I am Toshihisa Sakashita and I want to tell
you about my family and my home
town of Wajima city in Ishikawa prefecture,
Japan. This site contains many
interesting Real Media Video and Audio files
which will give you an appreciation
of our life in Wajima and our very old Japanese
culture.
Most of the pictures in this site are links
to videos showing even more
detail about out life here in Wajima. You
will need the Real Media player to
view these. Please click on the image below
to get this software.
Every-Nation Reunion at the Senmaida-Rice
Terrace, in
Wajima
My family welcomed visitors to the Rice-Planting
Festival in May, consisting
of diplomats and citizens from nearly 40
countries. Our honored visitors
gathered together to experience rice-harvesting
in the same rice paddies which
they had planted ealier in the year.
Rice is a valuable crop. Rice enriches the
soil and and can be grown in the
same fields over many planting seasons. Rice
production produces food values 1.5
times the value of wheat. This high productivity,
and rich nutrition are capable
of feeding a large population.
The rice field has a significant role in
preseserving the environment. The
rice terrace has a large water holding capacity
and can protect from soil
erosion. Thus it is called the "Green Dam"
which has played an important role in
our land conservation, together with forests.
We are forever thankful to the
fruitfullness of Rice, and we want to deepen
our feelings of thanks to nature.
It is a part of Japanese culture to be very
kind to each other. We ask "Why
there are countries with such dangerous conflicts
between themselves?"
Please
enjoy See the cultural
calendar of Wajima!
LINK
PAGES Please enjoy more information about our
Prefecture.
Japanese
drum
You are my ![]()
guest.
Asaich,Wajima morning market
This is the famous Wajima morning market which has a very long history. It is
very popular, both with tourists and citizens, who go to the market. You can
enjoy a very interesting conversation with the sellers, who are mostly women,
while you are doing your shopping. They sell delicacies from both land and
sea.
The Yuichi evening market is not nearly so well known. It opens in the
evening and sells products which people can also get during the day. There are
many markets like this in Wajima Asaichi in Japan. These people live near the
sea, and exchange goods and products in their everyday lives. They trade between
the islands and villages. Recently, many markets like these have closed because
our life style is changing. The Wajima morning market is bucking this trend,
even though it keeps its original style in the most authentic tradition. It is a
very vivid experience. We have had a warm winter this year, but, a few days ago
we had a little snow. This is when I produced my video tape of the market.
Please enjoy the Real Video of the the Wajima morning market.
Enjoy!
Japanese drum
Please enjoy
Japanese drum" Gojinjo Daiko". 
A famous war lord named Kenshin Uesugi invaded Noto
province, including Wajima, on his way to Kyoto, the Japanese capital for more
than 1,000 years. This war period of Japanese history is called "Sengoku Jidai"
(about 450 years ago). The villagers put on masks and decorated themselves with
sea grass as camouflage, because they could not resist the army. But, later the
the people beat drums at midnight and attacked the army. This is a wonderful
part of Wajima history remembered in drum music. Please enjoy the Japanese drum
music "Gojinjo Daiko". I like it very much.
Urushi,a lacquer craft
Lacquerwares are traditional products in Japan. Urushi is typical to Japan,
and in Japan, a small letter japan means lacquer. My town of Wajima is the most
famous lacquerware producing city in Japan.
There are other cities who surpass Wajima in sales volume of lacquer
products, but when it comes to quality and fidelity to traditional ways of
making urushi products, Wajima is unique.
Now please enjoy a video about one
of leading lacquer factories in Wajima. It shows you how to make "Wajima-nuri",
Wajima lacquerware.
The Wajima Lacquerware Museum
On the left, you can see the Wajima Lacquerware Museum. This is the only
lacquerware museum in Japan. In 1991, the Ishikawa prefectural goverment built
the museum, and Wajima city runs it. The appearance is unique, but familiar to
the Japanese. The museum was built in a style similar to "Shosoin" in Nara (a
Japanese old city).
Shosoin is a national treasure. It consists of a treasure storage facility
built in the premises of a famous temple. Inside the museum there are four
exhibition rooms in which visitors can see wonderful lacquerware displays.
Exhibits are not limited to Wajima craft, but also exhibit other lacqerware
produced throughout Japan. The museum has excellent lacquerware craftsmen on
site. There is also a video system which has programs showing how to make Wajima
lacquerware.
Please visit the Wajima Lacquerware Museum.
Telephone : Japan (0768)-22-9788 Fax :(0768)-22-9789 (The museum does not
have a URL or e-mail.)
Here are some links to interesting sites
Link Wajima lacquerware
association (all Japanese)
Link Goshimaya A leading
company in Wajima. Here, you can get every kind of Wajima-lacquerware.
