...one Kanda refers to as a “slow disaster” in the making. As is true with hundreds of other rural settlements across Japan, Tané is facing a systemic erosion of its very existence.

Despite its centuries-old village settlement, endemic population depletion accompanied by unmanaged forest, water, and field resources forecasts an imminent and unfortunate demise. “To Live in Tané” underscores the MIT & Keio University’s initiative at developing models for alternative futures guided by improved management of the surrounding ecology, a revived resident population and the introduction of an educational center for environmental design.

https://web.mit.edu/tane/research.html

There are few young residents. Empty farmhouses are increasingly ubiquitous. With the passing of each year there are major questions as to the future life of Tane, which has prevailed over hundreds of years.

Agenda

Tane has a small population and we have to gather new, permanent residents. 田根の住人は減少し限界集落と言われる。そのため、新しくこの土地に住人を受け入れる必 要 がある。

Who/what does Tane want to attract? 誰にとって/何にとって田根は魅力的でありたいのか？

Consider a healthy forested mountain, that recieves rainwater on its peaks, water which gradually makes it's way to the rivers that flow into the valley. The water is essential for bringing the bounty of the forest's nutrient-rich underlayer to the benefit of the rice-fields below. In an even greater scheme, this water flows into larger and larger bodies of water, until it finally reaches the largest of all, Lake Biwa. This becomes the water that people drink, that sustains the fish the eat, and will even be evaporated and precipitated again onto the very peaks it came from. This is the context that Japanese forest methods are developed, and is certainly not limited to short-sighted economic models that might lead to simple clear cutting. This is why the forests of Tane are both the pride and the economic vitality of the area.

Design Strategy

The project is part of a full village system. The mountains offer fresh air, a connection with nature, good mental feeling, cooler air, impressive views, but do not need to hold all program.

Program Components

People: User + Operators Time: Duration of Stay Space: Spatial Elements

Program Possibilities

1. Therapy 2. Stock farm 3. Garden 4. Energy 5. Education

Example: Therapy

In what space are we building?

What are the layers that compose our site?

Rabbit Program

Turtle Program

The thirteen villages of Tane in Shiga Prefecture represent the traditional typology of the Satoyama: the mountain-valley-village-field settlement pattern seen throughout rural regions of Japan. This morphological community form has long been a sustainable collective structure in human habits harmoniously co-existing with nature. Today, however, a critical transformation is taking place. Monkeys and wild-boars, both native to the region, are descending from the mountains and “invading” the diminishing and aging population of the villages.

The 2016 JDW MIT team focused on the chronic problems posed by Monkeys descending from the surrounding hillsides. Villagers had always maintained a small area for growing crops for their domestic consumption. In the past decades, indigenous monkeys were faced with their dwindling food source in their mountain habitat. At the same time, depopulation accelerated in Tane's farming communities, the monkey population began to outnumber the villagers. Which in turn empowered the monkeys to invade the aging residents's vegetable fields. Solutions were sought to confront this rampant problem, of the "old people" vs. smart, agile monkeys. Wildlife protection precluded poisoning and killing, barking dogs were too intimated to chase them, large-scale fencing did not work.

With one of the final workshop sojourns in Tane by JDW, brainstorming with the villagers resulted in a potential solution for the community.

One, provide alternate food source which the monkeys love. Particularly berries and grapes. Once consumed, their seed droppings would propagate and establish more fruit trees effectively creating a barrier-zone.

Two, locate them strategically at the foothills, between their mountain habitat and the farmers' field of crops. Location of such fruit-bearing linear orchards is key, requiring good planning by all.

Three, this is a defensive strategy, and a win-win proposition for both sides. If it works... but certainly should be tried.

Perhaps the next time after many years, a JDW alumnus visits Tane, one can witness the monkeys having their feast on one side, and people nibbling the sweet berries and grapes on their side - the Continuation and Transfomation of Satoyama.