{"id":97807,"date":"2025-01-29T14:00:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T05:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/?p=97807"},"modified":"2025-05-22T16:48:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T07:48:13","slug":"shiga-future-design-project-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/shiga-future-design-project-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Otsu: Casting nets and visions. The fisherman shaping Otsu\u2019s Evolution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Living with Lake Biwa is my calling.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Fisherman\u2019s Journey with Tatsuya Komai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI studied architecture at university, but what left the greatest impression on me wasn\u2019t the buildings\u2014it was the Ganges River in India, a space where people live in harmony with the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, he realized his hometown in Japan was home to a great mother lake. Though born in Shiga Prefecture, Komai-san grew up in the inland city of Ritto, far removed from Lake Biwa. Yet, it didn\u2019t take long for him to decide to build his life alongside its waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A desire to keep Lake Biwa in his gaze at all times led Komai to become a fisherman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Initially, Komai-san sought to approach Lake Biwa from an architectural perspective. However, he realized, \u201cThere\u2019s only so much planning can achieve. For fishermen, survival in the present outweighs concerns about the future. Not very stable and there is some uncertainty about the future. It\u2019s bittersweet\u2014such an extraordinary profession, yet overshadowed by doubt and worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What, then, was to be done? Mr. Komai wrestled with his thoughts before arriving at a bold and steadfast conclusion: \u201cI will become a fisherman.\u201d Yet, his voice remained serene, almost reflective, as he added, \u201cIf there\u2019s a calling that lets me wake up to the beauty of Lake Biwa every day, it must be fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Weir fishing is a unique \u201cwait-and-see\u201d fishing method that has a history of more than 1,000 years in Lake Biwa, which prevents over-catching fish. Once numbering around 130, the fish weirs have dwindled to just 40, year after year. While some young people dream of becoming fishermen, the profession\u2019s struggle to create opportunities for newcomers casts a shadow over their aspirations.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Otsu City, situated in the southwestern part of Shiga Prefecture\u2014one could even say, at the heart of Lake Biwa\u2014is both the largest urban center in the prefecture and conveniently close to Kyoto. Yet, life in Otsu remains deeply intertwined with the surrounding fields, mountains, and the lake itself. It has been three years since he apprenticed with a weir fisherman in the area, and four years since he ventured out on his own. Seven years have passed since he began casting off daily at the Wani fishing port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The catch that day was modest, with only six or seven species, though they catch about 30 species throughout the year. \u201cThe weirs are fixed in place, so you can directly observe how the fish move with the seasons,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s like feeling the change of seasons, much like experiencing spring through cherry blossoms.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Komai-san, a self-proclaimed \u201cFisher Architect,\u201d aims to visualize and share the fisherman\u2019s lifestyle through an architectural lens, with the goal of fostering community development and shaping landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI aim to craft a unique fisherman\u2019s landscape, one that can only exist here.It\u2019s not just about building structures, but about letting the fishermen\u2019s way of life shape the landscape. It would be great if this vision could unfold and expand in meaningful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Komai-san\u2019s fishing experience includes cooking and eating the catch. The menu featured shrimp and whitebait straight from the pot, deep-fried willow gudgeon and Japanese dace, and Hemibarbus barbus <\/em>in sweet vinegar sauce.\u3000\u201cIt’s not about the fullness of your nets, but about fishing in a beautiful lake, savoring the catch, and giving thanks for the gift of life.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To invite people from all walks of life to experience the area’s water-and-greenery-based lifestyle, he spearheads various activities, including workshops, artist-in-residence programs, and podcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the wall of Mr. Komai’s home hang works from the \u201cBIWAKO Artist-in-Residence\u201d project he co-founded, along with a childhood calligraphy piece of the character for \u201clake\u201d\u2014a striking coincidence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

“My plan is to highlight the organic ties not just among fishermen, but across various ways of life. By exchanging perspectives, I hope to inspire reflection on the water cycle and the interconnected lifestyles it sustains.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cKarakkaze,\u201d a Japanese-style eatery near Otsu Station, specializes in Shiga ingredients and local sake, while \u201cUotomi,\u201d located just in front of Ukimido, is renowned for its lake fish tsukudani<\/em>. Both establishments source their fish from Komai, exemplifying the \u201corganic connection\u201d between the fisherman and the restaurants, where his catch is transformed into culinary creations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, he has turned to data science as tangible tools to visualize the lives of fishermen. By measuring his heart rate with wearable devices, filming his fishing activities, and tracking his daily sales and annual income, he seeks to capture comprehensive data on himself. What state of mind does he experience? How does it affect his body? And how does it connect to his life as a whole?