Kyushu, le Japon ancestral – Terre de Contrastes – Île paradisiaque – Documentaire voyage – AMP

Kyushu, le Japon ancestral – Terre de Contrastes – Île paradisiaque – Documentaire voyage – AMP

Traveling in contemporary Japan means constantly making the big gap between modernity and ancestral customs. The island of Kyushu, the westernmost of the archipelago, offers travelers still preserved nature and traditions that paint the portrait of an authentic Japan. In this volcanic land, whether they are artisans, fishermen, farmers or even

Artists, they all associate a spiritual quest with their activity, which they wish to protect, sometimes safeguard and transmit. Before moving further into the interior of Kyushu, a detour is necessary towards the island of IKI, a good hour by boat from the coast,

In the Genkai Sea. It is one of the small islands that surround the Japanese coasts. Of volcanic origin with a length of 17km, it is home to 28,000 people. Its magnificent and deserted beaches are beginning to attract the attention of Japanese tourists. Although tourism is evolving slowly, fishing remains the island’s main resource.

Here along Ohama beach we fish for sea urchins by hand, that is to say with a mask and a snorkel. Despite the cold water at the end of October, fishermen spend hours in the water going back and forth with the bottom. The fishing product will be offered either

Directly to restaurants or to Gonoura which every day hosts a fish market. The main fishing port is located in the north of Katsumoto Island. The boats return in the morning after having spent the night at sea. Iro Kumamoto fishes exclusively for squid, his boat has several strips of electric bulbs.

When you turn on the lamps they come in much greater numbers and you fish more easily. Iki squid is one of the most sought after in Japan, it has a very subtle taste, according to experts. To prepare them it’s quite simple.

You dry them for about 12 hours in the sun, you eat them in the crowd, there is a sweet and salty taste it’s really excellent At 68 years old the captain is preparing to hand over to his son, despite an

Ever higher fuel price, the resource is there, he counts well perpetuate the tradition. The island is dotted with temples hidden in the vegetation such as that of Tsukiyomi, dedicated to the god of the moon. Next to it, old residences are being restored

, a long work , over the ages wood is not as resistant as stone. Nature also reveals surprises like this basalt cliff nicknamed, the monkey rock We begin our journey in the north of Kyushu, Kashima to discover a magnificent Shintoist temple, that of Yutoku Inari Jinja.

Devoted to Inari, who is represented in the guise of a fox, this god is that of the fertility of the rice fields, and more recently that of commerce and fishing. It is the most famous Inari temple in Japan, it is also that of the Nabeshima clan which

Was responsible for protecting the interests of Edo particularly in the city of Nagasaki, one of the rare ports open to contacts with foreigners during Japan’s period of isolation which began in the 17th century. The Nabeshima clan was also expert in the art of pottery and ceramics.

Today Tomohisa Nabeshima, 49 years old, is the heir of the clan, he receives visitors, he has religious training, but also manages rial, necessary to generate funds that finance the operation of the temple. The young women in red and white outfits, although having religious education, are not

Nuns, they are Miko, they help the priest in his daily tasks or during ceremonies, they are employed by the temple where they sometimes work voluntarily. I take care of several religious festivals In fact I take care of the festivals, as well as the accounting, management and daily tasks related to the temple.

Over the last 3 years we have had more and more visitors coming not only from the entire Japanese archipelago but also from abroad and more particularly from South East Asia. We are seeing an increase in the number of visitors and this not

Only thanks to the media, but also through the work carried out to sharing the beauty of our temple with foreign visitors The upper part of the temple houses a magnificent room, the altar is generally very rudimentary, enough to accommodate offerings, only the priest can access

The representation of the divinity in question, placed behind the hangings. Today Shintoism does not require any particular belief, it is more about a social bond which unites the nation around everything that is sacred, in particular nature.

