Miki Sakabe: Bringing Fukushima's Pride to the World

2019/03/22

"The total number of hydrangeas on display... is 372 varieties. A Guinness World Records title has been successfully achieved!"

As official adjudicator Koma Sato made the announcement, the venue, which had been silent with tension, suddenly erupted in loud cheers and applause. When Mayor Kazuaki Sawamura accepted the official certificate with a beaming smile, the press corps, who had been waiting for that moment, fired their camera shutters all at once.

I have a somewhat unusual job as a "World Record Consultant." The scene described above took place in Hirata Village, Fukushima Prefecture. At "Jupialand Hirata," hydrangeas bloom in vibrant colors. On July 14, 2018, it was recognized here for the Guinness World Records title of "Most varieties of hydrangeas on display."

In March 2014, a Guinness World Records challenge was held in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture—located 30km north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant—led by students from Soma Agricultural High School. The record they challenged was the "Largest bean mosaic." Using soybeans and black beans, they depicted a mounted samurai from the "Soma Nomaoi," a Shinto ritual that has continued since the Kamakura period.

The students spent three months preparing, supported by their teachers. It was a steady, painstaking process of drawing sketches on one-meter-square cardboard and meticulously lining up two types of beans. For the final three days, they reserved the entire gymnasium and completed the art together with local citizens who joined in. The mounted samurai, covering the entire gym floor, reached an area of 300 square meters, significantly surpassing the 60 square meters certified in the Republic of Kosovo in 2012. It was later officially certified as a Guinness World Records title. The events of the day were widely covered by television and newspapers, and were even introduced overseas.

I moved to Fukushima after the earthquake and have been supporting world record challenges as a form of reconstruction assistance. The sentiment shared by the challengers is: "The nuclear accident happened, but we are proud of Fukushima. We want the world to know that." This sentiment is spreading even further. To deliver that message to the world, I want to continue supporting them until a "Guinness World Records" title is established in all 59 municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture.

New challenges will take place this March in Tamura City and this May in Koriyama City. Furthermore, preparations are underway in Fukushima City and Aizuwakamatsu City. If you have the chance, please come and visit the sites.