Life and Culture of Mountain FolkA Virtual Experience of Mountain Folk Culture The Storytellers of Mt. Hakusan
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5.Learn about gDezukurihyRound-table talkz gDezukurih Revived as a Small Pilot Flame
A Small Pilot Flame for gDezukurih Revived by Three Men to Hand Down Important Wisdom to the World Today
yProfiles of Participantsz
photo: Mr. R. Tachibana Reikichi Tachibana (Age 71), Leading expert on gDezukurih
Takes a close look at the decline in gDezukurih since 1959, and visits each deserted house on the site in order to make appeals on the importance of preserving the cottages, folk crafts, agricultural equipment and tools since early days.
Contributed to the foundation of the Ishikawa Prefectural Hakusan Folklore Museum, the only public archives for the gDezukurih culture.
Awarded the 34th Yanagida Prize for gSlash-and-burn Agriculture in Hakusan-roku _ Its Ethnologic Ecology.h
Chairperson of the Kano Regional Folklore Society.
photo: Mr. S. Yamaguchi Seishi Yamaguchi (Age 71), gDezukurih worker
Experienced the gDezukurih life in his childhood days
Once abandoned gDezukurih to work in Kanazawa but came back again after retirement.
Spends most of his time in the mountains and enjoys his life again in the home village.
photo: Mr. I. Yamaguchi Ichio Yamaguchi (Age 53), the only young gDezukurih successor
Kuwajima in Shiramine Village where he was living is submerged because of the dam.
With no clear memory of the village, he is determined to pass on the lost culture of the village now under water to the next generation.

Attracted by gDezukurih` Encounter of the Three
Reikichi TachibanaF I liked mountains very much when I was young. Once I was climbing Mt. Hakusan to worship the rising sun on the top, but I broke my leg near the mountain lodge. I was lucky to see gDezukurihpeople from Mitsutani and Ichinose Villages who helped me. Because of this accident, I had to give up mountaineering. Since then, I have done a lot of walking around the foot of mountains instead. I happened to meet Seishifs father while visiting gDezukurih people and had a chance to listen to him. Seishi, could you tell us something about your childhood days, your father or memories of gDezukurih?
Seishi YamaguchiF As a youth, I grew silkworms and made charcoal, learning by watching my fatherfs example. I started working in Kanazawa when I came of age, but quit at the age of 63 and came back to the mountain. I like the mountain, maybe because I grew up there.
TachibanaF Ichio, I heard that you have asked Seishi a big favor. What is it?
Ichio YamaguchiF I am growing radish, Japanese millet and foxtail millet by the slash-and-burn method. Seishifs father was growing radish but stopped cultivating Japanese millet and foxtail millet by that method. Therefore, I approached him to continue the cultivation of Japanese millet and foxtail millet. Actually, August is the time for initial firing to grow radish by slash-and-burn agriculture. But initial firing for Japanese millet and foxtail millet is done in May. Slash-and-burn agriculture needs lots of preparation in many ways. In addition to the long cultivation period, this method requires much labor such as weeding. In spite of that, I called on him to grow Japanese millet and foxtail millet in addition to radish. This is to restore an important part of gDezukuri.h I have experienced gDezukurih to some extent when I was small. But I had no knowledge about genuine gDezukuri,h involvement in mountains or methods of cultivating crops. Namely, I didnft know when to slash bushes and to what extent. I didnft even know how to set a fire initially. There is a lot of information about this in Shiramine Village, but it seems difficult to me to pass it down through firsthand experience. As I was so worried about this, I have asked Seishi many things over the past few years in order to pass on our ancestorsf thriving gDezukurih life and culture to posterity.
photo: Round-table talk
Round-table talk
Three men encountered through gDezukurih
Their topic of conversation is always gDezukuri.h

Mountains as Playgrounds ` Pleasure of Practicing gDezukurih
TachibanaF As a slash-and-burn farmer, I am very happy to know that two of you decided to work as a team to succeed with the traditional slash-and-burn agriculture under circumstances in which there are no more gDezukurih cottages for slash-and-burn agriculture. It really moves me to tears.
IchioF I may not be able to revive the crops or silk raising that were the core of gDezukurih on the vacant lot of slash-and-burn agriculture, but it is my wish to reproduce at least fields of mulberry as related crops. It will be something fun for me but it may be tough for Seishi. Ifm afraid Ifm asking him too much.
TachibanaF After the slash-and-burn agriculture was ceased, it was hypothesized that this type of agriculture was already practiced in the Jomon Era (BC 10,000 through BC 300). This method is now drawing attention both nationally and archaeologically, and I truly hope that you can be engaged in this method as long as possible.
IchioF Yes, I agree. I really hope Seishi can enjoy good health to work on it. Seishi has a lot of good friends around.
SeishiF Yes, they visit me often and I enjoy making friends. These days, many young people visit me and support me. Ifm not sure how long I can keep working but I believe that gDezukurih wonft cease if a circle of such people is formed with Ichio in the center.
TachibanaF I am so grateful.
Seishi: I just want my mountains used as playgrounds for everyone. For me, thatfs enough. I would be happy if everyone that comes to visit me proposes to plow the soil for radish and sow the seeds of Japanese millet or foxtail millet.
TachibanaF That would be fun.
SeishiF Yes, indeed.
TachibanaF It wonft last long if itfs harsh.
photo: Harvesting by Seishi and Ichio in their jointly run slash-and-burn field
Harvesting by Seishi and Ichio in their jointly run slash-and-burn field
To continue sowing the slash-and-burn field with seeds for the next generation, they are growing Japanese millet, foxtail millet, radish, etc.

