The 52nd Press Tour ～Return to Nature～ Eco

KIPPO
Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office
The 52nd KIPPO Press Tour
Oct.27(Wed)Oct.27(Wed)-28(Thurs)28(Thurs)-29 (Fri), 2004
Return to Nature
EcoEco-friendly life in which people coexist with nature
Living
iving with the oriental white storks,
storks, which is believed to bring happiness,
happiness, facing the
danger of extinction
- Hard-working efforts of the local people to restore natural environment of the past days
in Toyooka, Hyogo Pref.
Efforts to preserve and pass the precious scenery of
Amano Hashidate down the generations
- Challenges facing Amano Hashidate, a sandspit, one of the best 3 scenic spots
in Japan; coastal erosion and pine-tree-decaying covering the sandspit, and the revival project of the sea of
Aso adjacent to Amano Hashidate in Miyazu, Kyoto Pref.
Wooden Check Dam
- Serving dual purposes; effective use of thinned trees and environmental conservation
in Maizuru, Kyoto Pref.
Abundant nature and foods of Fukui Pref., which boasts
the 2nd longest life expectancy in Japan
Japan both for male and female
- Feel relaxed in the Kingdom of foods, Obama city, and enjoy much-loved seafoods, blessings of nature (An interview
with the mayor and a demonstration of the Wakasa-nuri chopsticks-making)
- Uriwarino Taki in Kaminaka town; Home to brand-name spring water
- Visit to Natasho village looking for a typical landscape of Japanese hometown (An interview with the mayor and a
villager)
1. Tour date:
Oct. 27 (Wednesday) - 28 (Thursday) – 29 (Friday), 2004 (Two Nights / Three Days)
2. Qualification:
Bearer of Press ID Card issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs
3. Organized by: Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office (KIPPO) (tel) 06-4803-5551
Applicants are requested to fill in the attached form and send it to KIPPO by 17:00, Oct. 13(Wed.). As we
will stop receiving application forms when the number of applicants reaches the prescribed number (25 persons
max), you are advised to apply for as soon as possible. KIPPO will send a fax of confirmation with the details to
the applicants.
*KIPPO shall bear no responsibility whatsoever for any accidents or inconveniences that may arise during the
press tour. The itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions or other circumstances.
Fashioning an environment where people coexist with the Oriental White Stork（Toyooka, Hyogo）
White storks have been widely cherished and believed as an auspicious bird that brings happiness
and babies. Strictly speaking, white storks can be divided into two species, European storks and
Oriental ones. European white storks live mainly in Europe and there exist an estimated 850,000 or
more. However oriental white storks living in Russia and far-east Asia including Japan are in the
danger of extinction. They used to be observed almost everywhere in Japan including Toyooka in
Tajima region, northern part of Hyogo prefecture. However, its population decreased because of the
ecocide caused by rapid economic growth and eventually the last wild stork died in Toyooka in 1971.
Under such circumstances, local people and government started to work in unison toward reviving rich
natural environment where white storks could live as well as pouring their efforts into protection,
breeding and propagation. For example, local people are trying to improve waterside environment
where storks can eat affluent aquatic animals, establishing chemical-free agricultural methods that
contribute to natural restoration and plantation and cultivation of pine trees for their nesting.
Currently, as a result of such dedicated efforts, more than 100 storks are bred at the Homeland for the
Oriental White Stork. Furthermore in 2002, a wild white stork nicknamed Hachigoro flew to Toyooka
and has been living around the area since then. This fact proves that the natural environment in the
region has been improved to be a safe and comfortable one for storks. There is a plan to reintroduce a
part of oriental white storks raised and kept at the facility into the wild next year. People concerned
hope Hachigoro would be a teacher for the storks newly released into the wild. In this KIPPO tour, you
will cover background, the status quo of breeding and prospect for the reintroduction project. Also, you
will have a chance to know local people’s activity to restore natural ecosystem by establishing
eco-friendly agricultural methods and other activities to restore an environment where co-existence
with storks and nature is possible like in the past.
Amano Hashidate (one of the best 3 scenic spots in Japan) and the Sea of Aso (Miyazu, Kyoto)
Amano Hashidate, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan along with Miyajima in Hiroshima
and Matsushima in Miyagi, has been fascinating a lot of people since the ancient time. Sediment, flew
out of the rivers located in the east side of Tango Peninsula are washed out by waves rolling from the
Japan Sea resulting in creating a sandspit of 3.6 km-long. This is scientifically quite rare phenomenon
of nature. The sandspit is covered with about 8,000 pine trees. Seen from the top of Mt.Monjyu located
in the south of Amano Hashidate, it looks like a dragon high-flying into the sky and also Amano
Hashidate looks like a bridge to the heaven if seen between legs.