Every day the Miko dance to music in front of the altar, a component of the Shinto ste rite. This plant, Tade, is used to prepare indigo, an essential color in Japanese culture and art. It is found everywhere in daily life and some people do not hesitate to

Describe it as the “color of Japan”. In the suburbs of Kurume, still in the north of the island, Muriyama Tarao has spent his whole life practicing this subtle and never-finished art: finding the right shade. It is in this ancestral home that

Part of the secrets of manufacturing reside. an activity that his family has been practicing for 200 years. The plants arrive from Tokushima in bales of rice straw, they have been dried and placed in composts. The simple preparations for the dye require months of patience. The plants are mixed with water,

After 3 months of fermentation, shellfish powder, starch and also Sak are added. This preparation is done in a large container “l’Aigame” which is buried in the ground and allows a stable temperature to be maintained. Tarao uses 4 Aigame for each dye, having a more or less strong color density

. He will soak the fabric successively in the 4 baths , starting with the densest. The objective being to control the oxidation of the color. Carefully rinsed and dried, the fabric can be bathed up to 40 times in different baths, depending

On the density of the desired color. If you ask me to redo the same color in 6 months it might be difficult, as a craftsman I adjust the color myself in order to obtain the color that I have chosen or that I am given. asked

For Kurume Kasuri, prestigious fabrics, used in particular for certain kimonos, Tarao must carry out very precise work upstream, which consists of placing small knots where the dye will not have access, creating thus small white dots in the dyed fabric The threads thus obtained will be worked on a loom,

Which again requires experience and precision, his mother is the expert of the house, a knowledge passed down from generation to generation, which is part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage. I sometimes present my work in competitions for which I sometimes receive prizes, which again brings me great satisfaction.

On the other side of the river, the Saga region is home to ancient and beautiful residences, framed by rice fields. The oldest ones are becoming rare, most of them have been destroyed in favor of more modern constructions. However, these houses made entirely of wood,

Generally covered by a thatched roof, are the expression of know-how that is being lost. Masayuki Matsueda is an architect, he specializes in the renovation and preservation of this fragile heritage. Here Saga, after having secured what could be secured, he will

Remove everything that is moldy or damaged. A little further in the workshop of his association, Nihon Minkasaisei, he collects beams, boards and essential parts from destroyed trout houses everywhere. When it is necessary to redo an element, it will then be with wood from the surrounding area and with traditional tools

Masayuki visits the Igawa family who recently moved into one of these renovated houses. It proudly presents all the original elements which have been restored and which required months of work. The owners do not really know the value of these

Beautiful residences and often they destroy them. Our mission is to explain to them the value of heritage in order to preserve it from renovation work for future generations. here the owner has made no concessions to modernity, everything has been faithfully preserved or

Restored, in particular this central fireplace which serves both as heating and a cooking station. Changing a thatched roof requires very special know-how and finding qualified craftsmen these days is extremely difficult. Fortunately we found a Saga craftsman who

Has this know-how to change the thatch in the traditional way. The problem is that with the new laws related to construction, these latter craftsmen can only work in this type of renovation, which has limited their possibility of finding work and I worry about the disappearance of these trades. Pottery and ceramics occupy an

Important place in the art of living in Kyushu, we are in a small hamlet near Ureshino, in the workshop of the Soekyu family “In the manufacture of ceramics, we use the Dami technique, and we can produce 5 different graduations of blue, and this is what our customers are looking for.

Dami is a dilution technique which allows different shades to be obtained from the same color. the finesse of the ceramics and the quality of the colors make them objects that go beyond simple tableware Nature is often exuberant as here for the Kyomizu Gawa waterfall, the

Mountains being the seat of the gods, the kamis, all that that surrounds it is sacred. …with unexpected encounters like this freshwater crab This religion of communion with nature, where everything is sacred, the stars, the rivers, the ancestors, are also found here Takeo with this tree considered to be

The 7th oldest in Japan. This camphor tree is said to be 3000 years old, it is visited daily by the disciples of the temple located below. The Takeo temple is today celebrating a wedding, a very s important in social life in Japan. Whatever their standard of living, families invest

A lot in order to respect tradition. The only official photo in a kimono requires long minutes of preparation and focus. Further down Takeo, at Shiraiwa, a team is training in Kyudo, a martial art that is taught in high school. Kyudo is practiced in groups under the eye of a master.

Continuing our route towards the South, Arita is the legendary place in the art of porcelain. In the past, it was Korean potters who brought their know-how to the Japanese in the use of kilns for ceramics. Several large houses in Arita built this temple in memory of these Korean artisans

Further up the valley, the village of Okawashi is entirely dedicated to ceramics. Old ovens are still sometimes used, they recall how at the time we were able to insulate them with rudimentary means to obtain high temperatures Takao Kawasoe and his daughter reproduce themes inspired by the Nabeshima tradition.

