Japan Video Topics 2008/06
Untouched for 8,000 Years - Shirakami-Sanchi Forest
Shirakami-Sanchi is the world's largest primeval beech forest, a unique ecosystem that has survived unchanged for over 8,000 years thanks to its remote location and harsh climate. This virgin forest, covering 1,300 square kilometers in northern Japan, was the nation's first Natural World Heritage Site to be listed. The core forest, a genetic treasure house of rare plant and animal species, is strictly protected but there are nature trails and other facilities for visitors to enjoy in the outer woods.
01 (Forest)
Shirakami-Sanchi is the world's largest surviving primeval beech forest, covering 1,300 square kilometers of Japan's northern Aomori and Akita Prefectures.
This unique ecosystem, unchanged for over 8,000 years, was the first Natural World Heritage Site to be listed in Japan.
02 (2nd map appears)
Access is forbidden to the strictly preserved central area of untouched virgin forest, but you can experience almost exactly the same scenery on the nature trail in the forest's outer zone.
03 (Old photo)
Acting as our guide to the nature and history of the forest is a man who spent most of his life here as a hunter in the old, environmentally-friendly tradition. This is Mitsuharu Kudo.
04 (Interview - M)
"This area is completely snowed in for half the year, all the way from November to May. The snow is the reason why the forest here is so perfectly preserved - it just wasn't possible for people to get in and disturb it much of the time."
05 (Approaching fallen tree)
Beeches have a relatively short lifespan of about 200 years. When dead trees collapse and rot, they become a source of nutrients to help the next generation of young trees to grow. A vital part of the forest ecosystem, the decomposing trees also provide nourishment for many other species of vegetation.
06 (Interview - M start from him opening arms)
"The roots spread out quite widely, but they are extremely shallow. They hardly penetrate the earth at all, so when a tree becomes old and weak, the surrounding roots rot and the tree falls over easily. It's a very efficient recycling system."
07 (Forest)
The unique ecosystem of this primeval forest provides a home for many rare species of wildlife and vegetation.
08 (Hands holding sample of leaf mold)
The leaf mold formed by the constant build-up of fallen beech leaves is a genetic treasure house.
In recent years, natural yeasts and bacteria discovered in Shirakami-Sanchi have been be used to make foods suitable for children with allergies and other problems. Only untouched virgin forests like this can preserve the full rich diversity of nature's legacy.
09 (Two leaves)
The beech forest also has an important role as a water reservoir. Melting snow and rainwater trapped by leaves accumulates in the roots. After many years of slowly filtering through the earth and leaf mold, it re-emerges as pure, mineral-rich springwater to nurture the forest's vast range of micro-organisms and plants.
10 (Interview - M)
"It tastes sweet, and leaves your mouth refreshed."
11 (Photo - walkers in snow)
From camping out in the snow to nature-learning activities for children, Shirakami-Sanchi now offers many ways to experience first-hand the living ecosystem of this ancient virgin forest.
Contact List
Shirakami-Sanchi Visitor Center
61-1 Tashiro-Aza-Kanda, Nakatsukaru-gun, Nishimeya-mura
Aomori 036-1411 JAPAN
TEL: 0172-85-2811
http://www.shirakami-visitor.jp/
Sala Akita Shirakami Corporation
7-4 Matugi, Hachioji-shi
Tokyo 192-0362 JAPAN
TEL: 042-679-7173
http://www.sala1.jp/
High-Rise Work Fashion
Japan's steeplejacks and scaffolding workers were always an elite group. Their skill in working at dangerous heights meant that they became the first firefighting groups, centuries ago when Japan's wooden cities often caught fire. Proud of their skills and popular heroes for their courage, these workers competed in fashion too, striving to see who could display the most colorful garments. This was the origin of the distinctive workwear we still see today on Japan's building sites, a living tradition that continues to evolve and which has recently inspired designers in the world of high fashion.
01 (Tunnel interior)
A huge new Tokyo expressway tunnel, still under construction, was the site for a program of events that included this unique fashion show. Inspired by Japanese construction workers' clothing, these creations by German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm have also been shown at the Paris Collections.
02 (Man working on scaffolding)
The distinctive and unusual work clothes you see today on every Japanese construction site evolved from a long tradition.
03 (Jikatabi)
Jikatabi work shoes were inspired by the split-toe tabi socks traditionally worn with kimonos. These were modified for outdoor work with tougher fabric and rubber soles.