Amano Hashidate faces 2 environmental problems; coastal erosion and pine-trees-decaying covering
the sandspit and its existence itself was endangered at one time. The local government is trying to stop
the problem by using the latest civil engineering skills in order to protect and pass the precious scenery
down the generations.
(The Sea of Aso)
The Sea of Aso, a 500ha-wide inland sea, is separated from Miyazu Bay (open sea), by Amano
Hashidate. It is a home of various kinds of shellfish and water birds, and abundant nature of the sea of
Aso and Amano Hashidate attracts widespread popularity as one. However the water channel to the
open sea is narrow and the sea of Aso is a closed sea area facing environmental problems like the
outbreak of red tide mainly caused by wastewater discharge and the oxygen-poor environment near the
bottom, which results in the suspected damages to Amano Hashidate like turning rancid and
destroying the scenery. The local government is trying to tackle the problems, and especially the Sea
Blue Project, in which beautiful sand are spread to clean the dirty water, is making a difference steadily.
This KIPPO tour covers the Sea of Aso Revival Project.
In this KIPPO tour, we go up to the top of Mt.Monju by a lift and have explanations enjoying a fine
view. Also the tour walks through the pine-woods and commands Amano Hashidate from the sea of Aso
by cruising ship.
Wooden Check Dam;Wooden conservation facilities aiming at promoting disaster-proof forests and tree
thinning
Tree thinning, which is essential to fostering a sound forest, is carried out in many places, but
thinned trees are not fully utilized and more ways of using them need to be developed. Kyoto Pref.
Government has been trying to find a new way to use thinned trees and has introduced wooden check
dams. Construction of wooden check dams uses thinned trees and those dams preserve mountains and
natural environment, that is, they serve dual purposes. Those dams are constructed as a model case as
the design and construction methods of the dams have not yet been established and the pref.
government has conducted research and studies in cooperation with experts. Compared with concrete
dams, wooden ones are more eco-friendly and attracting a lot of attention. They do not destroy natural
scenery of mountains and living organism build their nests on such dams made of natural materials.
Wooden dams are completely blended in with surrounding environment about 3 years after the
installation. This tour covers a wooden check dam in Kahara, Maizuru city, Kyoto Pref.
Forests around the wooden check dams in Kahara are conservation forests designated by national
government and the area is famous as a view spot of autumn-red-leaves. Kyoto pref. government has
improved the forests into human&eco-friendly ones with high capability for disaster prevention by
constructing wooden check dams and planting maple trees. At around the date of the tour, red-leaves
are expected to be at their best. (please understand that it depends on weather condition.)
(tree thinning) adjusts the density of standing timber. By thinning trees, underbrush grows and
forest topsoil is not carried away and forests can fully exercise their various functions.
Kingdom of delicious foods (Obama city, Fukui)
Home to brand-name spring water (Kaminaka town, Fukui)
Typical landscape of Japanese hometown (Natasho village, Fukui)
Fukui Pref. boasts the second highest life expectancy both for men and women in Japan, and main
factors include abundant nature and rich food & water that grow in abundant nature. In this tour,
participants will cover Fukui Pref. focusing on its nature and food.
(Obama city) The Sea of Obama is one of the most fertile fishing spot in the Japan Sea. Obama used
to be called “Miketsu-kuni”, the place from where seafoods were dedicated to Emperor and is still
popular as a kingdom of delicious food grown in its abundant nature. Tour participants will have a
chance to meet the mayor of the city, which promotes a city development plan focusing the history of
dietary culture and local foods, and will get to know about the place. Participants will enjoy
demonstration of Wakasa-nuri chopsticks-making, too. Wakasa-nuri chopsticks account for about 80 %
of Japan’s lacquered chopsticks, which is inseparable from foods in Japan. Also, dinner at a fancy
traditional machiya that was built at the beginning of Meiji era (about 120 years ago) as a Japanese
restaurant is too good to miss! Enjoy fresh foods unique to Obama.
(Kaminaka town) Tour visits Uriwarino-taki (waterfall) in Kaminaka town, located in the east of
Obama city. Spring water, chosen as one of the best 100 water in Japan, flows from rich forest. Uriwari
literally means that a gourd is cracked. It is believed that the fall was named because the spring water
was too cold and a gourd dipped was cracked. On the third day of this tour, visit to the fall of spring
water is scheduled.
(Natasho village) located to the south of Obama city and most of the area is forest left intact.
Natasho village is the place where we can find typical landscape of Japanese hometown. The village is
also famous for its beautiful starry sky. Natasho village secures workers for timber industry by
accepting applications from all over the country in order to activate forestry and foster sound forests.
This tour covers efforts of the village to promote the development respecting & utilizing its abundant
nature through an interview with the mayor and also has a chance to meet a villager.
*** Please note and understand that the centerpiece of the meals arranged in this tour is seafood
as this tour is held in the area along the Japan Sea coast.