save the Blue Tier
mononoke hime and kodama power
japanese students return to lottah
Our Japanese student visitors who came up to the Blue Tier camp three weeks ago enjoyed the experience so much they returned to screen Princess Mononoke at St. Marys on 10th July. The film was directed by Miyazaki, who is a well known animator in Japan and apparently has a substantial following in the west. The general consensus was that it was a most enjoyable film and that it should be screened again in St. Helens for those who missed the event.
They visited the camp on the following day to place 'kodamas' on proposed logging coupe GC134F. The idea is that these are benign spirits which will protect the forest from harm.
In a totally unexpected gesture Steve Cameron who owns some land flanking Anchor Road gave to the Japanese students the western half of his block in perpetuity; now they are obliged to fight tooth and nail to protect their turf as the locals have been doing. :)
Visitors have posted more photos on the web but (free) registration is required for access. We have some images of the dedication in November as well.
[click on thumbnails for larger versions]
 Here is group photo of the visitors before they moved to kodama the forest (new verb just coined); Bill Harvey, master agitator, in centre. |
 Amy Edler and Larry Gray, visitors from the US accompanied by Mark Karki who originates from Tibet. |
 Kiyoshi Sasaki holding a 'Friends of the Blue Tier' sign on Anchor Road against the background of their newly acquired parcel of land. |
 Here is a closeup of a kodama on coupe GC134F |
 Shoko Tagawa |
Seiji Kagioka and Satoko Amano with Janine Wright |
 Keisuke Hattori |
 Kazuma Nishimura |
 Mari Yamaguchi |
 Tempei Miyaji |
 Haruka Suzuki |
 Here they are again after lunch posing at the base camp before driving up to the myrtle forest on the Blue Tier |
