Ki ki ki Issue 5: Depart for Tohoku! A Journey Through Time

Ki ki ki Issue 5: "Depart for Tohoku! A Journey Through Time" Embark on a temporal voyage to embrace a grounded, pure way of life. Leaving behind the bustling, ever-changing pace of Tokyo and the crowds of Kyoto, we board the JR East Shinkansen, speeding at 320 kilometers per hour towards Tohoku. As the train ventures further from Tokyo, the buildings gradually shrink while the mountains rise higher. A closing of the eyes, and the next moment, you're greeted by Tohoku's verdant landscapes and fresh air. What embraces you is no longer the Japan that's always at the forefront of trends, but a return to the simple, unadorned moments of everyday life. Many people's impression of Iwate Prefecture in Tohoku comes from the morning drama "Amachan," with its bento boxes overflowing with fresh sea urchin enjoyed on the Sanriku Railway, or the sight of the ama divers plunging into the sea off Kosode Coast. Or perhaps it's the film "Little Forest," where we follow the protagonist Itsuki as she lives a self-sufficient agricultural life in an old house amidst the changing seasons. Whether it's the passionate sea or the warm embrace of the forest, both are set within the healing context of Tohoku's interwoven natural beauty. This is the magic that nature bestows upon life. As you approach the true essence of the land, you begin to contemplate the purest needs of existence. Especially after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Tohoku has been prompted to re-examine the value of life, asking, "Why do we live? What do we leave for future generations?" The century-old craftspeople and regional cuisine chefs featured in this issue have dedicated their lives to Iwate Prefecture. The Japanese phrase "issho kenmei" (to do something with one's whole life) is not just a slogan for them; it's an internalized belief passed down through generations. Take Katsuya Kiji, a lacquerware craftsman from Jofukuji, who, while holding a lacquer bowl created for Emperor Akihito's enthronement, shared, "The perfectly unchanging curve of the bowl's rim for a thousand years is the life of a Japanese bowl." It is perhaps this dedication that allows Japanese folk art to endure, and it is the most beautiful gift these artisans leave for the world. Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture retains the leisurely lifestyle of the Showa era. Several times, while wandering through alleys and street corners, I felt as though I were back in Hualien or Chiayi, as if a temporal journey had brought me back and forth, lingering in a small Japanese town from 50 years ago and a Taiwanese town of today. I still remember our first day arriving in Morioka. Lost, we stopped by the roadside to unfold a map. A deliveryman approached and asked if we needed help. At first, I thought we were blocking his way, but he enthusiastically offered to guide us. This was an experience I hadn't had in multiple visits to Tokyo, and it made us feel the warmth of Morioka. It echoes the words of Takahiko Todaka, editor-in-chief of "Hanako FOR MEN," whose serialized contributions begin in this issue: "I once received immense help from a colleague from Iwate Prefecture. 'A town inhabited by kind people' is my impression of Iwate." Morioka residents are accustomed to living within the traces left by time. They shop at the morning market, pour a cup of iron-rich hot tea into a century-old cast iron kettle, enjoy regional noodle dishes, and relax their day's stress by soaking in a secluded hot spring at night. Their seemingly ordinary lives enrich their souls, much like the national writer Kenji Miyazawa, born in Morioka, wrote in his poem "Not Losing to the Rain": "Never greedy, never angry, always with a quiet smile, eating four cups of brown rice, a little miso and greens each day." "Never lose to the wind and rain, nor to the snow and ice, nor to the summer heat, keeping your body healthy." Perhaps this is what life in Tohoku is like – simple yet resilient. If you, too, are in need of primal strength, let us depart for Tohoku together and explore a temporal journey that preserves a pure way of life.