04 (Fastening jikatabi)
Workers on scaffolding and high buildings like jikatabi for their lightness and excellent grip. They let you move and feel the ground as well as if you were barefoot. You'll also see people wearing jikatabi at traditional street festivals.
05 (Feet on scaffold)
A recent innovation is jikatabi with steel safety toe caps. Traditional workwear continues to evolve, adapting to changing work conditions and new safety regulations.
06 (Old B/W footage)
Steeplejacks have always been the elite of construction workers. The men who work on dangerous tall structures and scaffolding are called tobishoku, and their distinctive wide work pants are known as tobifuku. These elite workers have traditionally been very fashion conscious in their choice of work clothes.
07 (Painting of traditional fireman)
Because of their special work skills, tobishoku were the first volunteer firefighters in an age when fire regularly swept Japan's wooden cities.
Just as the tobishoku competed in skill and daring to fight fires, they also competed in the style of their workwear.
08 (Zoom in on man on ladder)
As these fashion-conscious workers developed an ideal of street style they called iki, practicality took second place to looks.
09 (Poster of trousers)
They took fashion ideas from many sources. Today's wide work pants were inspired by the knickerbockers of 19th-century golfers.
10 (Man wearing wide black trousers)
There's also a practical reason for the wide pants. The fabric acts like an antenna, allowing the worker to sense surrounding projections or obstacles without looking.
Of course, their competitive sense of style means many workers wear pants far wider than is needed for practical purposes.
11 (Pan R shop interior)
These construction worker fashions, unique to Japan, have become popular with souvenir hunting tourists from abroad.
12 (Zoom in on worker in white)
Japanese workers continue to modify their traditional, practical workwear, creating stylish designs to match their daring and skill on the high scaffolding.
Contact List
Kaseyama Corporation
1750-1 Mochiyoshi, Tamano-shi
Okayama 706-0132 JAPAN
TEL: 0863-71-4410
http://www.tobi.jp/home-2.htm
The Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.
1-4-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8930 JAPAN
TEL: 03-3539-9257
http://www.shutoko.jp/
Fine Mist Cools City Heat
Global warming continues to raise temperatures worldwide, and large cities contribute to this trend through the urban heat island effect. Increased use of air conditioning is raising temperatures on the streets, and Japanese cities are experimenting with ways to counter this. One new system uses advanced technology to make spray nozzles so small that the fine mist they emit immediately evaporates, leaving no moisture behind. The effect of the evaporating mist is to significantly cool the air beneath it. These mist systems are also being used in high-tech industry to cut dust and static electricity.
01 (Aerial view of city)
Global warming continues to raise average temperatures worldwide. This is specially true of large cities, which also create their own heat in what is called the urban heat island effect.
02 (External air conditioner units)
A major cause of the heat island effect is air conditioning. In order to cool interiors, air conditioners must transfer heat to the outside air.
03 (Thermograph photo)
An infrared photo shows temperature differences on the outside of a building. The walls are 38 degrees Celsius, but the external air conditioner units are over 45 degrees. In a vicious cycle, the more people cool their rooms, the hotter it makes the streets outside.
04 (Street - spray nozzles)
Japanese cities are experimenting with ways to cool their streets, and this is one of the most revolutionary new ideas.
05 (Close up of nozzle)
Tiny nozzles emit a fine spray of mist.
This system utilizes the fact that evaporating water removes heat and lowers temperatures.
06 (Tilt down to building)
The new system was developed by a company that has been making spray nozzles for 53 years. This long history of research and experimentation has made them the world leaders in this field.
07 (Tilt down on large nozzle)
From large rocket gas coolant nozzles to tiny mist sprayers with holes less than a hundredth of a millimeter wide, they make many advanced and innovative products.
08 (Street scene)
They put a great deal of effort into developing this mist system for cooling city streets.
09 (Pan R to outdoor stalls)
And local governments quickly showed an interest.
The air is 34 degrees.But when the official measures the air temperature again around the mist sprayers, it's less than 27 degrees. A full seven degrees cooler.
10 (Interview - M)
"Directly cooling the air like this is good for people and good for the environment.
The technology in these nozzles is extremely advanced - you won't find it anywhere else in the world. We're planning to buy this system for the city."
11 (Man entering factory)
The same technology is now being further developed to provide even finer mist systems for high-tech industry.
12 (Zoom in on nozzle)
This is "dry fog" - made of the smallest water particles ever produced.
