Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Japanese,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Hallo special viewers
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Today we will show
some of the scenery
of the bamboo forests
of Japan, as well as
highlight various products
made from bamboo,
a versatile and
eco-friendly material.
From ancient times,
bamboo has grown wild
in all areas of the nation
and has always been
a familiar plant
to all Japanese.
Until several decades ago,
beautiful bamboo forests
could be seen
almost everywhere.
Lately, the number
of bamboo forests
has decreased
as they have been felled
and replaced with
housing and factory lots.
However, every time
Japanese people see
a forest with rows
of fresh, green bamboo,
they feel peaceful
and contemplative inside.
For many years,
bamboo has been used
as a raw material
in countless ways such as
for building projects,
creating arts and crafts,
fashioning farm tools
and utensils, constructing
Japanese lanterns,
and creating traditional
musical instruments
like the shakuhachi.
Bamboo is a light
and strong material
that not only
comes from nature
and also returns to nature
after use.
In addition, bamboo,
a type of giant grass,
can grow at a rate
of one meter a day
under ideal conditions
and reaches its full height
in three months.
In ancient Japan
the astonishing speed
of growth was attributed
to spirits dwelling within it
and thus the plant
was immensely valued
and respected.
Let us now look at some
beautiful bamboo scenery.
The 2009 Michelin’s
“Green Guide in Japan”
gave two stars to this
beautiful bamboo-lined
walkway at Shuzenji
in the Izu district.
It is a refreshing experience
walking over the bridge
with red railings
and observing
the stone paved path,
with lush, green bamboo
on either side.
The Sun twinkles like stars
through the leaves.
A light breeze makes
the bamboo leaves rustle
and the sound makes you
feel calm and elevated.
Bamboo forests
are simple and orderly.
The straight and erect
bamboo symbolizes
righteousness –
a personality trait
very much treasured
by the Japanese.
Next, let’s take a look at
the “shishi odoshi”
or deer scarer.
Many Japanese gardens
have shishi odoshis
made of bamboo.
When enough water
accumulates
inside the bamboo pipe,
the pipe pivots downward
and strikes a rock
and then returns to
its former position, again
giving off a loud sound.
In the past
these bamboo devices
were used by farmers
to keep animals and birds
away from the fields.
Today, the Japanese people
enjoy this repetitive sound
in the quiet atmosphere
of Japanese gardens.
A shishi odoshi is simple,
elegant and tasteful
in design.
Bamboo is also often used
as a source material
for numerous other
garden-related structures
and ornaments.
Since olden times,
bamboo has been
indispensable in Japan
for making arts and crafts,
farming tools,
and daily utensils.
Beginning with the
nation’s economic boom
in the latter part
of the 20th century,
items traditionally
created with bamboo
were instead made
using plastic or other
chemical-based materials.
Today, however,
people are taking
another look at bamboo
as they re-discover
its beauty as well as
its eco-friendly nature.
Fujikura Shoten, Limited
in Narita City carries
many bamboo products
which were regularly
used in Japan
some 60 years ago,
such as draining baskets,
handbags, umbrellas,
chop sticks, backpacks
meant for farmers,
lunch boxes and
lampshades amongst
many other things.
We spoke to
Mr. Yoshio Fujikura,
president of
Fujikura Shoten about
the virtues of bamboo.
These are handmade
quality products.
Quality, authenticity,
and value –
I think these products
can be described by
using these three words.
We sell
a lot of such products.
To use one sentence
to describe the merits
of bamboo products,
one could say
that they are durable and
offer hassle-free disposal
after use.
After use, bamboo
products can be burnt
and used as fertilizer.
In this respect,
I think that these products
could be desirable among
eco-friendly products.
Besides, the longer you use
these bamboo products,
the more merits
you will discover in them.
I personally think that it
is not exaggerating to say
that they are extra value
for the money.
For example, please
take a look over here.
This was made
about one year ago.
But after a few years,
it has become…
This one which
we used for ten years,
the color became like this.
This color
was not painted on;
it has naturally changed
into this beautiful and
vibrant color through
normal use in daily life.
So I think this is
a value-added feature.
How many
bamboo products
do you have in this shop?
Well, I haven’t counted
exactly how many,
but there must be
around 3,000 items.
If there are any
you would recommend,
or popular ones
among these products,
please let me know.
Okay. Here it is.
A radish grinder
made of bamboo.
Not only good
for grinding radishes
but it can also grind
all kinds of vegetables
and fruits into mash.
This one is completely
made of bamboo,
and it also uses a rabbet
and tenon joint to
keep the serration in place.
It forms a double serration,
one rough and one fine.
The fine one is
for grinding ginger
or cucumber, etc.
This rough one is for
grinding Japanese radish,
yams, apples,
and even lotus roots.
In conclusion,
it can easily grind
food ingredients into mash,
thus making a great variety
of delicious vegetable
and fruit mashes.
This is indeed
our trademark product.
Looking at
the many clever tools
made from bamboo,
one can only marvel
at the wisdom of the
ancient Japanese people!
