Mt. Baijō / 梅丈岳

Part 3 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

From the top of Mt. Baijō (梅丈岳), 395 meters about sea level, one has scenic views of Wakasa Bay to the north, and the lakes of Mikatagoko to the south and east.  To get to the summit from the parking lot, daring travellers can take an open chairlift (no belts!!).  Those with a fear of heights may prefer the comfort of the closed funicular. 

The views were truly spectacular.  One particularly impressive sight was a recent landslide near Hotel Suigekka (see top photo) which had destroyed an orchard that was tucked into a narrow valley.   There are many orchards in the Mikatagoko region which is famous for its plums. 

There is an eclectic assortment of things for tourists on the peak including small shrines, picnic tables, padlocks for making wishes (like that famous bridge in Paris), and a play area for children (including a giant beetle for the children to climb on!).  Although I found the mountaintop a bit cluttered, one really must see the views from Mt. Baijō in order to understand the unique geography of this region squeezed between the lakes and the sea.

Websites: Mikatagoko Rainbow Line (JP), Travel Around Japan (EN)

Next: Fukui Prefectural Seaside Nature Center (福井県海浜自然センター)

La Shijimi Restaurant / ラ・しじみ

La Shijimi Restaurant

Part 2 of the series: Satoyama Concept in Fukui

The first stop of our Satoyama in Fukui tour was La Shijimi Restaurant.  Shijimi is a type of clam (Corbiculidae) that is a popular ingredient in miso soup.   The Fukui region is famous for its production of shijimi, hence the name of this cooperative restaurant on the shores of Lake Kugushiko in the renowned Mikatagoko (Five Lakes of Mikata) region.  The restaurant opened in May 2008 and calls itself a “community café” (コミュニティ・カフェ)

 

Lake Kugushigo

The shijimi served in the restaurant is fished directly from the brackish waters of Lake Kugushigo by the cooperative members.  There is a wonderful photo of some of the ladies from the cooperative fishing shijimi in their profile on Fukui Dotcom (ふくいドットコム).  In addition to bringing together local people, the cooperative aims to teach visitors about Lake Kugushigo and environs.  Our hosts particularly mentioned their desire to be welcome and accommodating to a wide range of guests.

 

Shijimi researchers at work near the restaurant

We were served a set lunch menu featuring regional fare of the day including miso soup with shijimi, salads, snails, octopus, pickles and rice, served with green tea.  In addition to the seasonal lunch set, the menu features seafood curry, pizzas with local toppings, homemade cakes and herbal teas.  They will also make up bento boxes if you place your order the day before.  It’s really an ideal place to stop and learn more about the region. 

La Shijimi can be found near Sui Shrine in Kugushi:

ラ・しじみ  (Google Maps)

homepage : http://www.geocities.jp/ra_sijimi/

〒919-1123 福井県三方郡 美浜町久々子8-10-1

Tel. +81 770-32-2283


Next: Mt. Baijō / 梅丈岳

Satoyama Concept in Fukui

Anyone familiar with the popular anime My Neighbour Totoro (となりのトトロ, 1988) will recall the lush, idealised landscape known in Japan as Satoyama (里山).  Cushioned between the foothills of the mountains and rice paddy fields, Satoyama ecosystems are the result of centuries of local, small scale agriculture and forestry.  In recent decades, the preservation of these landscapes have become central to efforts to promote sustainable living both in Japan and internationally.

In August, the JAGUAR Project (Sustainable futures for cultural landscapes of JApan and Germany - biodiversity and ecosystem services as Unifying concepts for the management of Agricultural Regions) of Justus-Liebig University (Gießen) in collaboration with the Science Council of Japan (Subcommittee for Nature Conservation and Restoration), Fukui Prefecture, DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service), the German Embassy in Japan, and DWIH Tokyo (Deutsches Wissenschafts- und Innovationshaus Tokyo), sponsored a Satoyama Symposium and Workshop that brought together researchers from Germany and Japan.  This event included public lectures in Japanese and English and a tour of the countryside of Fukui Prefecture where the participating researchers could learn more about local efforts at maintaining sustainable Satoyama landscapes. 

I gave a paper entitled “Ecocritical Views on Satoyama in Japanese Popular Culture” where I introduced the discipline of ecocritism to the Japanese and German scientists present (the concept is a relatively new one in Japanese cultural studies, and little known by scientists), and discussed how nature is depicted in Japanese popular culture from romanticism of the landscape to fears of apocalypse.   I concluded with a discussion of Satoyama as a Japanese “Heimat” landscape focussing in particular on My Neighbour Totoro and how the popularity of the film has led to the preservation of Satoyama landscapes through organisations such as the Totoro Forest Foundation.

In my capacity as media consultant for the JAGUAR Project, I have written this series of short articles on the highlights of our tour of cultural landscapes in Fukui Prefecture. 

Next Article :

La Shijimi Restaurant / ラ・しじみ