Researchers of famed writer Kenji Miyazawa have proposed creating the Japanese version of the German Fairy-tale Road in Iwate Prefecture to help areas recover from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Researchers of famed writer Kenji Miyazawa have proposed creating the Japanese version of the German Fairy-tale Road in Iwate Prefecture to help areas recover from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Hanamukiya landscape research institute, a group working to develop the town of Hanamaki based on Miyazawa's philosophy, said the Japanese fairy-tale road would be called "the Ihatov Marchen road" and extend about 150 kilometers on Route 283 and Route 45. It would connect Otsuchi, Kamaishi, Tono and Hanamaki, all in Iwate Prefecture.
"We want to contribute to the restructuring efforts through the literary power of Miyazawa," said Fumio Yonechi, 77, president of the institute.
Born in Hanamaki, Miyazawa (1896-1933) wrote poems and fairy tales imbued with his unique imagination showing his great love for his hometown.
Borrowing the basic concept of the German Fairy-tale Road, stemming from the Brothers Grimm, the institute submitted the proposal to Otsuchi Mayor Yutaka Ikarigawa, who has approved the project. The institute plans to soon seek the approval of other nearby municipalities.
Under the plan, the road would start from the residence of the Kikuchi family in Hanamaki, where Miyazawa's "Kurobudo" fairy tale unfolds. The finishing point is expected to be Horai Island in Otsuchi Bay, said to be the inspiration for the popular Hyokkori-hyotan-jima puppet play.
The research group plans to designate some facilities along the road as "Miyazawa fairy-tale buildings" to promote tourism.
Sites along the road would immerse travelers in the literary world of Miyazawa. The writer called Route 283 the "Great Passen road," a name cited in his popular "Haru-to-shura" poem collection.
In his short fiction piece "Polono-no-hiroba," Miyazawa
described the Sanriku coast of Iwate Prefecture as "a beautiful Ihotov's seaside with a number of rock reefs."
The Ihatov term, which often appears in Miyazawa's works, is believed to refer to his own utopia based on the landscape of Iwate Prefecture.
The Iwate Keiben Railway, the precursor of the JR Kamaishi Line, which runs parallel to Route 283, is believed to be the model of his best-selling novel "A Night on the Galactic Railroad."
Hisashi Inoue, one of the writers of the Hyokkori-hyotan-jima story, wrote the puppet play after being inspired by Miyazawa's work. Inoue won the Ihatov award from the Miyazawa Kenji Association Iihatobu Center.
Miyazawa was influential in the development of other prominent literary figures in Japan.
Kunio Yanagita, known as the father of Japanese native folklore, borrowed much from Miyazawa in writing Yanagita's masterpiece Tono Monogatari (Tales of Tono).
Kizen Sasaki, a prominent researcher of folk tales who has been called the "Japanese Grimm," had a close relationship with Miyazawa.
"Miyazawa loved the Sanriku coast," said the vice president of Miyazawa Kenji memorial museum. "We hope this project will lead to a rediscovery of the relationship between Miyazawa and the coastal area."