Sea and Japan Project Public Relations Office
A public symposium to consider the cultural value and usage of folktales related to the sea, “What we can learn from “Umi no Folktales” – From the perspectives of writers, comedians, and scholars” will be held.
Monday, March 25, 2024 Bungeishunju Hall
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On March 25, 2024 (Monday), the Japan Folktales Association held a public symposium titled “What we can learn from ‘Umi no Folktales’ – From the perspectives of writers, comedians, and scholars.” Novelist Sayako Nagai, Kano from the comedy duo A Masso, Kei Kubo, a member of the Japan Folktales Society, and Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation, will be on stage to talk about folktales related to the sea left throughout Japan. We discussed the cultural value and usage of legends and other “sea folk tales”.
This event is part of the Nippon Foundation’s “Ocean and Japan Project,” which connects people through the ocean in order to pass on the rich and beautiful ocean to the next generation.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-1afdd2229cfd9030d26b-0.jpg&s3=77920-2548-851669ea0d139979b8109b9e092ce07d-981×654.jpg] Speakers and MC: From left: Yuka Katsuki, Kaho Kubo, Managing Director Mitsuyuki Unno, Sayako Nagai, and “A Masso” Kano
Event overview
[Table 2: https://prtimes.jp/data/corp/77920/table/2548_1_7f48cdca8085d9a3985ebe74b75ec487.jpg ]
What is “Umi no Folklore Town Project”?
At the symposium, the speakers first talked about their memories related to the sea, and then Nippon Foundation Executive Director Mitsuyuki Unno explained the “Umino Folklore Town Project,” and Chairman Yohei Sasakawa also addressed the audience in a video message. Since 2016, the Nippon Foundation has been promoting the “Ocean and Japan Project,” which provides programs to experience the ocean at over 3,000 locations a year, mainly for children and young people, with the concept of “passing on the beautiful and rich oceans to the next generation.” The “Umi no Folklore Town Project” is part of this effort.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-85bc17a55f35365ed175-8.jpg&s3=77920-2548-49d6ccba1463338cc8d36e28d2a3f2ef-490×327.jpg] The Nippon Foundation Managing Director Mitsuyuki Unno
■The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Umino explains the “Umino Folklore Town Project”
It is said that there are over 2000 folktales from all over the country. Approximately 20% of all folktales are related to the sea. Many folk tales are filled with the “feelings” of our ancestors, such as “gratitude” and “lessons learned.” In recent years, I have learned that folk tales are in danger of disappearing, as materials are being scattered due to municipal mergers, and storytellers are aging. Therefore, we started this project because we thought it was necessary to “record and preserve folktales related to the sea in the form of animation” and pass on the “connection between the sea and people” and “regional pride.”
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-5639d697cfd23994da7a-12.jpg&s3=77920-2548-430c51e94fa9724be223eab6faa43ee5-520×388.jpg] ■Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa Video Message
“Japan is a country with an old history, and it has a wealth of folklore, with tools of daily life and folk tales left behind.For the sake of the children who will lead the next generation, we collect folk tales related to the seas from various parts of Japan. I would like to leave this as an easy-to-read animation.Today, we will ask all the speakers to deepen their discussion, and based on the content, we will consider what the Nippon Foundation should do in the future and actively support it. .”
Speakers actively discussed the cultural value and usage of folktales related to the sea.
The speakers discussed topics such as “the value of sea folklore”, “what medium should we use to convey sea folklore”, and “what should we do to increase the number of people involved in sea folklore”, based on their respective fields of expertise. We talked about our opinions and ideas. There was a lively discussion
throughout, with the audience bursting into laughter at times, in a peaceful atmosphere.
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-82ec9242b78fa4a79491-0.png&s3=77920-2548-06dabd5699135449c77e307ca2e13dd9-1964×719.png ]
■Novelist Sayako Nagai
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-0f806a9c76db64e35bae-11.jpg&s3=77920-2548-de2ac11d29a37ad30eaf4fd591eaf502-446×298.jpg] “When I watched the Sea Folklore animation, I learned about the unique topography and natural phenomena of the area, and I also learned about the Japanese spirit of feeling that “God is there” and the richness of things that wash up from the sea. I thought about the people. Folktales are based on things that are a source of pride for the people of the area.As they are passed down, some people add verses to make them into Gidayu, and some parts of the sermon are left out and they become romantic stories. It becomes a story.I feel that the direction, interesting tone, and ease of telling are also necessary,” he said from a novelist’s perspective.
