Young Migrants in Otsuchi Revitalize Post-Disaster Community Through Nature-Based Tourism
In Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture, a non-profit organization named 'Otsuchi no Asobi' is leading community revitalization efforts by organizing unique nature-based tours. Founded by young migrants in their twenties who arrived after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the group utilizes local natural resources to engage visitors and entertain local children. Activities include game cuisine preparation, such as deer butchering, salmon fishing, and exploring regenerating seaweed beds. The initiative is based at the 'Kirikiri Umi no Asobiba,' a small aquarium housed in a former financial institution. The project builds upon the 'Otsuchi Treasure Map,' created in 2014 by the Hamagiku Wakadanna Association, which highlights 117 local flora, fauna, and culinary treasures. This map was designed to shift focus from disaster losses to remaining natural charms. Riki Oba, the NPO's representative and a University of Tokyo graduate student studying salmon ecology, collaborates with local experts to share these blessings. The effort aims to instill pride in the region's natural heritage among younger generations while promoting sustainable tourism and ecological awareness in a town where most businesses were previously devastated by the tsunami.
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Young Migrants in Otsuchi Revitalize Post-Disaster Community Through Nature-Based Tourism
In Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture, a non-profit organization named 'Otsuchi no Asobi' is leading community revitalization efforts by organizing unique nature-based tours. Founded by young migrants in their twenties who arrived after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the group utilizes local natural resources to engage visitors and entertain local children. Activities include game cuisine preparation, such as deer butchering, salmon fishing, and exploring regenerating seaweed beds. The initiative is based at the 'Kirikiri Umi no Asobiba,' a small aquarium housed in a former financial institution. The project builds upon the 'Otsuchi Treasure Map,' created in 2014 by the Hamagiku Wakadanna Association, which highlights 117 local flora, fauna, and culinary treasures. This map was designed to shift focus from disaster losses to remaining natural charms. Riki Oba, the NPO's representative and a University of Tokyo graduate student studying salmon ecology, collaborates with local experts to share these blessings. The effort aims to instill pride in the region's natural heritage among younger generations while promoting sustainable tourism and ecological awareness in a town where most businesses were previously devastated by the tsunami.
asahi