A Museum Inside the Body `Passing Down a Working Knowledge of gDezukurih
IchioF We worked together on slash-and-burn agriculture, and had a very good crop of Japanese millet. It was almost my height, and made it difficult to pluck ears. We learn when to seed from books, for example, but whether we practice this precisely is another story. Seishi has wisdom in himself. I canft tell whether Japanese millet or foxtail millet is ripe just from the colors. If you can tell the picking season, you have great rules of thumb equivalent to a museum inside your body. You may know intellectually from a book which trees you can slash in the mountains and which trees you canft. But he simply knows which trees to slash for fire agriculture and which trees not to slash without any need for convincing. He relies on his wisdom but we have only knowledge. That is why I think we have to pass down wisdom. Shiramine Village decreased dramatically in population about 20 years ago because of the dam construction. There are some research materials about gDezukurih culture, but the community itself lacks wisdom. Seishi is full of wisdom and that is why I am interested in him and on visiting terms with him and those around him.
photo: Seishifs slash-and-burn field
Seishifs slash-and-burn field
Field labor is good for his health.
Seishi walks light-footed on the steep slope.

Itfs Men who Destroy the Mountains and Preserve the Mountains ` gDezukurih as the Guardian of the Mountains
TachibanaF There are people who carry lavatory pans on a truck and discard them into a river in Mitsutani Village. It is not a protected area but is located within a national park. The gDezukurih village, if located at the entrance of such a valley, has the task of safeguarding the mountains in such a case. Seishi lives in the Shimo-dawara area, so he is a guardian of Shimo-dawara in that sense.
Ichio F Thatfs right. Ifm sure that Shimo-dawara has the least illegal dumping of waste. Unfortunately, there is nobody living in Aka-dani.
TachibanaF Aka-dani is most likely to suffer sooner or later.
IchioF That is terrible.
TachibanaF gDezukurih really works as a guardian of the mountains. New cottages are being built one by one in Irabara. You cannot dump rubbish even if there is one single cottage there.
photo: Around Seishifs gDezukurih cottage
Around Seishifs gDezukurih cottage
Seishi stays in his cottage from spring through autumn for gDezukurih work, which was once used for silk raising when he was young.
Fishing in the nearby stream is his pleasure during the summer time.

Duties and Pleasures ` Aiming at a Larger Network
TachibanaF Please tell us what is pleasant in the gDezukurih life and what is appealing in the mountains.
SeishiF I will try gDezukurih again this year. I will go to the mountains if I am still in high spirits. I hope everyone comes to visit me to find something fun. If I can enjoy my life growing Japanese millet, foxtail millet and beans, that is enough for me.
TachibanaF Ichio, what do you think people expect from Seishi and what do you want to do with him in the mountains hereafter.
IchioF I would like to be apprenticed to Seishi for ten years or so to learn how to use gIburih on the field for slash-and-burn agriculture. I want him to train me until I become accomplished.
Seishi F You already are.
TachibanaF Seishi knows the slash-and-burn agriculture systematically.
IchioF No other places still preserve gDezukurih cottages in such a complete state any longer. gDezukurih combines ordinary cultivation, slash-and-burn agriculture, gathering edible wild plants, growing mushrooms and Japanese horseradish as a set. I hope we can continue as long as possible until we can pass it over to the next generation.
TachibanaF I just want my mountains used as playgrounds for everyone. For me, thatfs enough. I would be happy if everyone that comes to visit me proposes to plow the soil for radish and sow the seeds of Japanese millet or foxtail millet.
TachibanaF You are younger than we two are.
SeishiF I may be the oldest.
SeishiF I wonder.
IchioF Ten years is too short.
SeishiF It is very difficult. I want you, Ichio, to succeed us.
IchioF It is meaningful because Seishi is there. Otherwise, it may be the same as those coming from the city and building a cottage in the mountains for leisure. Such people would get sick and tired of life in the mountains, as they cannot find anything to do there. They would enjoy fishing in the river and collecting wild plants and such only for a while. But those who have been living in the mountains know how to live all year round, have access to the mountains, and know how to enjoy the life there. I want to tell as many people as possible about it. Because Seishi is a caring person, many people including students, researchers and friends come together for him. There is always somebody around him. I want him to continue such company for a long time to establish a large network.
TachibanaF gDezukurih remains aloof from others. It is solitude and lofty.
IchioF Yes, it is almost in the last stage. A kind of endangered species!!
TachibanaF We surely will safeguard the mountains.
SeishiF I wonder how long we can do that.
TachibanaF Ichio and I will back you up as much as we can.
SeishiF Thank you.
photo: Distant view of the gDezukurih cottage
Distant view of the gDezukurih cottage
The forest of life bristles with beech and Japanese horse chestnut trees, and is inhabited with various animals.
Illegal dumping and environmental disruption are issues that prove moral degeneration today.
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