Regarding folk tales with disaster themes, he said, “Disasters are ruthless and unjust.For those who were left behind, folk tales convey the desire to repose for the souls of those who died. “Folktales are meant to help us believe that we are living in peace. Folktales can help us live a peaceful life.” (Regarding the use of sea folktales) The main character, setting, situation, etc.It would be a good idea to use a folktale as a theme to express yourself freely through videos, dance, drama, digging deeper into the characters, etc. If you say, “Let’s play with this folktale!”, the children won’t come along.If you invite them, “Let’s play with this folktale!”, they will read the lesson and create something.Then, it will spread, and they will even create their own folktales. I’m sure there will be some people who would like to do this.I would also like to utilize folktales in my own creative activities in the future.”He talked about his future prospects.
■Comedy duo “A Masso” Kano-san
[Image 6: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-c4d1916fc5c241a209e8-8.jpg&s3=77920-2548-e6db956e2c66d5fde35bd3b0a892fa47-445×298.jpg] “The Umi no Folktale animation had content that is relevant to modern society, such as territorial issues. When people cannot compromise on their own claims, they want to make decisions based on divine revelation. Such humanity was also depicted.The animation also depicted humanity. “I found it interesting, so I continued watching it, and the core of the story came at the punch line (at the end). I think this is one of the major characteristics of sea folktale animation,” he said, expressing his impressions from a comedian’s perspective. .
He also said, “Disasters come mercilessly. It’s not just about God being angry because humans were arrogant. I think it’s good to have gray stories that don’t have easy-to-understand punch lines. In the future, I think it would be good to have folk tales with a wide range of topics. (Regarding the use of sea folk tales) I think there is potential for games. Maybe we can incorporate folk tale elements such as helping people or saving the country. No. Comedy skits are a world of fiction. When you want to convey something, there is nothing better than a live performance. To convey a true message, paper shows and word-of-mouth may be more effective than videos. ” he said.
■Japan Folklore Society Committee Member Kaho Kubo
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-9e9f45f68c1572493d4a-8.jpg&s3=77920-2548-6ff7610d43c8a429bd883a2f450257ee-447×300.jpg] “Folktales” is an abbreviation of the word “folk tales” derived from the English Folktale.Depending on their content and format, there are “folk tales,” “legends,” and “small stories.”They teach lessons and wisdom for living along with the history and values of the region. “Small talk” included in folktales is something that has been told in recent times, such as something you’ve heard from a friend of a friend.Also, it includes stories created by writers in the style of folk tales. “It is sometimes expressed using the word folktale. New stories are being created all the time while still using traditional story forms,” he said, giving his opinion from a scholar’s perspective.
Also, regarding universality, in Japan, general folk tales that are not “tonchi tales” are basically “encourage good, punish evil.” If you do good things, good things will come back to you. I think that kind of worldview gives children a sense of security. Folk tales were used as moral teaching materials from an educational perspective; for example, Grimm’s Fairy Tales were actively introduced in Japan from the Meiji period. What’s interesting about this is that the original Grimm story has changed and spread into a form that is typical of Japanese folk tales. Folktales change according to the times and culture. ”, he said, touching on history, and said, “Umi no Folktale Animation is an excellent piece of art, with original illustrations and narration by voice actors.I was also impressed by the fact that the director traveled to the area to conduct research. There are things that can be conveyed through animation to people from other countries who speak different languages.You can also communicate that “there are similar stories in my country as well.”The philosophy of the Umi no Folktale Town Project I think it would be great if you could spread the word about this as well.” He also expressed his hopes for the future.
■Mitsuyuki Unno, Managing Director, Marine Division, The Nippon Foundation
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-92a98da2b08caf2bb562-8.jpg&s3=77920-2548-44c042d4fa6051b3ae9e25bd3f8b6fa2-489×326.jpg] “(Regarding the use of sea folklore) Why not hold a sea folktale live performance at an aquarium at night, targeting adults?I would also like Kano-san to perform a “sea comedy” (lol) Until now. I would like to expand this to a different demographic.The other thing is creation that utilizes AI.(On the venue screen, we screened an animation of Umi no folklore that was prototyped using AI) Mr. Nagai said, “The base of the story is good.” However, Mr. Kubo said, “The tone of the story is difficult,” and Mr. Kano said, “There is no tsukkomi and there is no cuteness.It lacks charm.”Currently, Numata Anime The director will have the upper hand.AI is still in its development stage, so I would like to utilize it in some way in the future.While listening to the story, I also realized that there is no theme song for Umi no Minwa.There are many possibilities. “I will try what I can,” he said, talking about his future production of folktales.
