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Ashio Mine
Mr. Sakahara stands in front of a pile of waste dumped after refining copper. 99.12.26/ Temperature: 2 C/ Weather: Partly cloudy/ Wind Direction: NW
Current Location: Ashio Mine, Tochigi Prefecture 36 38 47 N 139 24 36 E
Distance Traveled: 0 km (Rest day)The barren mountains surrounding the former Ashio Mine and its refinery tell the history of a booming mining town and the cutting edge of Japan's industrialization. They also reveal the scars created by one of Japan's most serious incidences of widespread pollution. I spent the day viewing the aftermath of the mine's creation and destruction as well as learning of how Ashio's history is contributing to the future.
Driving up the Watarase Valley with Mr. Sakahara, director of the TANAKA Shozo University, a citizen run learning institution, explained that 40,000 people lived in the area during the mine's booming era. The first years of the mine's surge gave birth to the first steel bridge and first power plant in Japan. According to Mr. Sakahara, as time progressed, pollution created by smoke and copper poisoning spread to effect over 400,000 people in surrounding areas.
A cloud of dust rising off of a barren hillside of poste refinement waste. Arriving at the Ashio Dam, I looked out at the mountains surrounding me. I could feel a frigid breeze blew in from the south against my dry face. "Smoke from the refinery used to blow up and into the valley here," said Mr. Sakahara. " contained in the smoke spread throughout close to 15,000 hectares of forest. It also permeates deep into the soil causing the root systems of trees and plants to die." Looking to the north one could see the bald hillsides stretching back along the narrow valleys. Aside from a few patches of planted trees, the soil has yet to naturally sprout any new greenery. I wonder how many people are actually aware of these current conditions.
Mr. Kamiyama stands in front of newly planted seedlings on the sloped hills north of the old refinery plant. The blue net is to protect the seedlings from hungry deer. Moving further up the valley closer to the "source of the pollution," Mr. Sakahara pointed out black sand dunes along the hillside. "This is waste leftover after refining. The black sand you see here was dumped here over 50 years ago," he explained. A cloud of brown and black dust lifted off in the wind carrying the dust up into the air and down stream. Several grains of sand made their way into the corner of my eye.
Mr. Sakahara shares the history and current conditions of Ashio in hope that humans don't make the same error twice. "Civilization as we have looked at it thus far should be re-evaluated. What we thought was advancement resulted in much human suffering. This is not civilization. Ashio gives us the opportunity to take a new look at what civilization means," he said. "Ashio is the perfect learning tool for this to happen. Learning from this, people realize that Ashio is something that mustn't be repeated."
TANAKA Shozo once wrote in his diary, "True civilization does not destroy mountain forest, does not spoil rivers, does not damage villages, and does not kill people."
In order to finally get trees to grow in the sickened soil of Ashio, first soil must be prevented from eroding. Terraced rows are supported by wooden structures, nets protect the trees from deer, and then all you can do is hope that the trees make it. In the afternoon, Mr. Sakahara and I were joined by Mr. Kamiyama, a member of the Greening of the Ashio Mine Association, who was to explain the continued efforts to return green to the polluted area near the Ashio Mine. The history of trying to restore forests to the damaged hillsides of the Watarase Valley proves to be a very long one. "From late Meiji, the government has been attempting to replant these mountains with trees. It was only close to 40 years ago that the government really began attempts to grow trees and over the past 4 years we have begun to involve schools, volunteers, and visitors to help reinvigorate the mountains here."
One hundred years and approximately 100,000,000,000 Yen later the green that has returned to the mountainsides is very minimal. What was destroyed over the course of less than one hundred years may take generations to revive. "What we have planted is only the tip of the needle," said Mr. Kamiyama. Walking between terraced rows of small planted seedlings Mr. Kamiyama shared with me the difficulty of planting in Ashio's soil. "The winds here are severe, the soil is poisoned and on top of that the trees we do plant are often eaten by deer- the worst conditions you could possibly have." A blue net surrounded the most recently planted trees, several of which already appear to have lost the natural battle.
Descending from the hillside, Mr. Kamiyama shared his idea of wisdom with me. "Wisdom exists because people want to improve the future. My question is 'What can we do to make this happen?'" Though he insists there are many things that each of us can do, Mr. Kamiyama is responsible for 3700 trees being planted along the barren hills of his hometown Ashio.
I'd like to ask all of you the same thing which Mr. Kamiyama asks himself. "What can you do to improve the future?" This may be your wisdom.
Greg
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