The Philosophy of Shimanami Men    .

What & Where is Shimanami?

Shimanami is located middle of Seto-inland-sea (Setonaikai=瀬戸内海) that connected by eight different bridges from Onomichi (Honsyuu,Hiroshima-side) to Imabari (Shikoku, Ehime-side),which is the most beautiful sea-scenery with several islands laid as if tranquil Japanese garden like from birds eyes.

Why its called “Shimanami”?

This 60km long, amazing bridges over the sea route officially called NISHI SETO JIDOUSHA DO (Western-Seto-inland-sea motorway). The charm of this motorway is designed for not only cars, but for cyclists and walkers. When this route opened 1999 (First bridge opened 1979. After long years economic crisis and constructions struggled, this dream project was finally completed!), they requested public for nick name.

An elderly lady who was living in Onomichi, this lady was upset because her long time partner husband just passed away. Her family recommended her to apply for this nick name campaign for fun. The lady used to go beaches with husband a lot, to collect seaweeds and catch fishes. She thought about sweet memories of these days, over looking islands coast, shining sea and wave. “SHIMANAMI”…Shima means island, Nami means Wave, so she gave this route a name - “Shimanami Kaido”(Island-wave sea-road). When this nick name was officially announced, local people love this naming. I also think this naming is well expressed beauty and nature of this area.

Million of tourists visit Simanami-kaido every year and enjoy scenery, buying local product such as honey, orange, lemon and seaweeds etc. But still some people said there is not enough entertainment here. Is that so? I always feel best things here is beautiful calm scenery with nicely simple country people. Every time I go back to my home town, I feel very calm and thanks to sea and warm feeling I received from local people.

I was dreaming that one day I wanted to keep a record of some of these local people’s life and especially those who dedicated their life to work for something good to do for their local community. This book was my dream project. And I try to pick up one man from each island. Some of them are I already knew but some are I met first time through this book project. And I was very happy to get know them through this work. They are the local heroes inspired to do something good everyday. They are the spirits of Shimanami Kaido.

● I am a good player in the sea and the field.  

Mr. Itsuji Takahasi (born in 1955- ) from Onomichi

Mr. Takahashi is Canoeist and TV presenter, guide to how to play in the field and sea. Canoeing to the sea with him is fantastic experience and nice feeling. Mr. Takahasi`s skill is reliable and make you feel safe. He is also funny and gentle personality out door man. Mr. Takahasi also does outdoor cooking using his own idea, which can be mistaken for junk food from time to time. Way of Mr. Takahasi often shows very nice feeling is coming from simple things but not necessary spending fortunes.

● Good connections bring surprises.

Mr. Toru Hayashibara (born in1945-) from Mukaijma-Island

Mr. Hayashibara is well known as Managing Director of MukaiJima Orchid Center. He established this center to sell directly to public rather than through distribution network. In 80`s, this Shimanami area was vast market of orange. Mr. Hayashibara also comes from large orange farm. But young Mr. Hayashibara always felt their orange price was controlled by someone else. He wanted to decide own valuations for own products. Orange market was so well established so he needs to start new thing. Then he decided to produce orchid. Mr. Hayashibara said “I was always interested in flowers. Only tiny seeds has such strong vital energy is amazing. Orchid is beautiful and has very strong survival technique. If there is no water they have ability take water from air” but they need good balanced conditions. “When every condition becomes just light, you can produce nice things.” He also said he learned one thing. “I sometime think about reason of existence. And orchid tells me we are just carrier of stronger DNA to next generations”.

●    I was one step ahead of society demand. Finally time is catching up what I expected.

Mr.Mikio Murakami (born in 1930- ) from Innoshima-Island

Mr. Murakami published a local news paper in Innnoshima. He used to work one of largest newspaper company in Kobe. It was 1950`s. Some of his colleagues such as the best seller historical novelist, Ryotarou Shiba, TV news presenter Kotarou Tawara became opinion leaders in Japan. In 1960`s they believed in having two days off week and early retirement. Mr. Murakami also retired when he was 45 years old. He returned his home town for taking over parents business. Another reason he have to go back home was a younger brother. The younger brother who suffered mental illness but these day people did not have understanding view of mental illness. Many of people just considered that is simply laziness. Through out his journalism back ground, he knows how to act. He set up space for the brother can casually work and made network of similar family to support each other. Mr. Murakami said the slogan was “let’s cry together hand in hand”. Mr. Murakami quickly became a leading opinion leader in his local town, involved lots of social event such as a national athletic game, national tennis tournament and also local politics as member of the village council.

Weekend off is very common in today’s society. I think this is because someone like him fighting through it to actually happened. We all younger generations should thanks for these former generation fighters. Mr. Murakami suffers lung cancer now but he still published local news paper with young staff in his local village.

● For me, doing too much is just right.

Mr.Yoshikiyo Okada (born in 1941- ) from Ikuchijima-Island

  Mr. Okada is a wild boar hunter. He captures 2~3 wild boar per day. It’s not for fun. Wild boars damage a lots of farm field. And these boars seem to know where best place is. Local orange farm have massive economic damages. So local town needs someone like Mr. Okada. He used to work for a construction company in city. He built the foundations of Kansai-air port, Centrair Airport in Nagoya and so. Mr. Okada has very calm face with dignity. You can sense he has a great confidence within him. A Hunting friend said “Mr. Okada seems to have no fear. His mind is very clear even when he comes close to crisis. When you bump to into a big wild bore in mountain, most men are scared and run, but not Mr. Okada. Next second, he attacked wild bore and grabs their ears, rolling them and stab to death”. Mr. Okada told me this is not just brave, he study hard knowing nature of wild bore and understand their life and well training his hunting dogs. He also looked after baby bore if he killed their parents. When he had a stroke few years ago, the doctor said there was not great hope to back normal. Then Mr. Okada decided to go into a mountain with disable body day after days with his dogs. Start from very slow walk. He said “My dogs sometime look back me and their eye said can you walk faster??” To go beyond your limit. This is the style of Mr. Okada.

