Being an enormous food junkie and a huge fan of Japan, naturally, I will conclude my Japan blog post series by researching the geography of food.

When searching the various culinary dishes Japan has to offer, many maps appear, organizing dishes by prefecture. As we’ve learned during the agricultural portion of the course, rice is the main staple food in Japan, and has since evolved into many signature Japanese dishes, including sushi, katsu-don, and every other type of don (rice bowl).

This cumulative list of foods unique to their prefectures has been generously created for other food junkies to study when they go to Japan.

A few of the outstanding dishes that caught my attention include (but are not limited to):

Hokkaido

Jingisukan (Grilled mutton) – A lamb dish said to be the meat of choice for Genghis Khan, as the dish was named after him, and the skillet is shaped like helmets which the military was said to cook their food on.

Ishikari Nabe (Salmon and vegetable stew with miso and butter) – A stew with a miso base and Hokkaido salmon. Due to the cold winter months, this stew is fantastic to warm to soul.

Aomori

Ooma Maguro Tuna Dishes – Ooma lies on the east coast of the island and is known for their tuna.

Iwate

Morioka Reimen (Cold Korean Ramen) – Similar to the North Korean dish Naengyeon. Has a spicy cold beef broth and often includes fruit to help cut the spicy, as Koreans are known for adding chilli to many of their dishes.

Morioka Jajamen (Thick Chinese noodles with meat-miso sauce) – A Chinese inspired noodle dish topped with cucumber, green onion, ginger, a meat-miso sauce and more. This is unsurprising that dish like this is known in this prefecture as the population of Iwate is 40% Chinese immigrants.

Miyagi

Zundamochi (Soy bean mochi / rice cake) – Utilizing the cultivated rice in Japan and soy bean paste, the mochi dessert emerged and is apparently the best in Miyagi!

Kaki Ryori (Oyster Dishes) – Oyster dishes are well known for in Miyagi Prefecture, likely due to it’s coastal geography.

Akita

Hata Hata Zushi – Known as the “God Fish” with a sticky and scale-less texture. This fish is mainly found in this prefecture which could be a cause of its fame.

Yamgata

3. Dongara Jiru (Dongara Soup) – This soup contains gray cod cut into large chunks and includes the bones, head and innards. This bone soup is another great way to warm up in the Northern territory of Japan.

Toyama

Shiro Ebi Ryori (White Shrimp Dishes) – Toyama is also known for its white shrimp dishes. So, if you’re in Toyama, look out for things that have white shrimp in them.

Fukui

Oroshi Soba – A cold soba dish with various toppings. It is a great meal to cool down in the hot summers of Fukui.

Chiba

Namerou –  A fisherman’s dish of horse mackerel, sardines, flying fish, and Pacific Saury. It being another coastal prefecture, fish is perfected and combined to create the ultimate seafood cuisine.

Yude Rakkasei (Steamed Peanuts) – Chiba’s subtropical climate makes it a good area for cultivating peanuts, so Chiba and Fuji City have become well known for these peanuts.

Kanagawa

Kaigun Kare (Navy Curry) – A historical navy background of this prefecture was said to have created this signature curry dish which is welcomed in all of Japan today. This local curry was birthed out of teh Kanagawa region due to it’s history of feeding the navy base with warm and simple curry.

Kyoto 

Kyou Tsukemono (Kyoto Pickles) – Pickles made in Kyoto, known for their simplicity and varieties.

As deducted from some of the summarized descriptions of these unique dishes, a majority of the reason dishes become popularized and specific to each prefecture is largely in part by the geographical locations of these areas. Prefectures on the coastline, such as Aomori, Chiba, and Akita all have a specified signature seafood dish, showing that the Japanese are resourceful of their location and master cooking available food sources to perfection. Other areas in the North such as Hokkaido and Yamagata specialize in stews and soups that will undoubtable provide warmth and comfort in the cold winter months. It has been extremely fascinating to recognize how Japan’s food is so closely connected to its prefectures, and for such a small island, the diversity of cuisine is exceptional. I am just thankful that they have shared these dishes with North American’s and I can enjoy a good bowl of ramen or katsu-don in Vancouver!

In research of Japan’s Triple Disaster, I stumbled across this documentary filmed by VICE called, The Last Farmer in Fukushima’s Post-Nuclear Wasteland: VICE INTL (Japan). It was filmed in the town of Tomioka, located within a 20km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Reactor, and is not a designated evacuated zone. The city, once home to 15,000 residents, now only is home to one man Naoto Matsumura, 53 years old.

