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A Delicate Balance: Development in Shimukappu, Japan
| Article
# : |
14488 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1996 |
638 Words |
| Author
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Nicholas DeVore III and Karinjo DeVore
Nicholas and Karinjo DeVore are a journalism team based in
Aspen, Colorado. |
According to Japanese legend, each of these men encountered a nightingale that would not sing. General Nobunaga was reputed to have said, "Dear nightingale, if you don't sing I will kill you." Said General Hideyoshi, "If you don't sing, I will wait until you do so." And General Ieyasu remarked, "Dear nightingale, if you don't sing I will coax you into singing."
Now the mayor of Shimukappu, Kannon has transformed this formerly unknown rural village on the island of Hokkaido into a vibrant resort town with a global perspective. Quietly and modestly, Kannon compares his leadership tactics to those of the three generals. "When the citizens are not supportive, I am at first patient, but then I try to convince them of the merits and benefits of my plans," he explains. "If they still do not understand, I act strongly and independently."
After graduating from school in Shimukappu, Kannon went to work in a Tokyo factory. But he missed the natural beauty of his hometown and the variety of wild mountain vegetables that were once staple foods of the Ainu people who inhabited this region. Returning home, he convinced the villagers to harvest these plants, and for years he and his wife, Miyo, spent their weekends transporting the perishable produce to Sapporo. Eventually, Shimukappu was on the map as the faraway source of some of Japan's favorite delicacies.
Years later, after being elected mayor, Kannon focused on the idea that people from places such as Tokyo would appreciate his island. "I wanted to make our village the place for creating a deeper relationship between rural areas and urbanized ones by using our rich national environment," he recalls.
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