Deleted comments on Kikuchi Konomi's Earthday weblog (2)

>Mr. Shintaro Ishihara Governor of Tokyo, stated “Environment First' on his election campaign poster and is promoting and 'environmentally focused' Tokyo Olympics, even setting a 25% reduction target of CO2. However, the usage of metropolitan tax to chop down 80,000 trees of Minamiyama to lose the forest that absorb CO2 definitely contradicts his policy.

If you really want to decrease CO2, you must chop down the trees constantly. Because an aged tree will not occlude CO2. The trees on Minamiyama are already aged too much. It must be chopped down anyway if you really want to decrease CO2.

>This may well develop into an international issue.

If the international citizens will pay their money to buy Minamiyama forest, they will be welcomed! Inagi City have little money to save the forests. Please send us your money to buy the forests in Inagi.

>there is a possibility that Olympic Road Race will pass through Inagi City. I wonder if (the governor) wants to show the construction site to the world.

Yes there is a plan that the cycle road race course will pass through Inagi. But I will not feel guilty because it is just a moment in the process. I will say "Please visit Minamiyama in 2026. There will be new forest around the town of Minamiyama. Or you can chop down your own house and create your own forest."

>It is absolutely absurd to spend tax on the Olympic Hosting Campaign while even more tax money is being spent on environmental destruction that could cost Japan and Tokyo the Olympic Bid. This behaviour is like trying to drive a car, while braking and accelerating at the same time.

He muddles earmarked tax with normal tax together.
Landowners of Minamiyama had been paid Toshikeikaku-Zei (City Planning Tax) for decades. Toshikeikaku-Zei is the earmarked tax for creating and sustaining social infrastructure. Therefore using tax-money for development of Minamiyama town is absolutely legitimate. If you don’t think so, you can complaint it at the court.

Here I raise a question. Why they don’t? I think they know that there is no chance to win for them in the court.

Needless to say, deforestation of Minamiyama is a sorrowful for all of Inagi citizens. But we made a decision after the long and painful discussion. I already made it clear that full conservation of Minamiyama costs at least 25 billion JPY.

Therefore local nature conservation NPO (founded in 1987, directed by Kikuchi Kazumi) reluctantly agreed with landowners that they will not protest to the development in 2006. In return, the landowners of Minamiyama agreed to increase the area for preserve/recreate forests to 18% (Tokyo Metropolitan Government appoints that at least 8% green is required to have the permission for development).

I think there must be the respect for those processes at first.
And you must aware that nobody can stop the development unless the landowners agreed to do so. The mayor of Inagi can’t stop it. Mr. Ishihara can’t stop it. Prime minister of Japan or the president of the United States of America too. Because the landowners do the project legitimately.

The more you spread the imprecise information about Minamiyama around the world, the more the situation be worse. Landowners will be stiff hearted, closed minded. One thing we can do is to donate some money to Kikuchi Kazumi’s NPO for buying forests. Landowners and her NPO already made an agreement that the NPO can buy the Minamiyama forest at unprofited price. And mayor Ishikawa had promised that Inagi city will not charge the tax on the conserved forests.

Deleted comments on Kikuchi Konomi's Earthday weblog (1)

I put this comment on the activist Kikuchi Konomi’s weblog on Earthday website in June 18, 2009. But she deleted them next day.

Kikuchi Konomi’s weblog URL
http://earthday.ning.com/profiles/blogs/leading-japanese-movie

Environmental Activists Mr. Paul Coleman a.k.a. Earthwalker and his wife Kikuchi Konomi criticize the development of Minamiyama in Inagi City. But their arguments are based on imprecise information. As a citizen of Inagi, I never welcome such kind of discourse. Anybody can join the controversy about Minamiyama but it must be based on precise information and data.

(deleted comments below)

>this much loved was based on a true story of a gigantic housing development that destroyed a forested mountain on the edge of Inagi around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Scenes from Minamiyama were used in this movie and raccoons can still be found there.

It is not true.

The movie used photographer Kobayashi Isao’s “LANDSCAPES” as image material. The works by Kobayashi was taken at Tama City and Inagi City. But it was not images of Minamiyama. Kobayashi commented here that he took photographs at Sakahama area in Inagi City. Sakahama is not Minamiyama.

http://www.artbow.com/english/land.html

>“I was very impressed to see my movie again in a different light, perhaps because I saw that Minamiyama mountain was in a similar situation.”