A job that requires flawless precision. People come from far away to buy this craft, all the motifs of which are recorded in books that are passed down from generation to generation. All these motifs are “Iman”, it comes from the city of Iman and it is a very important heritage

We reach the coasts of the Ariake Sea, this village of Kubo Tacho is a mecca of culture of Nori, a fundamental seaweed in Japanese cuisine. It all begins in these greenhouses where oyster shells have been bathing for a year on which we have placed microscopic grafts. We place these grafts on these

Oyster shells, we leave them to soak in water for a year so that they are growing and once we get this color that we have here, even redder to be that will be the time for the spores to come out. When the sea water temperature

Is at 23 C it will be time to transfer them and this year it is planned for around October 17. Sugi Matchi is a seaweed fisherman, he is preparing to take over with the grafts Here the tide amplitudes can reach 6 meters which explains the height of the stakes that anchor the boats.

No need for signs or signs, each family knows what its production area is. Each plot is a territory, here there is one, there is another, we work here as a family and everyone knows precisely the concession that belongs to them

Currently we prepare for the arrival of the grafts, on these immense poles we attach a net which will be seeded, a critical period will then begin where the emerging algae will have to cling and begin to grow. 10 days after placing the grafts,

Once attached this is the period where they will develop all the qualities to obtain this unique taste The significant amplitude of the tides, the fact that during a moment of the day it is in the open air, these back and forth between

Air and water make it possible to obtain very particular algae with a truly unique taste, this is Ariake algae. The difference with ariake algae compared to other places of production is that they are exposed to the outside air for 2 hours per day, in other places they remain permanently underwater.

It is this difference that gives it its exceptional taste. These seaweeds are sold for almost 5 Euros (translate into dollars for the English version) per packet, which fully justifies the sum of all these efforts. We find Nori almost every meal, the simplest form is to eat it with rice.

Or in the form of Maki, these appetizers garnished with fish or vegetables Opposite the Ariake Sea on the west coast the islands of Kujuku Shima offer a magnificent perspective, they are also nicknamed the 99 islands. Here each bay is home to oyster beds,

The vast majority of which are pearl oysters, the quality of the water, the tides, the temperature allow us to obtain high quality pearls. Continuing our route towards the south the numerous volcanoes which populate the island have shaped the landscape. The fumaroles which escape from the

Forest, the bubbling water, a smell of sulfur, so many signs which indicate that we are on the slopes of the UNzen volcano This is a very popular place for the Japanese where we stay in inns which offer hot baths combined with diet and

Gastronomic menus. It is customary to move from bath to bath throughout the day. Onsens are these Japanese baths, fed by volcanic waters sometimes with very high temperatures. We come there to relax, to meditate, a few years ago they were mixed. Yumeno and Yuna regularly visit the

Onsen, the greater the contrast with the outside temperature the better. Being next to the volcano is not nothing, but it is above all the quality of the water that makes the difference in these onsens. in the bath we take the opportunity to

Relax to talk about things and other things about boyfriend, school, work… In the village the Ichinose family workshop is in full activity. They prepare Tofu by starting by grinding soybeans. After having been steamed, we keep the soy milk to which we will add a coagulant which is either lemon

Or vinegar which will curdle the preparation. This artisanal method passed down for 4 generations makes it a fine and sought-after product, compared to industrial products. It is a mixture of know-how and experience, all the ingredients count, the quality of the water, the temperature control of the soybeans, whether in summer or winter. ,

Whatever the season, it has become instinctive, having been forced to do it for many years. It will be eaten simply with a fermented sauce or even as a fritter or as an ingredient in soups like Miso. In the center of the island on the west coast, Kumamoto Castle

Bears the scars of the last earthquake which damaged many parts of this fortress which had until now resisted the numerous earth tremors experienced in Japan A good hour’s drive from there the Aso volcano is under very close surveillance The caldera, one of the largest in the world, is

Surrounded by a spectacular road which partly encircles it. This volcanic complex actually brings together around fifteen volcanic cones. The caldera contains, among other things, the town of Aso; there are 100,000 people living in this area. The vegetation is particularly rich there, many farmers exploit these fertile lands

. The history of these volcanoes is estimated according to specialists between 80,000 and 300,000 years for the oldest, which explains the difference in physiognomy. The most active is the Naka Dake, the last eruption in April 2016 caused nearly fifty victims, accompanied by landslides which notably

Caused a lot of damage to the road network. The quality of the land is however excellent, it is here that we find Aka-uchi cows which produce a sought-after meat, Wagyu. They take advantage of this exceptional environment while being pampered to obtain tender and tasty meat. Tetsuya Ono, has great respect