We will be right back
to learn more about
the wide range of uses for
the precious bamboo plant.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Let’s continue
our exploration
of Japan’s age-old
and treasured plant,
the bamboo.
During Japan’s
economic expansion,
plastics and metals
became the materials of
choice for many products
and this reduced the demand
for the versatile plant.
As a result,
many bamboo forests
were abandoned and in turn
these neglected forests
began to harm
the mountains and their
surrounding environment.
This is due to the fact
that the plant grows
so quickly it can soon
overtake entire areas
in a very short period.
Lately, people are
re-discovering the value
and beauty of bamboo.
With proper oversight
and care they are excellent
for the environment
and bamboo products
create jobs and
enhance the economy.
A group of people
who strongly support
bamboo plant cultivation
and management
are the concerned citizens
who have formed Toziba,
a non-profit organization
and social venture that
connects people and seeks
sustainable communities
through the promotion
of harmony with nature.
One of Toziba’s main goals
is to end the devastation
of bamboo forests
and for this reason,
the group established
the Bamboo Factory
located in Narita City,
Chiba Prefecture,
to demonstrate
the many uses of bamboo
and thus
foster public support for
bamboo forest protection.
Let us now meet
Mr. Norio Mochizuki,
who works with
the Bamboo Factory.
Could you explain to us
what
the Bamboo Factory is?
Toziba, a non-profit
organization,
is a parent organization,
and the Bamboo Project
is one of its activities.
This factory
which makes many kinds
of bamboo products
is called
the Bamboo Factory.
Bamboo forests in this area
have been badly ruined.
Our aim is to resurrect
the forests through the
effective use of bamboo.
We want to maintain
these regional forests,
make bamboo products,
and exhibit them at shows
associated with ecology.
I used to come here
to fell bamboo trees
and make fences
around my house.
Then one day, The Toziba
non-profit organization
suggested that
I make bamboo tents
for the monthly
Earth Day Market
(morning market)
at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo.
This is how I got started
with the Bamboo Factory.
What advantages
do bamboo tents have?
First, they are lightweight.
And in summer,
bamboo offers a cool
and refreshing sensation
to viewers.
Bamboo products
go very well with the
present eco-friendly trend.
If we make up our mind,
we can all do this.
Our project proves that
anyone can cut bamboo
and make tents
and other products.
Did you have any
special challenges while
working on this project?
Our material
comes from nature and
every tent is handmade.
One challenge was
how to combine
different bamboo pieces
to form a tent.
After starting this project,
how has the
bamboo forest changed?
Today,
many different types
of volunteers support us.
There is a limit to what
one or two people can do.
Now, we sometimes get
20 to 30 volunteers to help.
Volunteers experience
here the process
of felling bamboo trees
and later making them
into finished products
such as tents.
I think it is good to see
how the bamboo, which
they cut, is transformed
into a piece of art.
Do you plan
to continue this activity?
What are your future plans?
Basically, you have to
maintain bamboo forests.
If you neglect them
for two to three years,
the forest will be ruined.
Therefore it is important
to continue the upkeep
every year.
For example, if you don’t
get rid of bamboo shoots,
they keep growing.
It’s best to dig them out.
You have to go to the forest
every year
and take care of it.
I would like to
come up with many
new bamboo products.
Besides tents and tongs,
are you making
anything else?
Now we are making speakers.
The speakers
you see here are actually
recycled speakers.
These speakers
are used ones.
There are
all kinds of parts, but
speakers are still good
when the rest
of the stereo system
components fail.
So we get many
abandoned speakers.
Our latest project
is to take out some parts
in the old speaker,
replace them with bamboo
and sell them
as recycled speakers.
Do you want to share
any other message
with our viewers?
Bamboo has immense
vitality of its own.
If left unattended, they
cause immense damage
to mountains and fields.
Japanese have been
using bamboo for years.
But when oil became
popular, plastic goods
took the center stage
and bamboo products
faded away.
Just several decades,
60 years ago, Japanese
regularly used bamboo.
I would like to examine
this material once again,
in this new age.
There is an unlimited
amount of bamboo.
Perhaps we can use it as
a source of energy even.
Our dream is to reconsider
this traditional material
and come up with new
products which fit well
in our modern lifestyle.
That is very true indeed.
We salute Toziba,
Mr. Norio Mochizuki
and the Bamboo Factory
for striving to repair the
remaining bamboo forests
in Japan and for promoting
sustainable living by
creating various eco-wise
bamboo products.
We also thank
Mr. Yoshio Fujikura,
president of
Fujikura Shoten, Ltd.
for showing us
the many wonderful items
that can be
made of bamboo.
Let the bamboo forests
in Japan and elsewhere
in the world continue
to grow tall and proud by loving management.
For more details,
please visit
the following websites:
Toziba
Fujikura Shoten
Beloved viewers,
we appreciate
your presence today
on A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Up next is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
May your days
be enriched with
the countless pleasures
derived from
the love of Nature.