It is not true.
The development of Tama Newtown was done by Japan Government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In contrast, the development of Minamiyama is done by its 260 landowners.

In addition, Tama Newtown is much loved by its residents. I think Tama Newtown has one of the most beautiful suburban landscapes in the world. I love it very much.

>Minamiyama is one of the biggest Satoyama (woodlands close the human habitat) in Tama Area (Western Tokyo). It has approximately 90 metres of elevation above the close surroundings, about 100 hectares of untouched nature remain, however with the development at least 87 acres of mountain and forest will be removed.

It is not true.
First, the development of Minamiyama will be done on 87hectares. NOT 87 acres.
Second. Minamiyama had been used as a common by Yanoguchi, Momura and Naganuma village.
Minamiyama was overused, rarely planted bald hills. You can see the situation in the painting “Chofu Tamagawa Sohgazu”.
http://www.parthenon-museum.jp/high_reso/gallery03.htm

The nature of Minamiyama is NOT untouched.

>In the bottom line, this is the tax counter measure project designed to return income to the landowners, of which the largest are two of Japan's leading corporations.

It is not true.
The two companies are Mitsui Fudosan and Yomiuri Land. Yomiuri Land has it headquarters in Inagi City. It is a local company.

Second, they will not have much benefit from this development.
Mitsui has 12 hectares, Yomiuri has 13hectares. But Mitsui’ s ground are on the edge of the cliff, then their compensation will be only 2 hectares! Yomiuri will have 5-6 hectares as compensation. In short, they will have only 13% of the developed ground.

>“the land specialist pointed out that once Minamiyama's earth layer is largely sand , are if the forests that hold it together are destoyed, the land could liquify in an earthquake which would lead to the collapse of the house developed there.

The “Land Specialist” is Mr. Sakamaki Yukio. His specialty is geology. NOT Soil Mechanics. I think he is not specialist.

>the president of “Association for Preservation of Inagi's Satoyama and Historical Sites” proposed that the government should either purchase the land or lease the land under “Designation for Green Area Preservation of Tokyo.”
Therefore, Tokyo Metropolitan Government has the key role to play.

The price tag of the Minamiyama should be at least 25 billion JPY(estimated by Inagi City), I have heard from landowners that they will not sell at such a bargain price. They say they will sell it at least 50 billion JPY.

If the citizens of Tokyo agreed to pay the money, Minamiyama will be saved. I have no opinion with that idea. You can pursue it.

(to be continued on the next posting)

an objection to Mr. Paul Coleman a.k.a. “Earthwalker”

I put an objection to Mr. Paul Coleman a.k.a. “Earthwalker” about Minamiyama’s case in June 17/2009. But they banned me from their SNS website and maybe delete my objection. I feel a great disappointment for Mr. Coleman because he refutes to discuss about his mistake and he choose to axe his counterpart.

Here I post again my objection to Mr. Coleman and his wife Kikuchi Konomi.

I think Mr. Coleman dismisses the fact that the “Sea Forest” will be created on the land that owned by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In contrast, Minamiyama is owned by 258 individual land owners and 2 companies.

These individual landowners are the descendents of the people who reclaim the land of Inagi hundreds of years ago. They are the descendents of NATIVE or FIRST PEOPLE of Inagi. But they have been suffered heavy taxes for 40 years. They even sold some good farms to pay the tax for their forest in Minamiyama. Then the farms had destructed and turned into residential district.

The “resident” who accuses the landowners of Minamiyama are the people who live on the land once was a good farm but must be sold to pay the taxes.

This is one of a case we have seen hundreds of times. A tourist come and sees the destruction of a forest. Tourist assaults the native people who must cut down their forest they inherited from their ancestors necessarily to keep their lives and farms. A light-minded and irresponsible action.

I think we must change our tax system immediately to save the forests like Minamiyama.

260 landowners pay approximately 100000000 JPY (near 1000000 USD) per year but they have very few earnings from those forests. In addition, they fear inheritance tax to come. If the inheritance occurs on a house, the heir forced to sell his father’s farm or house to pay inheritance tax. Or he becomes bankrupt.

They decided to cut down the forest and sell it before they face bankruptcy.

