In the old days, the Japanese were good at obtaining all of the necessities of life (like water, food and fuel) from near their homes. They lived in close connection with their natural environment and Mother Nature was kind to them, and they gave thanks for this. In many ways those days are gone, lost in the rush to modernize, but the spirit, passed from one generation to the next, still lives on and is in fact seeing something of a revival as people recognize new possibilities
in the old way of living. One good example of this is found on Ishikawa prefecture’s Noto Peninsula, which extends into the Sea of Japan. In 2011, the old ways of the land and the sea practiced there were registered as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage. People still use traditional ways to farm and fi sh, cultivating rice fi elds carved out of mountain slopes, living sustainably in harmony with nature, celebrating their culture and holding traditional festivals against a backdrop of beautiful scenery. They receive the blessings of nature without a feeling of entitlement, incorporating them into their daily lives. In the old days this was how the Japanese lived, and these ideals and traditions are quietly making a comeback in parts of the county.