Slow Life Wakayama 4 - gentle lights in Yuasa 湯浅

Lights-off events are gaining its popularity around the world. Earth Hour initiated in Sydney in 2007 now expects over 370 cities and 50 million people participating in 2009; Japan’s own One million people’s Candle Night is held every year on Toji (winter solstice) night (www.earthhour.org; www.candle-night.org). The town of Yuasa has its own lights-off nights, actually many nights, twice a year: Lantern Nights and Fireflies Nights, both initiated by a passionate community leader Mr Mitsumura, who also lead the promotion of this town as a living museum (see first blog entry). Yuasa, where Japan’s original variety of shoyu (soy source) was developed during the 13c, has maintained its historic townscape and cultural properties related to its distinct industry - shoyu and miso-making, the ultimate Slow Food. Mr Mitsumura founded a Green Society 18 years ago to promote caring for Yuasa, ultimately because he loves “watching people’s face brighten up when they enjoy themselves and feel moved by something. I'd like to offer the best possible hospitality to the visitors who come all the way to visit our town”.

On the Lantern Nights, hand-made andon (paper lantern) are displayed around the town. The occasion is also a design competition with prizes for the winners. Contributions are called for widely from all over Japan with some specifications for size, weight and materials but most importantly “be suitable to the traditional townscape”. In its 3rd year of running, over 500 entries are expected for the 2009 event (15-19 April, http://lepo.fool.jp/green/andon), which is becoming a major art event that the whole community supports and participate. Andon (行灯, lit. portable light) is a lantern made mostly of wood or bamboo with Japanese paper shades. Now andon refer to the fixed varieties inside or outside, and chochin is used for the portable ones. Fish oil was used initially, then vegetable oil and candles. Andon-making classes are organised for the community by Mr Tsuura, who taught himself the art of andon-making and created a number of detailed works. He now also works as a volunteer manager for the Koji Museum (photo, koji is used for fermentation procedss of shoyu, miso, sake, and is registered as Japan’s native variety of mold, Aspergillus oryzae).

Another lights-off event is the Fireflies Nights. Fireflies（hotaru, luciola cruciata) start to appear late May for a month or so in the local creeks. Hotaru are known as an environmental indicator for their sensitivity particularly to the cleanliness of the fresh water in which its larva spends about 9 months. Primary school students participate in conservation projects, also lead by the Green Society.

With these lights-off events, Yuasa can be called a City of Light（光の町), not where a brightly-lit night views are seen, but where we can enjoy the night as the night should be – dark, quiet and restful, and lit only by natural gentle lights and not flooded by unnecessary disturbing lights. These Slow Nights and the Slow Food make Yuasa an attractive town of Creative Conservation where tradition is alive and enjoyed by the today's community. Some poems on night, light and fireflies that let us imagine the dark gentle night.

沢水に空なる星の映るかと　見ゆるは夜半の蛍なりけり
(The star lights reflected on the clear water of the marshland, they really are fireflies flying as the night falls, by Fujiwara Yoshitsune, Goshui-Waka-Shu 1075-86, No. 217)

音もせで思ひに燃ゆる蛍こそ　鳴く虫よりもあはれなりけれ
(The fireflies burn their heart in silence, they are more expressive than the insects who voices their feelings, by Minamotono Shigeyuki, Goshui-Waka-Shu 1075-86, No. 216)

夏は夜 月のころはさらなり、やみもなほ、 ほたるの多く飛びちがひたる また、ただ一つ二つなど、ほのかにうち光りて 行くもをかし
(The best time of the day, in summer it is the night, particularly when the moon is out. The total darkness is also beautiful when fireflies fly in mass or one or two, their subtle lights flying across, The Pillow Book, c.996)