In the film, Matsumura describes the ghostliness of the town – the dead streets, darkness, and silence. He says that his initial feelings of coming back to the town were indescribable, ‘Lonliness doesn’t quite capture it.’ It is intriguing to watch the life of a lonesome farmer who came back to a town where everyone else deserted. The film captures Matsumura feeding his animals, which include 50 cows, two ostriches, dogs, cats and more. He says that he did not mean to stay in Tomioka, especially after reactor 4 burst he knew it wasn’t safe, however when seeking shelter at his aunts place in the south, his family was rejected because of her concerns of radiation contamination. Shelters were also too packed and turned them away. So after months, this is why he decided to come back to the town, to care for his animals. He says, “I had no choice but to stay” and speaks about his regret of leaving the animals behind.

Another farmer documented, Hasegawa Kenji, shows his temporary housing unit and show his original village of Iiatate, located 45 km from the nuclear power plant. Kenji says that he never dreamed that the radiation could spread so far, and due to his mayor’s short sight, he convinced people that it was safe to stay and that evacuation holds greater risk than the radiation.

A professor of nuclear physics, Koide Hiroaki speaks down on Tepco and calls them ‘an embarrassment to us all’ due to their failure to take responsibility for damage control, calling the mess an ‘ownerless object’. Farmer Matsumura elaborates, and says that Tepco staff are all brainwashed, similar to a cult, believing that nuclear plants are safe and accident proof.

It is fascinating and upsetting to witness a lonesome farmer living in an abandoned town with his radioactive animals. One scene in the documentary shows the barn in which over a thousand cows died. The remaining bones were all in tact, many showing the attach ropes that the farmers who evacuated failed to release when leaving. Therefore, many of the animals died in the stalls of starvation. A commendable effort of Matsumura to keep the remaining animals alive shows his dedication to the life he created in the town of Tomioka before the disaster. He is opposed to killing off the cows in the zone because they are still happy and whole families who are desired to be killed by the government for no reason. The cows were already deemed unsafe to be slaughtered for consumption, therefore the government has no purpose to kill them. Matsumura’s outlook on the rest of his life is light-hearted and he often laughs throughout the documentary about his extremely high radiation levels and eating contaminated mushrooms. The doctors at University of Tokyo told him that he would get sick in around 30 or 40 years due to the high radiation in his body, but he laughs it off saying that he will be dead by then anyways. It is truly remarkable how his spirits are still so high in such a deserted and depressing town where the effects of devastation are still very visible. This one farmer’s dedication to his town, but mostly to his animals is truly incredible. From the video, aside from the obvious signs of abandonment, everything seems very ordinary and routine in Matsumura’s life.

More examples of farmers who chose to stay and care for their animals in evacuation zones can be found here. 

Many of these men think of cows as family and refuse to abandon them, therefore they live in the exclusion zones, away from the activities of the bustling urban centres in Japan, where many evacuees have started new lives.

Rice is Life

Rice is a defining feature of lots of Asian cuisine, but this food staple is particularly significant when considering Japan’s geographical context. Most commonly, Japan is known for it’s extremely mountainous landscape which creates a difficult barrier for cultivating agriculture. Historically, Japan took advantage of this geographic condition and farmed on rice terraces to sprout rice plants. Japan had to import rice immediately after World War II, due to food scarcity, which is when the government pushed to promote rice cultivation. Following this, rice output reached record highs of 14.45 million tons in 1968 [1]. Rice holds a high cultural importance to the people in Japan and symbolizes wa [2] harmony as the rigorous process of farming on rice terraces involved a collective effort from families, children, and neighbours.

However, as Japanese technology rapidly advances, so has their system of rice farming. “The mechanization of rice production has put rice terraces at a pronounced disadvantage over flat rice paddies, and rice terraces are evidently first in line to be abandoned” [1]. Rice terraces are decreasing more and more as the labor intensive process has pushed farmers to transition to flat rice paddies in which large machinery can be used to accelerate the process. Not only has this agricultural business evolved in technique, a certain village has completely redefined rice beyond a food staple, and into an intricate art form.

