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Ainu Dance and Growing up with Nature
99.09.23/ Temperature: 6C/ Weather: Cloudy/Wind Direction: SE
Start: Sunayu Campground, Akan National Park/Latitude: 43 37 20N/Longitude: 144 21 19E
Destination: Teshikaga/Latitude: unmeasurable/Longitude: unmeasurable
Distance Traveled: 10km
After 157 km of moving southwest, I will be heading straight west. Signs point to the west showing the way to Akan from Teshikaga. Travel Update Today got off to a painful start. I was more concerned about my achilles' tendons than anything else, and my pace reflected it. My body moved along like a slug for most of the ten kilometers traveled today. Mr. Honma, a cameraman from Hokkaido Television, was even two steps ahead of me. This is one of the most critical times in this long journey. If my body and mind can make it through the first two or three weeks of the journey, my chances of making it all the way to Nihonbashi, Tokyo, will be greatly increased. It is during this transition period of my body adjusting to walking thatI need to be extra careful.
Tomorrow I will be heading up over the mountain pass to reach Lake Akan, 37 km; I'll go as far as my feet and the weather will allow me.
Moshiri Live Lights were dimmed, steam spread throughout the stage and performers drifted out from the darkness, my first chance to see an Ainu performance. Moshiri is a group of Ainu song and dance performers who share their message of "the Ainu Spirit" with audiences here in Hokkaido as well as worldwide. Concert Songs varied utilizing mukkuri (a small piece of wood which projects noise by vibration) traditional drums, guitar, synthesizer, bells and lyrics in both Ainu and Japanese. The dance was full of motions which looked to me like hunting techniques and reflected traditional Ainu lifestyle. It was a pleasant fusion of the old with the new.
Once the show finished I was summoned upstairs to speak with Mr. Atoi, founder and composer of Moshiri. He was kind enough to spend time to answer some questions and share his opinions. This is one portion of our conversation.
Greg: Why did you start Moshiri.
Atoi: Culture is a living thing; it continuously changes and meets the needs of a given era. Moshiri is an attempt to meet those needs and to create culture.
Greg: How did this idea to create culture link into environmental issues?
Atoi: In Ainu culture there are spirits in everything-in the sun, the wind and trees, and rocks. Rather than taking an approach of controlling this nature, the Ainu people have developed a thorough philosophy of respecting nature over tens of thousands of years. Very few people know about Ainu people today or about this peaceful relationship with nature. We are trying to let people know about this. There may besomething that we can contribute to other cultures.
Greg: How have you and your family reflected this respect for nature in your daily lives.
A good example of how this can be seen in our daily lives is the collection of mountain vegetables. Before entering the mountains, we always offer our regards to the spirits and request permission to take vegetable from the land. When we actually collect mountain vegetables, we leave enough in case others come to the mountain and enough so plants will grow back again the following year.
We also have no concept of land ownership. I believe that we borrow the land from the spirits. It would be an insult to the spirits if we damaged their land.
Greg: How do you pass down this relationship with nature?
Atoi: Spirit and one's relationship to nature isn't something that can be taught. It is something that must be learned on one's own. We make comments like, 'aren't the clouds excellent artists?' or 'see how well the trees dance?' This is a start of one's relationship with nature.
When I was a kid I was told that a rock was alive. I remember watching that rock long and hard and thinking about it (laughing).
This short meeting has peaked my curiosity in Mr. Atoi and his thoughts as well as about Ainu culture in general. There will be more opportunities to pursue this topic; until then think about what an excellent artist the clouds are and how well the trees dance.
Greg
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