Co-creation of Local Values: Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks into the Wild

Abstract

In the Tajima region of Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, an initiative is currently underway to reconnect people and nature, which centers on the oriental white stork, a bird traditionaly revered in Japanese communities with close cultural, as well as psychological ties with human life. This project seeks to reintroduce oriental white storks into the wild. In this chapter, the author draws on his experiences in helping reintroduce oriental white storks into the wild as a researcher at Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork. The chapter attempts to analyze the processes by which multifaceted initiatives developed in a relaxed cooperation between a diverse range of actors through the sharing of the “story” of coexistence with the oriental white stork. The fact that the story of the reintroduction of the oriental white stork is ambiguous enables different values to coexist that are at first glance contradictory, thereby increasing the potential for diverse initiatives, which are not bound to the same single value to occur on a simultaneous and frequent basis. However, the fact that the story is a simplification of reality has led to various kinds of discordance. The author believes that multiple values can be acknowledged by connecting the story of the oriental white stork to local life, a process by which it is given greater relevance to local communities.