For his forty cows. The food he provides them lives up to the reputation “I prepare a mixture of corn for them with wheat and field herbs.” In Japan there is a lot of black cows, they have a lot of fat while the brown cows are thinner, they have a

Better taste…. this is what gives, among other things, the reputation of Aso cows across the country We are continuing our road to the village of Takachiho located outside the caldera. We are at Kai Masaya which mainly produces Kamari cha, a form of

Green tea that is made in the region but which is lost because it requires a lot of work. Its fields are surrounded by fans that are used in winter to dissipate possible freezing fog, thus preventing the leaves from freezing. The plantation is 5 hectares, yet Kai has sophisticated equipment

For harvesting the leaves. The reason why there are fewer and fewer people working to produce Kamari cha is quite simple. The population of young people here is decreasing, and those who are still here do not want to make tea, the

Old ones who cultivate it, who are 70 years old, are less and less numerous too, so it is more and more difficult to find replacement With Kamaicha it is not possible to produce large quantities per day compared to sencha. these are only in small quantities,

Picking is not a problem there is what is needed, it is the processing which takes more time than sencha and this is the reason why we have a more production low Takachiho is located at the foot of spectacular gorges cut through the lava of the Aso volcanoes by the Gokase River. Over

Several kilometers the vegetation has regained control of the terrain. In several places, waterfalls give way to a calmer river. Tradition tells that in these gorges and this river there live gods from the surrounding mountains, in the purest Shinto tradition. To better understand the importance of these gods in local life,

It is worth observing the work of Hiroaki Kudo and his son, they make masks representing some of these gods. This mask is my favorite. It has a well-marked relief, the hair stands up firmly, it’s really the one that I like. He also says that in ancient times there were up to 800,000

Gods, he is interested in the 12 most important for the Takachiho gorges. Tajikara Onomikoto is the name of the god represented in this mask. In ancient tales it is said that he played an important role, he had the ability to bring out

From the stone, the gods who were hiding there. To better understand the use of these masks, we follow the preparations of the dance troupe preparing to perform different scenes nes of Yokagura, in a room next to the temple. For a thousand years this

Tradition has been perpetuated on winter evenings, so that the crops and harvests are abundant. Accompanied by a Shakuhachi flute and a drum, we tell different adventures of Amaterasu and the cohort of gods who surround her. In the , Amaterasu is the goddess of the Sun. According to this

Religion, all Japanese emperors have him as their ancestor. She would have introduced rice, wheat and silkworms. It appears on the Japanese flag under the appearance of the solar disk. Proceeding towards the south, the relief becomes new mountainous and the forest even denser,

This is the entrance to the Kirishima National Park. Shirohichi Temple is nestled in the middle of nature, as is often the case in such places. Even if it is unoccupied most of the time, it is there for the traveler to pay homage to what surrounds him.

The park brings together several volcanoes including Shimoe Dake which is still active. It emits fumaroles which are particularly toxic for those who would like to get too close. The last eruption dates back to 2011, when a thick cloud of smoke blocked

Rail traffic and did nothing for a while, but fortunately without causing any casualties. Below, the crater of the Fudou volcano is well colored with a peaceful lake so the color of the water follows the moods of the sky. In the valley, Masahiro Ogura continues a centuries-

Old tradition of the region by making Washi a high quality vegetable paper. He uses Kaji bark, which deer from the neighboring forests also love. The fibers will macerate, they will then be beaten and broken up. Masahiro is ready to mold the leaves into a bamboo frame.

His business is working quite well but he remains worried about the future!; “The main difficulty today in this profession is finding qualified people, I try not to be pessimistic, but it is becoming more and more complicated to keep this type of activity alive” The leaves thus say The glues will

First be dripped and then put under a press and finally dried. Masahiro produces sheets of different weights with densities adapted to the use. Thus, high-end sak and shoshu bottle labels are made with this type of paper. We arrive in the south of Kagoshima Island,

Nicknamed the Naples of the East for its location in a bay facing the Sakurajima volcano. The lords of the Shimadzu clan understood this well by establishing their residence there in the 16th century. In 1850, Nariakira, the 28th descendant of the

Clan, decided to launch an exceptional product to strengthen the image of Japan, and sell it abroad. Born from the fusion of Western glass arts and the ancient cutting techniques of Edo artisans, this production of colored glass was immediately very successful.