(English/Japanese)
Link Wajima-Nuri On-line! A
workshop run by craftsmen who love Wajima-lacquerware. You can see the urushi
history displayed here. (English/Japanese)
Calendar of Wajima
January
This is "the Madara choral conductor" of Wajima. I say in all of
"Madara-chorus" only.When a wedding ceremony and banquet are fortunate it is
indispensable. The video is the everybody in a calendar year 42 year-old unlucky
year and there is "Otou-service" that will be particular to Wajima.
"Madara-chorus" is becoming the required subject and Wajima citizens think a man
song Madara well is adulthood.
January
This is a ceremony "the willow beating"
of the breaking of the jinx that is carried out in an old Wajima town. A
calendar year 33 year-old woman and a calendar year 42 year-old male gather to a
shrine and they beat the willow hardly with the Shinto priest. After that the
willow branch become like ear of a rice plant,people think it happy. The
everybody of the male make "Otou" organization of breaking of the jinx from
today and take charge of various divine service for 1 year.
January
It is the situation of the fire fighting
New Year parade of fire brigades The white building of the back faces Wajima
municipal office, and the right side is the sea. A the rainbow was linked with
very good weather and was beautiful. Even the morning market Wajima-asaichi is
on the side of the sea. Fire brigade which defends the safety of the area very
important furthermore it is a job.
February
This
is a "Shihi-mai"(lion dance)in a village of Wajima City.
April
THis is "Yamahiki"the biggest event of
Otou.The expense is providing for it with the contribution of the citizen.
May
It is the
situation of the morning market immediately after large consecutive holidays(in
early May).Strong sunlight feels it The morning market is open to literal in the
morning. The number of a store differs by the day. A season or climate or to it
depends. It is until noon. Even this differs by the day in the morning, what
time it is open. By the way there are "Yuichi-market"in Wajima In the open air
city which begins in the evening at the grounds of a shrine.
June
It is the situation of the portable shrine
in a Wajima-shi festival. The operation of this portable shrine even "Otou"the
organization of the breaking of the jinx in the year.Even a bridge shook.
August
KIRIKO
FESTIVAL At late of the August we enjoied annual kiriko festival.
Kiriko is a kind of float it typical to Noto province which Wajima City lies and
people shoulder it. At the night nearly 20 kirikos go around with Omikoshi ,
anohter style of float it shows God in it. Kiriko is similar to big lantern and
lights the road ,escorts Omikoshi.
We celebrate good harvest! Please enjoy
kiriko festival throught real video.
How do you
think abou kiriko festival? I think kiriko
festival is not a festival to see but
a festival to join!
August
This is a famous Gojinjo-taiko. The legend
that amazed an enemy and strike this drum
with the idea of the elder of the
village is spreading, when Uesugi Kenshin
of Echigo entered attack to Noto once.
Although it is the drum that original is
carried out in the beach nearly certain
shrine of Nabune-mura village in Wajima,
this is the video in a citizen hall.
August
This is the Sanya(3 nights) Bon Festival
dance of Wajima.Bon is the word that people
use with Buddhism. It is the
anniversary of death of Buddha.
９月
Each player who
started from Kanazawa City seems to arrive
at a/the Wajima meeting place. It is
a top group. This evening they stay at guest-house
etc. inside Wajima-shi and
tomorrow and also it is toward a different
town. It goes around Noto Peninsula
around. There are various courses.Please
try to participate?
New city hospital
- Now Wajima city has finished the construction
of new city hospital with
200 general beds and 4 to epidemic disease.
Thanks to well supply of
medical care Japanese people enjoy life.
But rapidly aging socity throw
shade in the future.Growing account of
medical services and insurance systems.
For the city itself medical account must
get subsidy from general one.
The city assembly's news
- The Wajima city assembly issues a newspaper
four times in a year. Local
representatives compiling it themselves.
Usually local governments in
Japan have their assemblies four times
in a year according to municipal
law.People require a transpaparency in
political procedures. It's a hot topic
in Japan and I think the assembly issues
the paper under the situation. I
welcome the movement.
The other day the Hokkoku Shinbun,a local
newspaper
covering three prefectures reported that
Kanazawa,capital city in my Ishikawa
prefecture , city assembly opens its web
page.I think it's very good.I hope my
city assembly may take such action soon.
NOTO AIRPORT
At Dec.13,1996,prime minister Hashimoto cabinet
admts the
7th Japan aviation plan for next five years.It
will cost 3.6 trillons and aim at
improving metropolitan airport,hub airport.Although
that situation ,NOTO AIRPORT
was elected as local one. The local airport
lies in NOTO peninsala, Ishikawa
prefecture,Japan and I'm a citizen in the
peninsala. People know that there are
tough conditions for constracting noto airport
which lies in outskirt in Japan.
As a citizen living in the area I mant overcome
the situation. NOTO AIRPORT will
attract you.
LINK PAGES
Please enjoy more infomations
concerning my page.(they are all Englishi
pages)
