Ooshika

Ooshika Village is at the foot of Southern Alps of Japan, and is surrounded by steep mountains. 97% of the village is covered by mountains and forests. To be in Ooshika Village is to feel the grandness of nature directly.
The villagers of Ooshika Village protect what were handed down to them by their ancestors: not to mention the natural landscape, a 300-year tradition of “Ooshika Kabuki”, and Fukutoku Temple which was erected in 12th century and was saved and kept by the villagers from being transferred to other prefecture by the then authorities. The villagers maintain the tradition almost stubbornly, though humbly, and hand it over to the next generation. That is what makes Ooshika Village.
Looking back at history, many who visited the village were fascinated not only by the nature and the mountainous landscape but also by the warmth of the villagers. A British clergyman Walter Weston, who introduced Japanese Alps to the world and introduced mountain climbing in Japan, was one of them. When he first came to the village in 1892 to climb Mt. Akaishidake, he was deeply touched by the kind hospitality of the villagers and wrote about it in his book.
What keeps us people going? For the Ooshika villagers, it would be “to have something to protect.” It leads the villagers to keep the unspoiled way of living knowing that they are part of nature, and to have the strong will to “live in the village” without yielding to the society prioritizing the economy. The hope to keep the village as it is forever is shared by all the villagers and forms the firm base for each one of them.

Interviewed in August, 2014