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2022 KIP Yamagata Trip
From May 3 to 5, the participants visited Tendo City and Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture as part of the regional studying trip for 2022. On the first day, they proposed measures to extend Tendo fruit as a gift to young people. After that, they learned about the Japanesene culture lying behind Japanese sake in a lecture by the president of Dewazakura Sake Brewery and toured a sake brewery. On the second day, they walked around the Dewazakura Museum and the five-story pagoda of Mt. Haguro, and learned about the history of Kitamaebune ships in Sakata. On the third day, they visited historical sites in Sakata, including the Sankyo Warehouse, the former Honma family's main residence, and the Honma Museum of Art, and watched a maiko dance performance at the Somaro Theater. The third day was spent at the Sankyo Warehouse, the former Honma family's main residence, and the Honma Museum of Art.
【Itinerary】
May 3rd Presentation from KIP members at Tendo city/ Discussion of primary industry in Tendo city with high school students/ Visit to Dewazakura sake brewery
May 4th Visit to Dewazakura museum, Haguroyama mountain/ Presentation and discussion with high school students in Sakata city
May 5th Sankyo Warehouse/ Honma family’s main house/ Honma museum/ Kaikoji temple
【Presentation from KIP members at Tendo city】
On the first day of the trip, we presented our idea on the theme of "Sustainability of Agricultural Products" to the staff of the Agriculture and Forestry Division of the Economy Department of Tendo City, and proposed a policy to promote fruit from Tendo city as a gift to young people to address the issue of young people's shift away from fruit. Based on the proposal, we also received opinions from local high school students and their views on the relationship with agriculture in Tendo City.
【Dewasakura sake Brewery】
In the afternoon, the group visited Dewazakura Sake Brewery, a Japanese sake manufacturer based in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. In addition to a tour of the brewery, Mr. Nakano, President of Dewazakura Sake Brewery, gave a lecture at the Tendo Hotel on the theme of "Japanese sake brewing we should be proud of," followed by a detailed explanation at the Dewazakura Sake Brewery factory, where we learned about important aspects and strengths of sake brewing as well as current issues. The lecture was followed by a detailed presentation at the Dewazakura Sake Brewery.
【Haguroyama Mountain/ five-story pagoda】
On the way to Tendo and Sakata cities, we visited the five-story pagoda of Mt. The five-story pagoda is said to have been built by Taira no Masakado in the 10th century, and the present pagoda was reconstructed in the 14th century during the Nanbokucho period. The pillars and roof are all made of cedar or zelkova, with no metal or paint applied to the wood joints, the bark of which has remained for hundreds of years. We descended a long flight of stairs to see the five-story pagoda rising amidst the many cedar trees.
【Presentation at Sakata city】
On the second day of the training program, KIP members and students from Sakata Minami High School and Sakata Higashi High School engaged in a frank discussion about Sakata's "food culture" during a student debate in Sakata City. The purpose of this debate was to delve into the thoughts and ideas that the high school students in Sakata had about the local food culture in response to KIP's presentation titled "The Attractiveness and Challenges of Sakata from the Perspective of Food Culture Sustainability.
Under the title "What young people can do to make Sakata's food culture sustainable," the KIP members began by asking the students, "Do you ever feel like you are eating local food?" The high school students responded in a variety of ways. While some students were familiar with rice production and vegetable trading from their own families' farming activities, and others made their families' traditional dishes at every event, others did not usually cook or were unaware of "Sakata's food. Each student then gave a confident opinion about the "charms" and "strengths" of Sakata's food culture. While well-known food products such as ramen, rice, and seafood were also discussed in KIP's presentation, high school students also introduced unfamiliar ingredients and dishes such as Yamagata green vegetables and natto soup, reaffirming the importance of hearing "real voices" in this regard.
【Sankyo Warehouse/ Honma Museum】
In the morning of the third day, we visited the Sankyo Warehouse. Here, rice harvested in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, was stored, and when Kitamae ships were docked, goods brought in from outside Sakata City were unloaded and shipped out, loaded with rice from Sakata City. Sankyo warehouses were built to store this rice, and are still in use today.
We also visited the former main residence of the Honma family, which contributed to the revitalization of the economy of Sakata City through the Kitamae-bune, and the museum. Not only did they contribute to the revitalization of the economy, but they were also beloved by the local people for the way they gave back the wealth they gained to the local residents.
