Resume of Kochi Lectures and Excursion on The Topic Tropical

Agriculture/Fishery, Food Security & Community Services

Written by: Elfa Norisda Aulianisa (Ehime University-Bogor Agricultural University)

I. Community Services
Community Services in Yasuda-shi
Yasuda-shi (city) has a mascot that has a deep meaning as one of the city in Japan
agriculture which supports the food production chain security in Japan. The mascot’s name is
Antaro (figure 1) which consist of mainly 3 parts, head looks like eggplants, body looks like
Ayu-fish, feet look like root of Jimenjo.

Figure 1 Antaro Mascot

Nasu (eggplant) is a very important commodity in Yasuda because Yasuda is the first biggest
producer in Japan for eggplant supply. Meanwhile Ayu fish is a unique fish that lives in the
river which lies in Yasuda-shi (figure 2).

Figure 2 Ayu fish (Plecoglossus altivelis)

Spesies : Plecoglossus altivelis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) status IUCN: Data

Deficient
Intra-specific Taxa : Plecoglossus altivelis ssp. ryukyuensis Nishida, 1988 status IUCN:
Endangered

(IUCN, 2018)
It is can only get from the river natural population in Yasuda by fishing using Tomozuri
technique. Because the Ayu fish favorite feed is moss, algae, and clean water habitat, it is no
use to fishing the fish by bait. The technique relies on territory awareness of the male Ayu
fish to attack any other male that come near by its radian of territory (figure 3).
 Figure 3 Tomozuri technique

The population of Yasuda-shi is consist of 269 family, which the majority is above 65 years
old (senior citizen-in Japan senior citizen is above 65 y.o. meanwhile in Indonesia is above
60 y.o.)-only 41.64% of the population is below the age of 65 y.o. The participants of senior
citizens are mainly consisting of women.
The depopulation that happened, trigerred the youths there initiate the Community
Services that help by the Kochi University to develop the Rural Community. A school
(previously Elementary School in Nakayama, Yasuda, closed due to any student hasn’t attend
the school. To remain the building, the youths initiated:
1. The Skill Courses Open for Public
The skill courses open for any kids, children, range from preschool-junior high school
from anywhere region to participate and learn about
a) Cultures and Japanese Customs
b) Sports
c) History
Learn about history of the Yasuda which consist of 80% area is forest,
previously famous for its forest products (maki=firewood) as the main raw
materials for making charcoal. Kochi area mainly Umaji and Yasuda was built
railroads where not all area in Japan has had railroads at that time since the
importance of the woods stocks from Kochi prefecture (figure 4).

Figure 4 History of Yasuda in the Past from mockup and photograph showroom

d) Cultivate the Degraded Land

2. Monthly Café
3. Once every 3 months Shopping Day

II. Tropical Agriculture/ Fishery

 As previously said, Fishery nowadays really affected by pollutants and global climate
change. Issues on fishery that addressed on by the Japanese Government based on Ikema
Sensei’s Presentation are:
1. Stock decline and depression; that caused by the many things for e.g. the demands
are higher and higher since the population of the world now reached almost 7
billion people.
2. Decline of fishers & related industry in Japan
3. Needs to improve the profitability; so the fisher can be chosen as the job of the
youths in Japan.
4. Aging society; performance with the degraded physical strength won’t fit the
needs of the fisher profession’s responsibilities.

III. Food Security and Community Services

Unforgettable Excursion and Lesson from JA Umaji-mura

Figure 5 Gokkun JA Umaji-mura and Welcoming desk

Figure 6Towel; a separator, protector, souvenirs, costumer served best in JA Umaji mura
 Figure 7 Design Team Room

JA Umaji Mura is a factory that famous for its product made from Yuzu (Citrus
junos) that handled the upstream to downstream production activities located in Umaji-mura
village, Kochi Prefecture. Even though it is located in a remote area, the popularity remains
kept until now for its best quality of gokkun (gulp-clean juice) and nabe made from Yuzu.
Many products (more than 60) from cosmetics, perfumes, seasonings, juice, syrup, jam,
fertilizers and many more produced to be a factory of zero waste-based management.
The role of the JA Umaji-mura chairman has a very important influence where the
group can never ever give up with the situation of shifting area from firewood producer to
nothing. After failure in the past from tried to plant Ume, the group decided to plant Yuzu in
the area that consist of 96% mountainous slope area, where Yuzu can be planted. The 15
years old factory build in the remote area that awaken the world that being stepped forward is
not always mean to go to the city and left our village. The JA Umaji-mura proved it with
works and actions rather that speech and thoughts only.