● Simple and Consistent. That’s key of my work.

Mr. Tetsuya Sato (born in 1960- ) from Omishima-Island

Mr.Sato produces Japanese cake in his home town. He was apprenticed a noble Japanese cake shop near Kyoto for many years. The owner of this noble shop trusted Mr. Soto’s hard work and appointed him as a manager. As time goes by, Mr.  Sato starts thinking to do this job in his home town. The shop owner came along with Mr. Sato to visit Omishima, and researched local products such as oranges, strawberries, sweet potatoes and so. Omishima has lots of natural products. The owner was impressed and support Mr. Soto’s decision to set up business here. Today, Mr. Soto’s delight shop is very well known. His sweets are simple, reasonable and tasty. Just like Mr. sato`s personality.

● I committed as a social worker and lasted my life time.

Mr. Banichi Orita (1912-2008) from Omishima Island

Mr.Orita lived in my hometown. I sometime heard about him from my parents and relatives. They talked about him very highly. My mother often said “There is no man like him, who is as graceful, intelligent and dignified”. Mr. Orita work for local people who had difficulty with economically, physically and mentally. Mr. Orita was oldest son in the family. His farther was illiterate and not allow the oldest son to have high educations. The oldest son needs to take over family agriculture business. But Mr. Orita wanted study. So he studies himself. When he was recruited as a soldier during World War II period, the examiner was impressed that Mr. Orita has high academic knowledge despite of not attend school at all. Mr. Orita was a bright and responsible young man. Then Mr. Orita became village politician when he was late 20`s.When he was 36yeras old, he became first social worker in the area.

And this career lasted over 50years. His work was awarded from The Emperor when he was 70 years old. Mr. Orita told me there was a time people really struggle just to survive but people today ask help to have more better life, that is fundamental difference between today and 50`s and 60`s. Mr. Orita said “life is good today. People are just not appreciated”. Unfortunately Mr. Orita pass away before this book published but my article of him was read out at his funeral.

● Your life starts shining when you find your role.

Mr. Kosei Oda (born in 1946- ) from Oshima Island

Mr. Oda is stonemason. His local area is well known of high quality stones. That was used for building castles. His ancestor was involved building Osaka castle. Today his company produces many kinds of stone for house, garden and grave. Mr. Oda also re-using lots of sacrificed stones to make monuments. These stones used to dumped and left. Mr. Oda always feels sorry for these stones that their life was wasted. “These stones are still good to use even they have tiny scratch marks. Its just like human, we are not so bad even school score is not so great, isn’t it?” So he discussed with his stonemason staff and bring up ideas of re-born - sacrificed stone. Mr. Oda himself suffered cancer twice in his life time. First time he was depressed, angry and thought about life a lot. Second time he thanks people’s support and friendship link through his cancer experience.

● I have no intention to retire.

Mr. Chuichi Watanabe (born in 1932- ) from Hakatajima Island

Hakatajima is always leading ship-building Island in Shimanami area. The first boat with engines sailed in Setonaikai was made from this island. There were many shipwrights until modern mega ship building yards built. Many of them gave up traditional hard work and move into automations. Mr. Watanabe is one who refused into automation. His boat is all hand made and made by wood. He is 75 years old and still working in his own studio.

Traditional Japanese boat required a lot of skill and knowledge. Mr. Watanabe told me it has been considered that the best carpenter is for wooden ships, then shrines, finally for houses. “I choose most difficult and challenging one to test my skill.”

Mr. watanabe`s boat is made best quality of wood, such as Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cedar). It requires not only sophisticated skill also involved engineering and mathematical knowledge. Mr. Watanabe`s detail work is admired by a lots of ship man. A chairman of one of largest ship building farm ordered him 1960`s wooden Ship. Its took him more than two year to build. This beautiful wooden ship is displayed at the hotel lobby that the shipbuilding company owned.

There are lots of plastic boats today. They are reasonable and manufactured. But true boat lovers always come to Mr. Watanabe. The reason is that his boat is beautiful and a lots of boats man said wooden boat is warm and not tired even long hours spending time on the sea. Mr. Watanabe is one of rarest craftsman in Japan.

● I lived in rural area with cosmopolitan mind

Mr. Tadao Miyamoto (born in 1923- ) from Imabari

Mr. Miyamoto originally came from Taiwan. He was a member of GHQ of after World War 2. His direct boss was Chiang Kai-shek and in charged Shikoku area. Mr. Miyamoto settled in Imabari and he opened Cocktail bar. The reason is, he said “I just thought urgently need place for those energetic western soldiers to have good time in rural area”. Mr. Miyamoto had lots of opportunity to experience western bar culture, so he had confidence to set up good standard cocktail bar to open in rural area. Mr. Miyamoto also trained young local men to become professional bar-tender. One of them went to World Bar-tender championship held in Norway in 1950`s. The young man did not have western clothes. So he dressed Haori&Hakama (Formal Kimono for men). He was called “Samurai Bar-tender”. Mr. Miyamoto`s bar call “AOZORA (Deep blue sky)”. They served professional cocktail and yummy Taiwanese food by Mr. Miyamoto`s son today. This bar is well known among gourmet people. It still remains 1950`s atmosphere.

*Photo and written by Ryu Morimoto