bears and bells
on Oct 18, 2009 in ecology forest wildlife environmental change IMG_6093, originally uploaded by taintus.There has been a lot of talk about bears in the village recently. I've heard that there is an overabundance of chestnuts and acorns in the Kiso area this year (though I've heard conflicting reports of low vol...

first snow
on Oct 18, 2009 in Ontake weather During a walk in Otaki's backcountry today I was greeted with the wonderful sight of Otake-san donning its robe of white for the first time this season. Rain yesterday in the village had translated to a light blanket of snow down to about 2,500 mete...

Rice
on Oct 5, 2009 in resources Takigoshi landscape rice environment cultural ecology The days have cooled considerably here in Otaki, and the hillsides are beginning to blush. Stalks of rice, which were planted in May, have begun to hang their heavy heads. They look tired, having spent their days stretching to grasp the sun, which...

Ontake-san in fall 秋の御嶽山
on Sep 23, 2009 in spiritual ecology pilgrims Ontake sacred Buddhism hiking Over "silver week" (a series of holidays that lined up this week in Japan) Aki and I climbed Ontake-san with a couple of friends. This was our first time staying in one of the mountains several lodges; it was a great trip.The 20th boasted...

a rememberance
on Sep 14, 2009 in Ontake earthquake On the way to my job at Otaki's combined elementary/junior high school I stopped to take a shot of this buckwheat (soba) field. It was a beautiful morning.Today marks the 25th anniversary of the nagano-seibu-jishin 長野西部地震--Western Nagano...

stability and turbulence
on Sep 10, 2009 in weather rice environment After a turbulent summer of rainy weather the skies over Otaki have stabilized, bringing to the heavens blues as deep as lapis lazuli.Temperatures, on the other hand, have de-stabilized, a pattern I recognize from last year's fall and this year's spr...

back to the forest
on Aug 25, 2009 in political ecology Forestry Agency community ecological anthropology ecology forestry forest environment timber "Probably with my generation the village will go back to forest."This quote is from an August 23rd Japan Times article by independant journalist, Winifred Bird, in which she offers an account of what she dubs "Japan's creeping natural disaster"--the...

A map of common ground
on Aug 21, 2009 in political ecology power nation ecological anthropology ecology forest government environment cultural ecology This bill increases wildness, protects endangered species, and detoxifies — once and for all — the word “wilderness.”In an op-ed piece by Yale Environment 360, a publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, writer R...

Mountain opening ceremony 開山式
on Jul 21, 2009 in spiritual ecology pilgrims festival Ontake sacred shrine weather religion hiking On Friday July 10th I climbed Ontake-san for the first time this season. July 10th is the date of the annual "mountain opening ceremony", known as kaizan-shiki 開山式 in Japanese. This year was my second time to climb Ontake-san for this ceremo...

Forgotten roads
on Jul 14, 2009 in spiritual ecology pilgrims Ontake sacred forest religion landscape There is a landscape that lays like lattice-work across the mountains and deep valleys of Otaki. This landscape is spiritual in nature--attuned to the sacred Mount Ontake, which stands at its center. Once well trodden roads articulate with points o...