 

Inakadate Rice Paddy Art

The village of Inakadate in the Aomori prefecture, approximately 600km north of Tokyo, has created a spectacular and extraordinary art form through strategically planting various colored rice plants to create beautiful murals that can only be appreciated from an elevated view. Rice Paddy Art was initiated in 1993 as part of a revitalization effort after archaeology revealed that rice has been growing in this area for over 2000 years. The villagers decided to capitalize on this discovery and started with a simple design of Mount Iwaki for the first nine years which gained local popularity [5]. Later on, the local’s moved towards more complex and intricate designs which gathered the attention of all of Japan.

 

How does it work?

Initially, the designs started off simple with a geometric representation of Mt Iwaki but have progressed to more intricate pieces such as the Mona Lisa, Hokusai’s famous wave, and early Edo Period artist replications. The project starts in April and the designs are carefully drawn out by the village office workers who also create the elaborate plan of how to plant the rice according to colours to create the desired image. In the earlier stages of Rice Paddy Art they calculated and plotted the precise areas of where each colour of rice needed to be planted, which then created a printout design that looks like a mass of dots. Through technological advancements, computers have expedited the process and aid with precise calculations. To add to the level of accuracy for success of the image, the workers must keep into consideration the perspective from the “castle” which was built as a viewing tower for the rice paddies. According to the Japan Times articles, the most sensitive and difficult task is digging red sticks into the bare spring paddies at the exact correct points so those who plant know where to position each variety [5].

More than just Food

These incredible masterpieces resurrected the once dying and shrinking Inakadate village through their creative artwork which draws in over 200, 000 visitors annually. Rice, a simple yet such a meaningful element, has found a way to harmonize a village and contribute to sustaining its people. Nakayama, who leads the project says, “I feel happy to see many people come to see our rice paddies because, here in Inakadate Village, rice and people’s lives are very closely connected” [5]. Another villager guide says, “This is a village with nothing but rice fields. So we thought, let’s do with what we have” [7]. These testaments have proven that rice is more than a mere food staple in Japan, but an important symbol that ties in the historical, cultural, and geographical importance of growing rice as a unified community, with a creative spin courtesy of Inakadate village.

 

[1] http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topics/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-19-rice-grown-in-rice-terraces

[2] http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/rice_its_more_than_food_in_japan

[3] https://d20aeo683mqd6t.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/pixta_22974431_S_%E6%A3%9A%E7%94%B0%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8.jpg

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Japan

[5] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2007/08/26/general/homegrown-art-rice-paddy-ukiyo-e/#.WgKlBBNSxbV

[6] http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/07/the-rice-paddy-art-of-japan.html

[7] http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170223-an-ingenious-solution-made-of-rice

With Tokyo 2020 preparations underway, Japan’s issue of labour shortage is becoming more evident and creating challenges with the successful and timely completion of infrastructure to accommodate the international event. A recent headliner by The Japan Times caught massive attention when a 23-year-old construction worker of Sanshin Corp. committed suicide in the central mountains of Japan leaving a note saying he was “physically and mentally pushed to the limit”. Sanshin Corp. was subcontracted to build the Olympic stadium and it was found that this man worked 190 hours and 18 minutes overtime the month before his suicide.

This tragic case unfortunately reflects a lot of similar cases of karōshi, death from overwork in Japan, and sheds light on how this longstanding issue is only accelerating as the population ages and cannot support the country’s labor demands.

Seeking foreign help

Japan is easily known as one of the most homogenous nations in the world, which is maintained by their tight immigration policies. Foreigners make up only 2% of the population and Japanese citizenship is only recognized by blood, not by birth (The Economist, 2016). The three situations in which a person can become a Japanese citizen at birth are:

1. When either parent is a Japanese citizen at the time of birth
2. When the father dies before the birth and is a Japanese citizen at the time
3. When the person is born on Japanese soil and both parents are unknown or stateless

Most foreigners who have lived or worked in Japan between five to tens years are granted permanent residency. The number of foreign permanent residents reached a record of 2.23m in 2016, a 72% increase from two decades ago. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would prefer to raise the proportion of Japanese women who work and keep workers employed for longer in life before admitting foreigners to the country. Repercussions of this mindset are shown in hiring processes as, “83% of firms have trouble hiring, according to Manpower, a recruiting firm” (The Economist, 2016). Language policies also inhibit the attraction of foreign immigrants as everyone must pass a strict language exam to be able gain residency and work in Japan. This has posed major issues for the desperately needed low-skilled workers to do the so called “3-D jobs” (dirty, demanding, and dangerous) including major Olympic construction projects. In order to facilitate more immigration and rectify the decreasing working population, not only do immigration policies need to change, but also language policies.