“In the Umi no Folktale Town Project, we hold workshops in areas where folktales have been completed.In Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, high school students discussed the use of folktales, and many unique ideas came out. Although we tend to see young people as targets for education and enlightenment, we believe it is important to work with young people as collaborative partners and comrades who are changing society. There is apparently a program called “Memory of the World” that is separate from “World Heritage” and “Intangible Cultural Heritage,” with the aim of increasing the value of cultural heritage. I thought it might be a good idea to consider suggesting “Folktales of the Sea” as part of “Memory of the World.” By doing so, we may be able to promote “Umi no Folklore Animation” as a globally recognized culture known as “Japanese Anime,” and also promote exchanges with other regions of the world that have similar folktales. ”, he said, taking into consideration initiatives that involve society and global activities.
Summary of the symposium (Future development of the Sea Folklore Town Project)
[Image 9: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-a57e894ffedafac26055-11.jpg&s3=77920-2548-125d21ef1f07197d20cd0e2d680c0e1d-728×486.jpg] Managing Director Unno said, “Today was an opportunity to once again think about the value of Umi no Folktales.” So far, 67 Umi no Folklore animations have been completed.In the future, when 100 animations are completed, we will release them as a single package. We would like to make it more visible to everyone, such as broadcasting it on terrestrial television. Please look forward to it.
I am also currently compiling a book titled “The World of Umi no Folktales,” which is scheduled to be published by Bungeishunju around May or June of this year. This is an attempt to systematize the value of sea folktales by having many experts talk about folktales. In the future, we will continue to conduct research and research with academic experts, digging deeper into how to utilize this information in the local community and how to disseminate information about it. ” he said.
Voices from participants
・I felt that by reading folktales, children would not only have a fun time, but also develop a deep sense of the importance of things and a love for nature and living things. (20s/general)
・The way I perceive the ocean has changed. I had never looked at Japan from above and seen it as a country surrounded by the sea, but (through this symposium) I was able to feel closer to the sea. (20s/student)
・Although I was often exposed to folk tales when I was young, I realized that as an adult I had fewer opportunities to do so. Previously, I had focused on “learning” from folk tales, but I now realize that I need to think about passing them down. (20s/general) ・Please make 200 or 300 episodes instead of 100! (40s/general) ・I saw the wonderful treasures that underlie Japanese culture. I would like to see more effort put into discovering local folk tales. It would be even better if there was a project that would bring these together and pursue the national identity of the Japanese people. (80s/general)
-Organization overview-
Organization name: Japan Folktales Association (General Incorporated Association)
URL: https://www.nippon-mukashibanashi.or.jp/
[Image 10: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-23c841d151556239d8fd-11.png&s3=77920-2548-7835fd786d807f265b91c0f7675692a1-343×112.p ng]
Umi no Minwa Town Project https://uminominwa.jp/
The “Sea Folktales Town Project” is a project to pass down to children the “relationship with the sea” and “regional pride” of Japan, which has a deep relationship with the sea. We will select “folk tales” and “legends” related to the sea left throughout Japan, and create an opportunity to pass them on to the next generation, starting with the children who will lead the next generation. We are working to make this activity known to as many people as possible and provide an opportunity to think about our relationship with the ocean.
[Image 11: https://prtimes.jp/i/77920/2548/resize/d77920-2548-0B522584E4A002DEA3AE-10.pNG & S3=77920-2548-AA1B748-AA1B7F2F910B571240A70662 58770-512X147.png] Nippon Foundation “Ocean and Japan Project” https://uminohi.jp/ The sea supports Japanese people’s lives in various ways, sometimes giving them peace of mind, excitement, and inspiration. This is an all-Japan project that aims to encourage people across the country, including children, to view the ongoing environmental deterioration of the oceans as their own, and to expand the circle of action to preserve the oceans for future generations. is.
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000002548.000077920.html