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow can we visualize what drives a fisherman\u2019s success? For instance, I\u2019m exploring when my heart rate peaks during the fishing season and linking it to the scenes unfolding before me at those moments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t yet know what insights or results will emerge from collecting and compiling this data. After all, this is an unprecedented experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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His heart rate peaks when the fish is caught in the net, but it\u2019s calmest when steering the boat to the fishing grounds with the sunrise behind him. \u201cI don\u2019t see myself as a hunter, but those moments of heightened heart rate feel instinctive, as if driven by my nature. At the same time, I\u2019m deeply calmed by the beauty of Lake Biwa.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Still, doesn\u2019t he have any reservations about revealing everything about himself, from his physical condition to his income?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have nothing to hide. That\u2019s part of what makes it worthwhile. I want to expand the business, and to do that, I believe I must set an example for others. While weir fishing alone isn\u2019t lucrative, combining various fishing methods with hands-on workshops has steadily grown the business. I\u2019d like to communicate this as a model\u2014showing that there are alternative ways to work, rather than just lamenting the decline of the fishing industry. I believe data and science can help achieve this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal isn\u2019t to improve efficiency, but rather to share. It\u2019s also an exploration of new ways to harness data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Black-headed gulls flock after Komai, ever hopeful for a taste of his next catch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Asked if he was happy living with a view of Lake Biwa every day, Komai-san immediately replied, \u201cYes, I\u2019m over the moon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes I\u2019m away giving lectures, but even after just a day, I find myself itching to get back to the lake. The act of fishing there is a way for me to recalibrate, both physically and mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think of resetting, we often imagine stepping into an extraordinary situation, like traveling. However, the opposite is true. Lake Biwa has the power to reset people by grounding them in their everyday routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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UCHIAKE is a repurposed food warehouse now serving as an \u201calternative community center.\u201d It\u2019s home to \u201cNINA SPICE STAND,\u201d which began as a kitchen car and has since become a storefront, and \u201cdry river 2nd,\u201d the second branch of a popular bakery. The view in front is stunning, with the ridgeline, lake, Kosai Line railroad tracks, and fields forming a picturesque parallel line.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Shiga future design project<\/strong>
https:\/\/note.com\/shiga_mirai\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Efforts to revitalize local economies could be filled with promise and hope by focusing on throwing fresh light on the rich, unique climate and discovering new, unrecognized value\u2014that was the starting point of Shiga Future Design Project. The project for exploring Shiga Prefecture\u2019s tomorrow with data is a three-way collaboration between Shiga University, the first institution of its kind in Japan to establish a faculty of data science; Ars Electronica Futurelab, an Austria-based cultural organization specializing in media art; and Toyota Coniq Alpha, Inc. (*integrated into Toyota Conic Pro, Inc. in April 2025.), a company that uses data to shape the future. The local university will serve as a hub and work with the local residents and corporate partners to use the local data and create local happiness. To this end, the first step is to visit the people based in the local community who are already taking action for the future. PAPERSKY joins the journey to explore Shiga\u2019s multiple potential futures, and presents our findings in a series of five stories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":97943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":false,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,117],"tags":[8896,5766,8895,2820,8303],"place":[236],"writer":[],"class_list":["post-97807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-guides-en","category-culture-en","tag-fisherman","tag-lake-biwa","tag-otsu","tag-shiga","tag-shiga-future-design-project","place-shiga-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOtsu: Casting nets and visions. 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The project for exploring Shiga Prefecture\u2019s tomorrow with data is a three-way collaboration between Shiga University, the first institution of its kind in Japan to establish a faculty of data science; Ars Electronica Futurelab, an Austria-based cultural organization specializing in media art; and Toyota Coniq Alpha, Inc., a company that uses data to shape the future. The local university will serve as a hub and work with the local residents and corporate partners to use the local data and create local happiness. To this end, the first step is to visit the people based in the local community who are already taking action for the future. 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The fisherman shaping Otsu\u2019s Evolution - PAPERSKY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/shiga-future-design-project-04\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/shiga-future-design-project-04\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MG_9442-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-01-29T05:00:22+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-22T07:48:13+00:00","description":"Efforts to revitalize local economies could be filled with promise and hope by focusing on throwing fresh light on the rich, unique climate and discovering new, unrecognized value\u2014that was the starting point of Shiga Future Design Project. The project for exploring Shiga Prefecture\u2019s tomorrow with data is a three-way collaboration between Shiga University, the first institution of its kind in Japan to establish a faculty of data science; Ars Electronica Futurelab, an Austria-based cultural organization specializing in media art; and Toyota Coniq Alpha, Inc., a company that uses data to shape the future. The local university will serve as a hub and work with the local residents and corporate partners to use the local data and create local happiness. To this end, the first step is to visit the people based in the local community who are already taking action for the future. 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