Exhausted workers of Tokyo 2020

Due to the many barriers to immigration, Japan is suffering by spreading its own citizens too thin over the vast amount of work that needs to get accomplished for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The all around labor shortages seem to be hitting builders the hardest with the immense pressure to finish construction for the Olympics. Hitoshi Takahashi, vice chairman of an association of Tokyo-based demolition firms declared in an article, “If construction is resulting in people’s suicides from overwork, I want to see the project frozen.” Unfortunately, he also mentions that the price competition among building firms is extremely fierce, therefore, even if firms want to implement labor reforms like a guaranteed two days off per week, they can’t. The workers are feeling the strains of the demanding labor and approaching deadlines, one employee saying, “I’m going to fall apart if things keep on like this.” Not only is the overtime work affecting the employees physical and mental health, the overtime pay is also adding to the costs of the already over-budget Olympic construction.

Japan’s labor shortfall hit a peak in the summer of 2013, but is worsening again because of the Tokyo 2020 project because of the magnitude of workers required. Efforts to relax policies on immigrant workers in Japan seems to be underway with the HSFP (Highly Skilled Foreign Professional) point system to allow highly skilled foreign workers apply for residency after three years, new adjustments to lessen linguistic regulations, and changing attitudes towards foreigners. However, Japan will still be short of much-needed man power to accomplish the great tasks of Olympic construction in time for 2020 if they do not take drastic measures to ease restrictions on foreign workers. Nationalistic pride, although admirable, could ironically be Japan’s downfall in hosting the Olympics.

Sources:

1. http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-karoshi-japanese-word-for-death-by-overwork-2017-10
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_nationality_
3. https://www.olympic.org/news/tokyo-2020-event-programme-to-see-major-boost-for-female-participation-youth-and-urban-appeal
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_nationality_law

5. Anonymous . The Economist ; London Vol. 420, Iss. 9003, (Aug 20, 2016): 31-32.

6. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/its-population-ages-japan-quietly-turns-immigration
7. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/11/national/social-issues/tokyo-olympic-stadium-workers-suicide-recognized-related-overwork/#.WfA0HxNSxbV
8. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170825/p2a/00m/0na/021000c

 

 

Geographical Background

Japan is widely known for its mountainous terrain which covers roughly 73% of the island nation, accompanied by 69% forest cover [1] . The volcanic landscape and convergence of three mountain chains – the Hida, Kiso, and Akaishi mountains – gives Japan its renowned and unique physical geography. These features limit the habitable land for humans to settle in which is why the urbanized cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto are so densely populated. Despite the challenges to settlement, residents of Japan have found incredible ways to utilize this physical geography for their own entertainment and pleasure.

What is Tōge?

Tōge also spelled “touge” is a Japanese word meaning “pass” [2]. This word refers to a mountain pass which consists of many narrow winding roads common to Japan’s mountainous range. It is with these roads that Japanese motorsport enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies, and drift experts developed Tōge Street Racing. Racers use the mountain passes to practice their skills and satisfy their need for speed, usually in disguise of the night as this sport is extremely illegal and dangerous. This “S” shaped infrastructure was intended as a safety measure to prevent commuters from reaching unstable speeds or wearing their vehicles, which is ironic due to the attraction they’ve gained from street racers [3].

The 3 main types of Tōge battles include:

1. Cat and Mouse/Sudden Death—usually for roads not wide enough to allow passing, but if one car overtakes another they are declared winner.
2. Time attack/Ghost battles—challenges in racing where the opponents are timed separately over a particular length of road and the racer with the quickest time wins.
3. Grip Gambler—if the pass is wide enough for both cars, whoever leads in the end of the Tōge is pronounced winner.

This sport has generated wide popularity and has been replicated in other geographically similar areas such as Nordschleife in Germany and California; however, Japan is truly unique in the sense that Tōge is embedded in the Japanese culture. The popular sports manga Initial D centres its street racing stories on the prefecture of Gunma on several mountains in the Kantō region. Though fictionalized, many locations have been found to be based on actual locations in Japan.