You should spend your money to save All the Minamiyama forest if you really want to. Just buy it. Or you can join some alternative action. An NPO started an action to save Minamiyama 7yaers ago. They had been negotiated with landowners for years and finally, they acquire additional 3% conservation.

A Japanese painter finished his 620meters art-work with Hokule'a

A Japanese traditional style painter Hojo Rakushi (北條楽只), now at the age of 66 and living in Ichikawa-misato town of Yamanashi prefecture, recently completed his work “ハワイ日本人・日系人歴史絵巻 (Hawai’i Nippon-jin Nikkei-jin Rekishi Emaki /The Picture scrolls of the history between Hawai’i and Japan)”.

The Emaki is made of 34 scrolls. Its length is 620 meters. He painted 120 thousands of people of Hawai’i and Japan. Every scene is captioned in English and Japanese. The artist started to paint this work in 1996. He had been to Hawai’i at least 2 times in a year for the background research.

The Emaki starts in the scene of 13th century Hawai’i (there is a legend that some Japanese sailors in Middle Ages drifted to Hawai’i) and ends in the scene of the arrival of Hokule’a at Yokohama. Mr. Hojo explains this “I think the arrival of the canoe is the best scene to end up this work”.

Now the work is on exhibit in Ichikawa-misato town. The artist plans to exhibit this in Hawai’i.

Symposium “What can we learn from Hokule’a?”

Date: June 17, 2007
Venue: Osanbashi Hall of Yokohama International Passenger Terminal

1: Concept

The 2007 Hokule’a voyage from Hawai’i via Micronesia to Nippon approaches its end. This voyage gives us, the residents of Nippon archipelago so many things. Moreover, their voyage through Micronesia places some themes for us, the earthians.

Now, we have to think about what we should do from now on. But you know, there are so many differences between Hawai’i and Nippon. Geographies, histories, climates…etc. What I want to stress is that we are NOT Hawai’ians. We are NOT Polynesians. Therefore practicing Hula, building a Polynesian voyaging canoe or learning modern Hawai’ian Wayfinding is not the answer for us. There must be our own way to make the achievements like something Hokule’a did.

I want to discuss with you about what we can learn from Hokule’a and what we can or chould do something for our own islands and our communities.

２：Symposiasts

Ms. Hayashi Kazuyo (confirmed): A writer and longtime friend of Mau Piailug and his sons. She now writes the biography of Mau Piailug.

Mr. Takumi Hiroshi (confirmed): A writer and skilled businessman at DHL. He helped the reviving project of the voyaging tradition of Yap. He did a voyage between Yap and Palau with Mau Piailug in 1994. The Yapese voyaging canoe went to Palau and curved two stone moneys then back.

Mr. Ishikawa Naoki (confirmed): A writer and photographer. He studies voyaging traditions and techniques throughout Pacific Ocean.

Mr. Fujisaki Tatsuya (confirmed): A veteran trekking guide in Hokkaido Island. He made an NPO with Ainu people and now building a traditional Ainu canoe dedicated to Tiger Espere.

Ms. Uchino Kanako (not confirmed, now offering a permission of the captain of Hokule’a): A photographer and writer. Crewmember of Hokule’a.

Mr. Araki Takuji (not confirmed, now offering a permission of the captain of Hokule’a): A professional athlete and the captain of his own sailing canoe “Uminchumaru”. Crewmember of Hokule’a.

Coordinator: Kato Kosei, Ph.D. A translator. Translating PVS weblog for Japanese since January 20. Translated “An Ocean in Mind (Will Kyselka)” in 2006.

3: Programs (subject to change)

13:00- Opening address by Kato Kosei
13:05-Lecture by Uchino Kanako “Routine practices of PVS back in Hawai’i”
13:30-Lecture by Hayashi Kazuyo “Voyaging tradition in Satawal today: what is voyaging for Satawalese themselves?”
13:55-Lecture by Ishikawa Naoki “(not announced)”
14:20-Lecture by Takumi Hiroshi “Stone money voyage in Yap, 1994: its achievements and failure”
14:45-Lecture by Fujisaki Tatsuya “Reviving Ainu canoe: How to amalgamate it with our everyday life?”
15:10-Tea break
15:25-Lecture by Araki Takuji “The challenge of Uminchumaru”
16:00-17:00 Colloquium “Then, what can/should we do as an everyman who lives in this islands?”