8. One Region and the Earth

I believe that my job is to link a region to the Earth. Each area has gone through its own process of development under a peculiar natural environment and with a unique social and economic system. Each area also has its own intentions, regardless of whether they can be extracted in a meaningful way. This uniqueness of each area must be respected, and the concomitance of diversified areas with individual characteristics is a blessing for mankind. Meanwhile, the Earth itself, which stands at the top of the hierarchy of regions, has its own problems to tackle, such as climate change and biodiversity. The logic of regions and the logic of the Earth sometimes collide with one another. When that happens, neither side should impose its logic upon the other. Instead, they should seek ways for mutual cooperation. To do this, we need to present the point of view that subsumes both logics, and on this basis, construct an integrated model. My description may have become a bit abstract. In short, it appears to be important for us to keep a mixture of many things, just like the picture shown below.

The members of the project team dance with villagers. I would have hoped to see the mixture move ahead through drinking together, dancing together, and discussing together.

KONO Yasuyuki
Food Production and Environmental Protection