Requiem
It's been almost a year since the earthquake. Looking back on the year 1, I feel heavy-hearted, unable to celebrate the new year, and afraid of the New Year. I would like to offer my condolences by recalling and writing about the scene in Wajima in December before the earthquake.
A world of grey tones
In December, gray clouds cover the Noto sky. Ice particles fall from time to time, mixed with the sideways rain, making a deafening noise as they slam against the ground, roofs, exterior walls, and windows of buildings, sending shivers down even inside the house. When a strong wind blows, white waves form offshore and sand is kicked up on the beach, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth.


Snow is falling on the beach in Wajima. The wind blows the snow along the coast, leaving it lightly covered in a dusting of snow.
The scenery of the countryside, which was covered in colorful autumn leaves until recently, suddenly changes to winter trees after the storm. I wait for a break in the rain to walk along the completely faded mountain path, and can hear the rustling of fallen leaves and feel the softness of the soil under my feet. In the crisp air, camellia and camellia flowers suddenly come into view. Then, birds peck at the red berries of mountain jasmine and viburnum. As the winter solstice approaches and the days get shorter, it seems that both humans and wild animals long for the sunlight, which is a heartwarming sight.


Yamakirai vines and fruits. If you find some cute vines, tie them together to make a wreath.


Camellias blooming in the harsh cold have a modest and gentle appearance.
A town with the scent of yuzu
In the corners of gardens and fields, you can see persimmon trees with their guardians still attached, and quince trees laden with fruit pointing up to the sky. The yuzu trees are shining yellow with fruit, like a representation of the sun. In Wajima, sweets and dishes that make use of the yuzu fruit are deeply rooted, and it feels like wisdom to ingest it at this time of year to purify the body and mind and restore vitality.


Even in the freezing air, the yuzu trees are vibrant and full of life.
Usually, around November, the town's Japanese sweet shops start preparing round yuzu mochi (round yuzu rice cakes). The stem of a yuzu fruit is cut all the way around, the inside is hollowed out, and the round shell is stuffed with sweet mochi dough with a hint of soy sauce, steamed, and then left to dry naturally. The amber-colored round yuzu mochi are loved by the locals not only as a tea snack, but also as an ingredient in cooking.
When I find a mountain of yuzu at a local market, I enjoy their fresh aroma. As I chop the peeled skin into small pieces with a knife, the kitchen is filled with a refreshing, sour air, and I feel bright and cheerful, like the moment a ray of sunlight shines into the gloomy Noto sky. This time spent mindlessly working with my hands is the best way to change my mood. I use the chopped yuzu skin to make yuzu pepper, yuzu miso, and yuzu tea, and I make a moisturizer from the seeds, savoring every last bit.


"Yuzu Kama" handmade by a mother in Wajima. It contains yuzu miso and has a special taste.
Taste of Home
At the beginning of winter, the Hokuriku region experiences a weather pattern known as "Buriokoshi," with thunder rumbling loudly and violent winds and rain. There are days when the rough weather prevents fishing boats from going out, but on the days when the boats are able to go out, the fresh fish lined up in stores is not to be missed. You'll be dazzled by the variety of lively seafood on offer.
The fish you often see are yellowtail, mackerel, sandfish, and cod that have just started to put on fat. Not only the white meat of cod, but also the roe and milt are lined up, and I remember being surprised by its grotesque appearance when I first encountered this ingredient after moving to Wajima. I remember asking the local women, "What is this? How do you eat it?" and they taught me recipes and how to cook it, saying things like, "It's good to stew it," or "It's delicious wrapped in kelp!" Then, I would imitate what I saw and make it, eat it, and smack my lips, saying, "This is a seasonal taste that is perfect for the freezing cold of this land!"


Sake lees soup with taro and roe. Adding sake lees to soup warms you from the inside out.
Happiness made by hand
Under the eaves of the houses, the noren curtains of dried persimmons that hung there in autumn are now replaced with radishes with leaves still attached, freshly picked from the fields. After drying the radishes in the cold wind for 2-3 weeks, the pickling process begins. Pickled Chinese cabbage is also an essential ingredient.
Each household has its own preferences, and when everyone gathers together over tea, they talk about their pickles and takuan (pickled radish). It may seem simple because the ingredients are simple, but the process and timing of preparation are varied and I think it is a deep world.