Real life Initial D

Gunma Prefecture is about 90 minutes from Tokyo by express train and is known for its beautiful mountains, ancient Jommon cultural assets, skiing, and hot springs [4]. At midnight, it also acts as a beautiful backdrop for illegal nighttime Tōge battles. In a series documentary called “Drift Hunter”, Canadian digital creative Albo Agunday explores the underground drift scene in the Gunma Prefecture. Agunday says his experience living there has become “the anime Initial D come to life” [5].

Thanks to Japan’s extremely mountainous terrain, there are many intricate mountain passes like the one in Gunma. D’Marge has compiled a list of the best mountain driving roads in Japan inclusive of Mount Haruna in the Gunma Prefecture, Mikuni Pass in the Shizuoka Prefecture, and Kanjo Loop in the Osaka Prefecture [6]. This list features Japan’s varying landscapes – textured volcanic mountain ranges, a plethora of fall colors, smooth rolling hills, and jagged snow walls draping the road. Tōge battles have not only attracted street racers but have also brought international attention to Japan’s incredible geography.

Respect The Mountains 

As breathtaking as these mountain passes are, they possess many critical dangers as described, “inches from the edge of this narrow Japanese mountain road is a sheer drop into the black pine trees” [7]. The steep roads are not always forgiving and there are many risks a driver takes when entering into a Tōge battle on these mountains. As one article put it, “driving too quickly on these mountain passes isn’t the only way to die, and if you disrespect Gunma, this mountainous prefecture may see to it that you pay for your arrogance” [8].

Tōge culture is extremely respectful and competitors are modest as they focus on sharpening their skills rather than showing them off. Many hold sentimental value to Tōge as they are direct descendants of the progenitors of the original Tōge racing scene and have inherited their father’s old race cars [7]. Drivers have a sense of legacy left by those before them and older drivers, known as sempai, often show up to Tōge battles to see how fast the new generation is. What makes Tōge such a unique part of Japanese culture is the physical and intimate relationship the drivers cultivate with the mountains where they spend weeks after weeks battling, braving, and carving their marks into. “It’s the rich history of the area steeped in legend; it’s the aesthetic and texture and smells and sounds of this world” these are the things that makes it so special” [7].

Five miles of the Mazda Turnpike on Hagone Mountain was turned into a legal Tōge run by Motorhead Magazine. I highly recommend watching their footage to taste a fraction of the thrill street racers get from drifting on the windy passes in the scenic Japanese mountains.

5

LINKS

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Japan

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dge

[3] https://kansei.wordpress.com/touge/

[4] http://oppositelock.kinja.com/initial-ds-gunma-prefecture-really-is-a-drivers-wonde-1539275068

[5] https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/drift-hunter-japan-s-underground-drifting-scene#/

[6] https://www.dmarge.com/2015/05/must-drive-japan-roads.html

[7] https://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/12/01/japan-drift-scene/

[8] http://oppositelock.kinja.com/initial-ds-gunma-prefecture-really-is-a-drivers-wonde-1539275068

PICTURES

1. https://www.dmarge.com/2015/05/must-drive-japan-roads.html
2. https://www.dmarge.com/2015/05/must-drive-japan-roads.html
3. https://garglinggas.com/2013/08/13/racing-japanese-style-touge-%E5%B3%A0/
4. https://www.hulu.com/initial-d
5. “footage” http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/race-cars-make-a-legal-touge-run-to-satisfy-the-otaku-i-1677263877

 

My final report for Geog 211 State of the Earth was on Ocean Acidification. The report delves into the background and basic chemistry that happens through this process. I also list the impacts of excess anthropogenic carbon dioxide on certain marine species. Enjoy.

I wrote a report on The National Basketball Association for a geography course I took last year. The assignment was to select a particular activity (e.g., world music, tourism) or event (e.g., Olympics, World Cup of Soccer) and discuss the globalization of sport and leisure. I chose to write about the NBA as it is an enormous organization that profits globally from it’s numerous teams, aka franchises. This project provided insight to the history and popularity of the NBA, foreign-born NBA players and their effect on nationalism, and the process of players transforming to global commodities.

In the process of writing this paper, I realized that the NBA was a perfect focus to emphasize the magnitude of globalisation. From ticket sales, to fantasy league, to every type of merchandise under the sun, the NBA has reached into major global markets all over the world and has made Lebron James a household name. This report solidified my interest in geography and showed me the variety and breadth that this discipline entails.