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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
December 6, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| November 21, 2005 |
Standing up Together to Preserve our Nature – Nakajima Shuichi |
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| Shuichi Nakajima |
Nakajima Shuichi is an author, spiritual artist, surfer and activist for environmental protection. He joined Peace Boat from Chile to Tahiti to encourage participants to think about their relationship with the environment. |
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| Shuichi (left) in a panel discussion with another Peace Boat guest, slow business advocate, Ryuichi Nakamura |
Shuichi lives on Tanegashima Island – a small island south of Kyushu, Japan, which is popular with surfers. He believes that the island’s environmental future is in jeopardy, due to the activities of a large corporation that is digging a quarry on the island. There is even fear among some residents that Tanegashima Island could become a ground for the dumping of nuclear waste, he said.
The results of this type of work can be seen on nearby Maeshima Island; a tiny island being disturbed as a large construction company digs for rock to be used on the mainland, says Shuichi. “As soon as they started to dig the land, muddy water polluted the surrounding water. Construction is still going on every day, and the natural environment is being destroyed,” he said. |
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| Shuichi talks to participants about the motivation behind his book, Garbage Factory |
Shuichi’s passion for preserving Tanegashima’s natural environment inspired him to write a book, called Garbage Factory. The plot is based on the destruction of a fictional island called Takaramijima, by a large construction company. The surfing population of the island fight to save the environment and in doing so, come up with a new alternative way of life.
Though fictional, the novel is a metaphor for solutions that Shuichi envisions for a much-needed change in society. “It’s about looking for a true balance in life, with value systems based on nature. I blended together the truth with a lot of my own wishes and hopes, and my vision for the future,” he said. Onboard, Shuichi immediately sold out of the 100 copies of Garbage Factory that he brought onto Peace Boat. |
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| A designer by trade, Shuichi also took time to hold workshops on art and design while on Peace Boat |
The large-scale construction which is rampant throughout Japan is due to refusal by the Government to reduce construction, says Shuichi. “When the economy was rising, we needed to increase construction. But all of this is no longer necessary, yet construction companies don’t want to stop – they want to keep their jobs and therefore keep on constructing. This is why there are so many unnecessary roads [and other concrete constructions] all over Japan, he says.
Shuichi believes that construction can be used to help the environment, instead of harming it. “We need to solve this problem at the root, not just one case at a time - if we solve each problem we can’t reach a solution. We have to change the system and let companies move in another direction.” |
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| Shuichi hopes others will join him in the fight to prevent pollution of the sea |
With another guest educator, Nakamura Ryuichi, Shuichi also encouraged participants to think about the wasting of resources in Japan. For example, he spoke of the money and resources that are being spent on new ‘conveniences’, such as heated toilet seats, (which are commonplace in Japan). “These kinds of extreme conveniences are a joke. I think we have gone past the line – we are making convenience that goes beyond the idea of necessity. If we have to destroy nature to get these things, then we don't need them,” he said.
Shuichi’s message for participants was to stay energized after the voyage, to try and work towards a better future. “Each time I go abroad, I make friends, and that experience gives me energy…I hope everyone [Peace Boat participants] can remember this experience, and stay positive after the voyage to work together to find the next way to make this country better, and make the world a better place for all,” he said. |
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