2006 Hino Project Symposium

Date： 7, Dec. 2006 (Thu) 13:30-17:00
Place: Hino-si, Shinsengumi no Furusato Rekishi-ka

Part I
Morio Shimizu
(Minamidaira, Hino no Rekishi wo Tsuzuru Kai)
" Agricultural Village, Nanao and Livings along Waterfront"
Nanao-mura (village) is located in the southern part of Hino City, facing Asakawa (river) in the north, and Tama hills in the south. Nanao-mura had been established by merging seven villages (Mogusa, Ochikawa, Misawa, Takahata, Hodokubo, Minamidaira, and Taira). In the 33rd year of Showa (1958), Nanao-mura was merged with Hino-cho (town) to become Hino City in 1963. The population of Nanao-mura was almost steady since the Edo Era to around the 30th year of Showa; however, it dramatically increased after that time. Hills and paddy fields were replaced by residential areas. At the time, people lived on rice cropping, for which water was drawn from Asakawa through a barrage. Irrigation water of Hirayama was diverted into moats of Nedabori, Nakabori and Nakasekibori. These moats watered lower paddy fields, and returned to Asakawa around Takahata Bridge. The water from hills, was referred to as a bad waterway.　Sekiyama is a mountain from which woods were hewed out for building a weir. An old village inhabitant told me that villagers were gathered to clean ditches or road maintenance.
　The old sewage canal used as service water, has been gradually cleaned, though paddy fields were almost lost. The thatched farms were replaced by concrete buildings. Driven wells were doted on the north of farms, which were worship places of god of water. However, wells were dried because of pumping up of groundwater for factory use. Furthermore, wells could no longer be used for potable water because of pollution by toxic substances.

Part II Round-Table Talk
Minoru Ito (Kawabe Horinouchi)
Kawabe Horinouchi is one of the areas where agricultural lands and nature remain within Hino City. Kawabe Horinouchi was referred to as Kuwata-mura during 12 years between the 22nd year of Meiji (1889) when 8 villages were integrated (Toyoda, Kawabe Horinouchi, Ueda, Miya, Shimoda, Manganji and Ishida) and the 34th year of Meiji (1901) when Kuwata-mura was merged into Hino-cho.
The livings in the village had not been significantly changed till around the first years of 30's of Showa; however, the merge with Nanao-mura caused drastic changes. The mechanization of agriculture including rice cropping and silk cultivation, and growing of vegetables began, which produced radical changes in agricultural landscapes. The wonderful farmlands in Toyoda Minami improved for 5 years (during the 42nd year of Meiji (1909) and 3rd year of Taisho (1914) were lost by land rearrangement. The readjustment was implemented unilaterally by administration, rather than for conservation of culture and history. Kawabe Horinouchi was also rearranged for bypass highway which had been planned 50 years before, by association construction. We would like to conserve as many waterways as possible.
If paddy fields were lost, it will be difficult to manage and save irrigation canals. The waterways might become drainage canals.
Because Asakawa is a rapid river, heavy rains often caused floods, though water drew fast. There was tower around the intake. The flood made Fukando, where eels and catfish were found. We used to catch carps and crucians using umbrellas.
Heikichi Inoue (Hino Honcho)
　When I was a child, there was a delivery spot and Tamagawa Tei at the foot of the Tappi-bashi (bridge). When I started the first grade, the bridge was rebuilt into the Hino-bashi. After the war, I obtained the agricultural land about 1 chobo (9917m2) by the emancipation of farmland. I also worked for relocating houses ("hiki-ya") for block rearrangement at the time.
Around the 30th year of Showa, we were prohibited to eat rice because of cadmium pollution of Yamashita-bori (ditch) by Konishiroku (predecessor of Konica), and water pollution of Nojigawa by Hino Diesel, therefore we had to eat distributed rice. I am keenly aware of the transformation of the society by the policy of reduction of cultivation after that time. In any way, greens and clean water are necessary for us. I really impressed by the view from a ship when I was discharged from military service.
Masako Ishizaka (Kurasawa)
I married into Kurasawa from Inagi City in the 17th year of Showa (1942). Company housings of Nippon Shinpan Co., Ltd. were under construction at the time. We have to take roundabout route to Mogusa Danchi (estate) because there was no shortcut. The area was left behind the development by administration because it is in the boundary between Hino City and Tama City. Nature is still left because of such condition. The Kurasawa-gawa (river) flowed through the array in front of my house. At present, the road with 6m width was built where buses go down. I missed the sound of a stream after the river was covered under the road.
We were requested to sell land because there was development plan for new town. We were labeled as enemy when my grandfather refused to sell our land. After 5 or 6 years, we were praised for preserving greens. I recognized that values change according to the period. This is my happiest time during my carrier of farming.
　The festival of "Shiri-Bitari" was held on the 1st of December. The festival plays for water accident prevention, though I don't know about the origin of the name of the festival. Similar festivals are held around the areas with rivers.
We used to wash paper screens and nappies. Because of the increase of residences, bubbles of cleaning materials were floating on the river, and fireflies could not be found no more. At present, water has been cleaned and fireflies have come back to the river. Good rice can be harvested here, though only two paddy fields are left in Kurasawa, for which irrigation canals were drawn separately.
Many people come to see and devastate nature. I wish that they understand that there is someone who manages nature.