Daikon radishes are dried on the eaves. As they are exposed to the cold wind, the moisture evaporates, and the radishes become softer and sweeter.
As the end of the year approaches, it is customary for each household to make mochi (rice cakes). Many homes have a mortar, a pestle, and an electric mochi pounding machine, and once the hot, freshly steamed glutinous rice has been pounded, they skillfully turn it into a hemispherical kagami mochi or a stretched mochi made with beans, grains, kelp, and other ingredients.


The rice is steamed over a fire and then pounded with a mortar and pestle. This is the traditional method, and the work is carried out in perfect harmony, requiring great skill.
In today's society where distribution has become convenient, we can buy what we want to eat and have it delivered to our doorstep. However, the people of this region take the time and effort to make the most of the ingredients that are close at hand. For example, if you pickle ingredients harvested in abundance during the season in salt, rice bran, koji, sake lees, or miso, they will not only last longer, but the fermentation and aging process will enhance their flavor. Making preserved foods like this is one of the tasks before winter comes, and it is a way of praying for healthy and peaceful lives for family and neighbors. We learn how to live in community with other people from the way the fathers and mothers of Noto live.
Reconstruction as an extension of everyday life
Since the earthquake, there have been fears of an outflow and decline in the population of the Noto Peninsula, but every time I see scenes of traditional handicrafts thriving in every season, I am moved to tears with joy. Of course, the reality is that many people find it difficult to live their daily lives in the same rhythm as before the earthquake, and there are still many who are uncertain about how they will return to this state.
Festivals, seasonal events, and other special occasions are often celebrated, but it is in the Noto Ke culture that I feel the richness and depth born from the laws of nature. This is because the experience of natural disasters has made us realize the preciousness of everyday life. For various reasons, things that we have been able to do and taken for granted up until now can no longer be done, and we are forced into situations where we have no choice but to give up or choose alternatives.
The breath and warmth of the people in their everyday lives are connected to all cultures, and I love this unbroken connection. This spirituality is also present in Wajima's agriculture and forestry, woodworking, and lacquerware. The lifestyle that the people have patiently cultivated over the years in the harsh natural conditions of Noto, and the accumulation of their tireless efforts, are the irreplaceable charm of this land, the common heritage of all humanity, and I hope that they will be a ray of hope for recovery.


photography by Kuninobu Akutsu
Yukiko Akiyama
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. She graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design High School. She graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design, majoring in dyeing. In her high school class, she came across ``The Story of Urushi'' by the late Living National Treasure lacquer artist Gonroku Matsuda, which led her to decide to pursue a career in lacquer. After graduating from university, she moved to Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture to train in lacquer painting. She graduated from the Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Lacquer Art Training Institute. She graduated from the Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Lacquer Art Training Institute, Department of Lacquer. She became an apprentice to Living National Treasure Kunie Komori and became independent at the end of the year. She encountered the January 1st earthquake just as she was setting up her Takaura lacquer workshop in the Kuroshima district of Wajima City.
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“Wajima News ~While looking up at the starry sky~” is…
Yukiko Akiyama, a lacquer artist who lives in Wajima, writes ``Wajima News ~While looking up at the starry sky~''. 30 minutes by car from the center of Wajima City. The Kuroshima area, located in the northwestern part of the Noto Peninsula, flourished as a residence for Kitamae-bune ship owners and sailors, and its beautiful landscape with black-tiled roofs has been designated as a nationally important preservation district for groups of traditional buildings. I did. After 16 years in Wajima, lacquer artist Yukiko Akiyama set up a workshop in an old private house in the Kuroshima district, and was just about to work on her work while restoring it, when she was struck by the earthquake. Like many buildings, Akiyama's workshop collapsed. Although there is no prospect of resuming production in her workshop, she will continue to work with lacquer here, and while working on the town development of Kuroshima, she will aim to rebuild the Noto Peninsula and solidify her resolve to start a new life. I am. The rich lifestyle of Kuroshima in the past, the beautiful nature, the interaction with people, the passion for lacquer, and the current situation of the disaster area... She is a woman who lives her daily life in the disaster-stricken area and strives for reconstruction, but at the same time, she depicts the true image of Noto as depicted by a woman who deals seriously with lacquer.
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