Here is a regular rain drop. And these are dry fog particles - less than 100th of a millimeter in size.
13 (Man holding up clear plastic sheet)
Because these mist particles are so tiny, they evaporate almost instantly and leave no moisture behind.
14 (Pan L factory interior)
The fine mist prevents dust and static electricity and has greatly reduced the number of defective products in electronics plants.
Another of its many industrial applications is for spraying antiseptic to combat avian flu.
15 (Interview - M)
"Mist is something found naturally in the environment. We hope that by exporting this technology we can improve life in cities around the world."
16 (Street scene)
Only Japan's advanced technology could produce a spray this fine - tiny droplets that could play a big role in countering global warming.
Contact List
H. Ikeuchi & Co., Ltd.
Daiichi-Kyogyo Bldg., 1-15-15 Awaza, Nishi-ku,
Osaka 550-0011
TEL: 06-6538-1075
http://www.kirinoikeuchi.co.jp/
Minamata - An Eco-Aware Community
The small southern Japanese fishing port of Minamata was the site of one of the world's worst cases of industrial pollution, giving its name to the terrible mercury poisoning syndrome called Minamata Disease. This tragedy was in the early 1950s, during Japan's rush to industrialize. Fifty years later, although problems still remain, Minamata has transformed itself into one of Japan's most environmentally conscious towns, successfully improving its local coastal environment. Minamata residents attribute their successes to the lessons learned during many years of cleaning up after the catastrophe, looking after its suffering victims, and becoming aware of the importance of living in harmony with their environment.
01 (Palm trees)
A typical little fishing port in the south of Japan.
Today, it's a pleasant place to live for its 30,000 residents, but this was once the site of a tragedy that shocked the world.
The name of this town is Minamata.
02 (Old footage)
During Japan's rapid economic growth in the early 1950s, a large factory was built in Minamata.
The plant pumped its waste water directly into the sea. But this water was heavily contaminated with mercury, and many townspeople began to suffer mysterious symptoms after eating seafood from the bay.
03 (Shaking hand)
Uncontrollable spasms of arms and legs, loss of vision and speech, birth defects in newborn babies. At first, the cause was unknown so victims were said to have Minamata Disease. It was this that earned the name of Minamata its place in the world's history books.
04 (Color long shot of factory today)
Fifty years later, problems still persist regarding compensation for victims, while ongoing projects continue to restore and improve the coastal environment.
05 (Pamphlets)
Kumamoto Gakuen University promotes Minamata studies to help the world to learn from this town's tragic history.
06 (Interview - M)
"First, we want to record the experiences and failures of this incident for the future. This program makes us re-examine our way of living and our society. The most important thing about these studies is that they are a joint effort by everyone in the region involved - not just researchers and students from the university, but also the local community, people who suffer from Minamata Disease, and those who are still coping with its consequences."
07 (Zoom in on woman as she turns page)
Minamata's residents have carefully studied their history. They can all describe the disaster to visitors in detail and explain how important it is to protect the environment.
08 (Interview - M)
"I want to tell the world not just about our suffering, but also about how we have restored our environment."
09 (Interview - F)
"I've lived in Minamata for a long time, and there are so many stories I have to tell."
10 (Minamata website)
In 1992, Minamata decided to make itself into a model environmental city.
It began by instituting the strictest waste recycling scheme in Japan, sorting household waste into 22 different categories. Through recycling and reuse programs, the town hopes to reduce total waste to zero.
11 (Interview - M)
"This community, that suffered so terribly from Minamata Disease, is really working hard to contribute to the environment."
12 (Woman explaining)
The people of Minamata have learned the vital importance of keeping the environment constantly in mind as they rebuild their town.
13 (Interview - M)
"We in Minamata see it as our mission to remind people of the terrible things that can happen, so as to ensure such tragedies will never occur again, anywhere in the world."
14 (People by sea)
Learning valuable lessons from the sufferings of the past, these citizens are now building a livable and environmentally sound community here in Minamata.
Contact List
City of Minamata
54-162 Tsukinoura, Minamata-shi
Kumamoto 867-0035 Japan
TEL: 0966-83-5577
http://www.minamatacity.jp/
Kumamoto Gakuen University, Open Research Center for Minamata Studies
2-7-13 Hamamachi, Minamata-shi
Kumamoto 867-0065 JAPAN
TEL: 0966-63-5030
http://www.kumagaku.ac.jp/social/minamata.html
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