama Museum’s Yobo-kan Hall — serving in place of the original Ubado Hall — became the setting for the restored ritual.

Since 2011, the ceremony has generally been held once every three years by the Nunobashi Kanjo-e Executive Committee.

In 2011, the ritual was registered as a “Project Future Heritage” by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. In 2014, the Executive Committee received the 36th Suntory Prize for Regional Cultural Activities.

Today, the Nunobashi Kanjo-e has gained new appeal as a cultural and spiritual event, and is widely appreciated as one of Toyama Prefecture’s representative modern “healing” traditions.

Next time, I will introduce the “Tateyama Faith Ritual Implements,” an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property designated by the Japanese Government.I hope you will continue to enjoy this series.

◎ For readers who would like to learn more about the Nunobashi Kanjo-e, the Tateyama Museum recommends its illustrated guidebook “Nunobashi Kanjo-e” (200 yen including tax). For purchasing information, please contact the Tateyama Museum at +81-76-481-1216.

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

Episode 6　- A Model for Mountain Asia (Future)
Future Developments

In collaboration with the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Ono City has developed the “Water School” by renovating a traditional Japanese house.
This facility has been established as a comprehensive hub dedicated to the conservation, transmission, and sustainable use of water and spring water culture, serving as a center for learning and information dissemination related to water.

The first floor functions as a learning space, where research results from universities and exhibits on groundwater are displayed. It is also used for research presentations and information exchange meetings, as well as a place where tourists and school excursion groups visiting the city can freely learn about water.

The second floor houses research rooms. These are intended to serve as a fieldwork base for researchers from universities and research institutions studying water, providing space for simple testing and storage of research materials.

By encouraging wide use of this facility by researchers, Ono City aims to make effective use of its valuable regional resource—water—by promoting academic research, exhibitions, and public outreach activities, thereby contributing to regional revitalization.The facility officially opened on March 22, 2020 (World Water Day).

Groundwater in Ono Nurtures Food Culture

Ono’s abundant groundwater sustains and enriches its local food culture.

“Mizu no Megumin” (Spirit of Water)–

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.

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.

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.