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“Mountain villages that tended to be seen as fragile and impoverished were in fact home to robust and vibrant communities.”
 
This book was published as part of a series of initiatives marking the 30th anniversary of the Chuo University Sanson Kenkyūkai [Chuo University Research Society for Mountain Villages], of which I am also a member, and is a compilation of some of the research activities conducted over the past 30 years in Hayakawa Town, Yamanashi Prefecture. Although I am relatively new to the society, I would like to express my respect for the many members who have carried out various activities over the past 30 years.
 
In addition to investigating and interpreting historical materials, the society has conducted a wide range of research activities, including interviews with local residents and landscape surveys. It has also held lectures and workshops of historical documents aimed at local residents, which include owners of the materials. During the semester, the society holds weekly meetings where it continues the work of reading, cataloging, and exchanging information on historical documents. These meetings have become a forum for nurturing young researchers through hands-on activities and for exchanging knowledge. Past activities are summarized in the Chūō Daigaku Sanson Kenkyūkai Hōkokusho [Collection of Reports by the Chuo University Research Society for Mountain Villages] (to date, 33 issues) and the Chūō Daigaku Sanson Kenkyūkai Komonjo Chōsa Hōkoku [Reports on Historical Documents Research by the Chuo University Research Society for Mountain Villages].
 
After the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, the society decided to focus on the reading of historical documents related to disasters. Since then, the society has been using the unusual circumstances of disasters as an entry point for analyzing historical materials that have been passed down in villages in Hayakawa Town. Many of the historical documents that have been analyzed and discussed also appear in this book.
 
The society includes researchers from diverse fields of study that transcend the boundaries of the so-called arts and sciences. Another unique feature of the circle is the diversity of its participants, which include professional researchers, students, graduates, citizens, and residents. I am grateful for being able to witness participants with completely different knowledge systems and different ways of thinking come together to read and discuss the same historical documents while viewing the same landscape and to experience the outpouring of intellectual curiosity and inquisitiveness in a shared effort to deepen understanding of mountain villages and regions. We hope that the book provides a window into the process of exploration and contemplation by society members. Interested readers are welcome to join our study circle.
 
As my research theme is past earthquakes, I wrote a column titled “Mountain Villages and Earthquakes.” I examined the type of earthquake tremors experienced by the residents of Hayakawa who left us historical materials and sought to explain how the past and the present are connected in Hayakawa through the natural phenomenon of earthquakes.
 
The Noto Peninsula Earthquake occurred on New Year’s Day, 2024. The earthquake triggered landslides resulting in the blockage of roads and other adverse circumstances. Historical records indicate that similar circumstances have occurred in Hayakawa as a result of several earthquakes, including the 1707 Hoei Earthquake, and that the residents have responded in various ways to overcome the resulting difficulties. We can expect to see a similar progression from emergency and reactive measures to restoration and reconstruction in Noto Peninsula as well. Studying the various aspects of disasters recorded in historical documents and the activities of residents who have sought to overcome these may provide valuable insight into how we can better prepare for and respond to disasters that may occur now or in the future.
 

(Written by KANO Yasuyuki, Associate Professor, Earthquake Research Institute / 2024)