2022/06/17
Keio University currently owns approximately 160 hectares of forest land throughout Japan, including university-owned forests and forests under profit-sharing contracts with the national government, and is engaged in afforestation and silviculture activities. The "Gathering for People Who Love Forests," organized by the Fukuzawa Woodlands Association (Fukuzawa Ikurin Tomo no Kai), which was established in 2001 to support these activities, was held on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at the G-Lab in the East Research Building on the Mita Campus. While last year's event was held as a Zoom webinar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's gathering was held in person, attracting about 50 participants, including students as well as members of the Fukuzawa Woodlands Association.
For this 21st lecture, we welcomed Mr. Gakuichi Inoue, a Senior Specialist at The Japan Research Institute, Ltd. and Director of Sansuikyo, who gave a lecture on the theme of "The Future of Forests and People: A Future Forged by Mountains, Water, and Villages."
The lecture began from the perspective that forests are not merely timber factories, but the ultimate safety net, providing everything necessary for human survival. It introduced new forms of energy that leverage regional characteristics, as well as people who are creating unprecedented jobs and lifestyles. The episodes, based on Mr. Inoue's own firsthand experiences visiting sites and interacting with people, were filled with a sense of reality, and the participants were fascinated by these initiatives they rarely have the chance to learn about. The lecture also presented cases of young people who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have deliberately left cities and schools to enthusiastically and proactively engage in activities in rural areas, making for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking presentation.
Unfortunately, the social gathering had to be canceled, but the event concluded in a consistently friendly atmosphere.