x elements

Seido Kino

Although I had no relation at all to Shimane, my interest in the ancient technique of Tatara smelting brought me here. The process of pouring iron sand and charcoal into a furnace to produce Tamahagane (precious steel), the material used in making Japanese swords, was a perfect example of the workings of people and forests. I wanted to learn in what form this activity survives in the Unnan and Okuizumo regions today. I had the opportunity to attend a traditional year-end event still held by the Tanabe family, formerly a powerful business family of iron masters in the Tatara ironmaking industry centered in Yoshida Town in Unnan City where iron was produced from the Muromachi period (1460 A.D.) to the Taisho period (1923). 

Choemon Tanabe, the 25th-generation head of the family, said, "I'm not doing this to preserve tradition. I do it just because it's fun." His son, joining in the festivities, certainly was smiling with true enjoyment. I guess I had misunderstood something. Tradition does not spring solely from hardship. In Yoshida Town, the population of just over 1,400 people facing a declining birthrate and aging population have preserved long-standing annual events that transcend eras no doubt due to their unpretentious resilience. 

In Shimane, clouds form and dissipate frequently, perhaps because of the strong
winds there. This phenomenon is perfectly described by the words from an ancient Japanese poem --Yakumo Tatsu (eight clouds rise). On some days, the rain falls
and stops repeatedly and rainbows appear every 30 minutes. At Inasa Beach, where
the priests of Izumo Oyashiro welcome the gods, rays of sunlight shine through the clouds and disappear and the sky is rich in color. I could watch the seashore for hours. Weather, when it changes this often, seems to be alive rather than simply a physical phenomenon. It's easy to see why myths are born from such a land. Wind and earth are in constant interaction, bringing changes and shaping our ways of life and thinking. The smooth transition of the four seasons brings diversity to landscapes and living creatures and is the reason why the power of restoration is strong. A huge rock appears deep in the forest with the help of orogeny (mountain-building activity) and moss grows on it. Things of rare unnaturalness found in nature exist at the point where inorganic contacts organic and they remind people of one thing or another. At first glance, people sense a unique aura that recalls to them the eternal nature of time and, not surprisingly, can even evoke reverence. Walking through Shimane, I often think that an improbable phenomenon is something to be grateful for. 

The period of rapid growth made daily life more convenient but in exchange severed people's connection to nature. In Unnan and Okuizumo, if a mountain or river is dug up just a little Kanakuso, the slag produced from old Tatara ironworks, appears to remind one of the land's history. Even in this region, forests have been redefined from living spaces to sacred, distant spaces or irrelevant areas. Except for those who work in the mountains, most people lead their daily lives flat. 

Thus, the choice to live in harmony with nature is conspicuously equivalent to actively embracing the existence of both special and everyday aspects, and, wind and soil. 

Japanese iron created by Tatara smelting blends many elements woven by the wind, earth, and people that are unique to Unnan and Okuizumo. 

These are not simple straightforward connections, but are deeply immersed in nature and culture, history, and other elements not easily explained. This is what I sensed from my journey. They are what make up the unique character of a land and the people themselves are also part of that character. Among these, the versatility of iron and rice have brought people together, formed the base of power, and brought about civilization. The intimate relation between these two elements in Unnan and Okuizumo is what has captured the imagination of an outsider like myself. They say that over a third of the myths narrated in the Kojiki (records of ancient matters) are set in Izumo. When you visit the coastline of the Shimane Peninsula, you can see signs of crustal movement. The distant past has drifted over hundreds of years to be visible to us today. 

In Shimane, it makes sense to recognize that nature is something people share communication with rather than something they control. The tireless change of seasons is a two-sided coin that benefits the land but, sadly, also brings disasters. Delicious rice makes the tradition of Mochitsuki, Sasamaki, and straw snakes possible, but growing rice also brings about damage by animals. Besides climate causes flooding and landslides. In time, though, vegetation grows there again. After all, the interaction of wind and soil is what gives permanence to life's diversity and resilience. 

I turn this way of seeing things towards daily life. If we regard the earth as a protective force, then wind represents a force for change. Friction between the elderly and young people, between long-term residents and newcomers, if it ultimately results in mutual understanding of each other's logic can act as a force for solving regional issues. In Shimane, I met many such robust and open-minded people. Compared to the vast natural world and even to cities, this land may seem quiet and unobtrusive. But the way of life here is undeniably abundant.

Related Exhibitons

紀 成道‬ 個展「風と土と  x elements / Earth」 会期：2024年9月3日（火）～9月16日（月） 時間：10:30～18:30（最終日15:00まで） 会場：ニコンサロン（東京都新宿区西新宿1-6-1 新宿エルタワー28階） 日休み

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