"Getting to Know the People of Izena" study tour

With Tamaki Shun'ichi we met all kinds of people on Izena and heard all kinds of stories on November 18 and 19.

◆ November 18 / Nakada Community Center
 Tamaki Shun'ichi  
Featured in the Deai resource, served as the students' guide on Izena island. Shun'ichi grew up on the island until his graduation from junior high school. After studying Okinawan history and performing arts at Haebaru High School near Naha on the main island of Okinawa, Shun'ichi attended Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, where he majored in Okinawan classical music (vocal music and sanshin). Since graduating, he has been active not only as a singer-songwriter but also as a performer of Okinawan classical music and a core member of the Izena Shoen drum troupe. His dream is to create music that is uniquely his own.
 
 Koshin
Shun'ichi's high school classmate, also from Izena, who appears in Shun'ichi's story in the Deai resource. Koshin currently works on the sales staff of a fish wholesaler in Itoman (a city located in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa). He also belongs to an eisaa (Okinawan traditional dance using drums) group.
 
◆ November 19
 Shun'ichi's mother, Ayako / Mihoso Place
Originally from Iheya (the island next to Izena), Ayako is the mother of six boys, including Shun'ichi. She works at the local retirement home. Shun'ichi on his mother: "She's very considerate of others and kind of tege (easy-going)." (Tege is an Okinawan word. It can be used in either a positive or negative sense.) Ayako on Shun'ichi: "He has always been the type to completely absorb himself in something. As long as he doesn't cause harm to others, I think he should try doing whatever he has a mind to. Even if he fails, that's a good experience, too."
 
 Shun'ichi's grandfather (Zenchu) and grandmother (Mitsu) / At home
Shun'ichi's grandparents on his father's side. His grandfather takes care of the sacred sites of the local community, a responsibility that has been passed down within his family for generations. The sacred site is located inside the grounds of the family residence.
 
 Naka Bokunen / By the seashore near Gitara observation deck
An Izena-born woodblock print artist whose dynamic yet delicate works express—in sometimes gentle, and sometimes powerful form—the ever-shifting beauty of nature as well as the unheard inner voices of living things. An expert on the nature and history of Izena island, he is known for his sculpture, ryuka (Okinawan short verse), and song- and lyric-writing activities in addition to his woodblock prints. He also acts as tourism ambassador for the village of Izena. http://www.bokunen.com/
 
 Izena Village Mayor, Maeda Seigi / Fureai Park
Mayor Maeda discussed the current circumstances of the island as well as pointed out some prospects and issues for the future. He also talked about Izena's environmental cooperation tax, the first of its kind in Japan, which attracted much nationwide attention when it was instituted in 2005.
 
 Toshikazu / Fureai Park
Leader of the Izena Shoen drum troupe. When he was young Toshikazu went to Tokyo to study traditional Japanese confection (wagashi) making. He now works in the planning department of the Izena village office, where he has been actively involved in supporting our Deai Photo Essay Cafe trip.

Shun'ichi on Toshikazu: "Toshikazu-san is the Shoen drum troupe leader. That means he can be tough on us sometimes, but when I was elected president of the student council at my high school, I came to appreciate the role he plays."
 
 Yoshiaki / Fureai Park
Vice leader of Izena Shoen drum troupe and an outstanding performer of drums and sanshin. Yoshiaki manages his own construction company in Izena. There are many difficulties in running a company on a small remote island, he says. He also belongs to the board of directors of a transportation company, where he works in the tourism division to promote Izena's sightseeing resources.

Shun'ichi on Yoshiaki: "Yoshiaki-san has the kind of infectious energy that inspires the whole group. He's got a wonderful sense of humor and always brightens the mood."
 
 Teru / Fureai Park
A member of Shoen drum troup. Teru has played Okinawan drums for ten years. Known for his long blond hair, he is not only a traditional taiko drummer but also a heavy metal guitarist. His band, Tetsukabuto (http://www.tetsukabuto.com/), can be heard live on the main island of Okinawa and in Tokyo. Although he once used to work in Naha (a capital city of Okinawa), Teru is now back in Izena employed in park maintenance.

Shun'ichi on Teru: "Teru is a valued friend and the one who gave me the opportunity to take up guitar playing. It's because of him that I enjoy playing drums so much."
 
 Keiichi / Fureai Park
Leader of the "Sea Ranger." The Sea Rangers are a group of the island's young people which came up with these mascot superhero characters after trying to think of a way to better promote Izena in a way that would be entertaining and memorable for everyone involved. The characters are all named after marine life found near Izena. Fish for them at many of the island's annual events!

Keiichi is a planner, scenario writer, director, and performance instructor for the Sea Rangers. A longtime fan of action star Jackie Chan, Keiichi is a master of the back handspring, back flip, and other such acrobatics. He has always been fond of choreographing and performing his own stunts. Although he left Izena to go to high school and worked in Naha (a capital city of Okinawa) for a while after graduation, he always felt that as the eldest son it would be his duty to come back to the island someday. He formed the Sea Rangers in 2004 shortly after returning to the island and being asked by a former schoolmate to help create a character show. Developing characters for the skits often requires him to do research about marine life (including some dangerous ones), which he says is fun because he gets to learn things he didn't know before. He hopes that by passing on this new knowledge to local children as well as to outside visitors, he and the other Sea Rangers can get them to become more aware of the value of nature.
 
 Craig / Fureai Park
Assistant Language Teacher from Scotland, the UK. Craig came to Izena in August through the JET program* to help teach English as an ALT (assistant language teacher) at Izena Elementary School and Junior High School. His major at university was biochemistry. He lived in Zimbabwe for a while when he was young. His father is German, so he can also speak German.
 
 Staff of the Izena Fishery Association at a Tokobushi Farm
Izena's major industries are agriculture (mainly sugar cane) and fisheries (mainly mozuku seaweed cultivation). This farm began growing tokobushi (a type of abalone) experimentally three years ago in hopes of eventually moving on to commercial production.