I was born and raised in Okinawa, my mother’s family line coming from Amami, but I have never visited there. I discovered that there were very few natural beaches left in Okinawa Island only when I studied history in college. To appeal to tourists who want to see “nature” in Okinawa, to fulfill economical needs of Okinawans, the beaches have been artificially intervened, and now I can see the original shorelines only in black and white photographs. When I was a kid, my parents often mentioned “this place was the ocean when I was little” as we drove throughout the island. What’s lost won’t come back, and we don’t know what’s on the verge of extinction unless someone spreads knowledge. This documentary is very beautiful and informative. I will definitely share this with my parents and convince them to visit Katoku when we go to Amami. I support the movement!
What an amazing place. These magic spots have to be revered as a real sanctuary. Humans have to be grateful for these nature gifts. As a surfer, I think these wild spots are the best, whatever the fluactuating quality of the waves since it's a natural cycle. With all my support, let us know how we could help you the more. Aloha.
Heartwarming to see the villagers talking about their beach full of memories. Heartbreaking to hear about the proposed developments... I pray that their voices are heard and this can be a start of more sustainable coastal development without ugly concrete... I hope I can visit one day after corona, and enjoy the surf at Katoku beach and help plant some trees 🌳💪!
Thank you for watching 🙏🙏 I completely agree. The more noise we make the better chance the team fighting the destruction will have. I appreciate your support.
I went here last year in November. I was blown away by how beautiful this place was. It felt like I was in NZ or AUS. My wife and I was very fortunate to meet and spend some time with a local lady who dyes fabric in the Japanese traditional way. We heard this story from her. There are both locals against the sea wall and for the sea wall. A local politician is pushing for the wall to get developed as the contract will go to a construction company who his son or relative has ties with.
Thank you for watching 🙏 yes as with all conflicts there are always two sides, but it does seem that this is more about pushing funds to a construction company...extra sad when the original issue was caused by that same construction company...some day hopefully soon people may begin to see the bigger picture past padding bank accounts at all costs.
You must have met Yoshikawa-san and hear a story from her. The regional director of the company contracted for the seawall is a Katoku village native, and due to him having some relatives in the village, he's been able to pressure the villagers into not talking against the seawall. He also hired 2 villagers who did not want the seawall. Well now, they are building the concrete blocks on the construction site along the river and keeping their mouth shut! The director had Yoshikawa-san sign a contract that stipulates she will not lend her property for visitors to park their car. After her husband passing away, she's been easily pressured and taken advantage of. This was in response to an event we held on the beach that attracted over a 100 people. The popularity of Katoku would make building a seawall that much more difficult, and therefore, he and public officials are doing their best to keep Katoku unknown to the public. Sign posts about the Jomon era archeological findings have never been replaced and the fact is now well hidden from the public. The artefacts are also not on display anymore. They can be seen here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PsU7i4vbA-c.html The accidental discovery was so significant it's now referred to as Katoku style pottery and used as a reference in the Ryukyu archipelago. The Leatherback spawning at Katoku is also the only confirmed Leatherback nesting on a beach in Japan, and the northernmost location in the West Pacific. This fact and the photographs have also remained hidden by the sea turtle association of Amami due to pressure from the local government. More details about the Leatherback of Katoku can be found here: www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hsj2000/21/2/21_2_95/_pdf
@@shizentimes Horrible. I've traveled to different countries and seen the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of development. I've seen projects like this that destroy ecosystems, culture and recreation. it's not worth it. People need to look at the long term and the holistic benefits. Once it's gone, it's gone. Money can be made in other ways, such as through eco tourism.
L'engagement de ces gens est à la mesure du lieu, tout simplement magnifique ! Encore une triste démonstration de notre vanité humaine. Je vous soutiens à 300%, Bravo
Though the surfer isn't a scientist, he understands how ecosystems, including marine ecosystems, are self-regulating. Best to keep interference out of nature's processes -- the earth has been around far longer than humans! And we think we know better than nature!
We completely agree, i wanted to make this video hit across various viewpoints that shared a common message. The activist, the surfer, the father and the scientist...currently in Japan there is a blank check philosophy for construction that even remotely appeals to the fear of another tsunami. Much like 9/11 in the U.S, 3/11 in Japan is getting projects green lit across the nation and sadly has 99% to do with getting rich and nothing to do with protecting life. With most of japan already concreted and much of that being expanded on; places like Katoku should be considered more to be a museum of what Japan was then another place to get some govt contract money.