Relaunched in the 1980s, the principle is to superimpose a layer of colored glass with a layer of transparent glass, a complicated game with a melting temperature of 1500. Once cut and cut the pieces then go in a neighboring workshop for further precision work, they will first be sculpted and then

Polished. A sophisticated vase can take up to 6 months of work. These vases, these glasses and the various tea services are then sold all over the world at prices commensurate with the reputation and the work provided. Today the waiting time to order a part is at least 3 months.

The Sakurajima volcano is also very active: since 1955 its activity has been almost constant with one hundred and two hundred large explosions per year and a few fiery clouds, without forgetting the presence of a large population all around the bay, which lives in

Permanently under the threat of a big eruption. Sakou Kazuide, is an artist who goes looking for lava. All he has to do is use it to transform it into decorative objects. Living near the volcano? No I’m not afraid, I’m born here Sakurajima, he

There are many observation posts all around the volcano so I’m not afraid, we constantly monitor its evolution, in the event of an eruption, the warning signs are often detectable so I’m not really afraid . In the 19th century a few kilometers from Kagoshima,

Which was then called Satsuma, the Samurais were gathered in a magnificent place Chiran. In 1877 the modernization of the country resulted in the disappearance of feudalism. For the samurais, a sort of emblematic knight of the military nobility, this represented

The loss of their social status, their privileges and their position. to be able to. Nearly 500 families lived here, and some of their descendants came together to preserve this heritage. The maintenance of the gardens is always done with great care.

Makurazaki marks the southern tip of the tip of the island of Kyushu, the shadow of the volcano, Kaimondake. This is where the typhoons which regularly shake the archipelago enter, a hard and exposed land, but particularly fertile for the cultivation of sweet potatoes, a specialty of the region.

Most of the production is used to make Shochu, a distilled beverage comparable to sak. Satsuma Shuzo was created in 1936, this small factory in Shochu has retained its original premises by gradually modifying certain equipment. After being cooked and crushed, the sweet potatoes

Are sent to fermentation tanks. “In Japan we have long drunk sak, Kagoshima , we have always drunk potato alcohol and now all of Japan is tense. And we see today that the consumption of Shoshu has reached similar levels with that of Sak

The entire manufacturing process takes 18 days, it ends with a long distillation, the most sought-after bottles are like the oldest wine. The Kaimondake volcano has been dormant for a good thousand years. year. A lookout for boats returning after several weeks of fishing, their holds filled. This cargo ship unloads 630 tons of frozen

Tuna and bonito which will be sold in a few moments at the auction. The tuna is widely consumed as raw fish but here Kuyshu the bonito is transformed into Katsuobushi, a kind of flake used daily in the kitchen as a condiment

At the cry, buyers interested in lots throw wooden plates towards the director on which they have written the desired quantities, an unexpected spectacle A good part of the morning’s sales will go to the various Katsuobushi production workshops located in town. Where we will first cook the

Bonitos in huge steam baths and then remove all the bones by hand. The bonitos will first drip and then be placed in a wood oven for several days . The fish is thus completely dehydrated, smoked and once polished it almost resembles a piece of wood.

The block of bonito thus obtained will be grated into very fine flakes . In Kyushu it is present in many dishes, like here in this Izakaya, a Japanese-style bistro, where customers who do not necessarily know each other, but are seated around a chef who offers dishes, or responds to particular requests,

We mainly find raw fish on the plates and Shoshu in the glasses. The regulars have their bottles and their name. Like this lively and warm table, the island of Kyushu still has many astonishing riches to reveal to us, and offers a different look at Japan, anchored in nature and traditions.

Voyager dans le Japon contemporain c’est effectuer en permanence le grand écart entre modernité et coutumes ancestrales.
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L’île de Kyushu, la plus à l’ouest de l’archipel, est une terre volcanique où les habitants, qu’ils soient artisans, pêcheurs, cultivateurs ou encore artistes, associent toujours une quête spirituelle à leurs activités qu’ils souhaitent protéger, sauvegarder et transmettre.

Ce sont souvent des « Maîtres » dans leur domaine qui nous servent de guides comme Muriyama Tarao expert dans la teinture d’indigo, la famille Soekyu et ses fines céramiques ou encore Hiro Kumamoto, pêcheur de calamar.

Kyushu, le Japon ancestral
Réalisé par : Eric Bacos
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