沖縄文化の精神的な源泉である「海」との関わりは、今を生きる沖縄県民の文化的アイデンティティに深く根ざしています。そしてそれは、未来を担う次世代にとっても、大切な拠りどころとなり得るものです。しかし現在、その“海と共にある文化”は、急速な環境変化や記録の散逸によって、“消失の危機”に直面しています。
かつての暮らしや伝統・祭祀を写した貴重な写真は、経年劣化によりその姿を失いつつあり、その時代を語ることができる人々も年々減少しています。
「英知をつなぐ実行委員会」は、この状況に対し、多角的な視点での再取材と記録を通じて、自然と文化のなかで育まれ、“カラダ”に刻まれた先人たちの英知を、次世代へと受け継ぐことを目的として設立されました。
まずは、フィルムやデジタルデータとして各地に眠る“海辺の写真”を救済し、適切に保管・継承するための体制を整えていきます。加えて、沖縄を起点に黒潮が流れる沿岸域や全国の「繋がる海と里海」にも取材対象を広げ、人と自然が共に生きる海辺の姿を、より広い視野から記録・継承していきます。
この取り組みを実現するために、島の暮らしや文化を記録・研究してきた人々、新たな視点から沖縄の文化を読み解く研究者、そして海や自然を愛する専門家たちと協力しながら、私たちはこの文化的危機に立ち向かいます。
かつての暮らしや伝統・祭祀を写した貴重な写真は、経年劣化によりその姿を失いつつあり、その時代を語ることができる人々も年々減少しています。
「英知をつなぐ実行委員会」は、この状況に対し、多角的な視点での再取材と記録を通じて、自然と文化のなかで育まれ、“カラダ”に刻まれた先人たちの英知を、次世代へと受け継ぐことを目的として設立されました。
まずは、フィルムやデジタルデータとして各地に眠る“海辺の写真”を救済し、適切に保管・継承するための体制を整えていきます。加えて、沖縄を起点に黒潮が流れる沿岸域や全国の「繋がる海と里海」にも取材対象を広げ、人と自然が共に生きる海辺の姿を、より広い視野から記録・継承していきます。
この取り組みを実現するために、島の暮らしや文化を記録・研究してきた人々、新たな視点から沖縄の文化を読み解く研究者、そして海や自然を愛する専門家たちと協力しながら、私たちはこの文化的危機に立ち向かいます。
Purpose of Establishment:
The connection with the sea, the spiritual foundation of Okinawan culture, is deeply embedded in the cultural identity of the people living in Okinawa today. It is also an essential source of belonging and guidance for future generations. However, this cultural relationship with the sea now faces a serious crisis of disappearance due to rapid environmental changes and the loss of historical records.
Precious photographs capturing past lifestyles, traditions, and rituals are deteriorating over time, and the number of people who can speak of those eras is rapidly declining.
The Wisdom Link Committee was established in response to this urgent situation. Its mission is to re-investigate and re-record the wisdom of our ancestors—wisdom engraved into their very bodies by nature and culture—and to pass it on to future generations.
As a first step, we aim to rescue and preserve seaside photographs—whether stored as film or digital data—by establishing systems for their proper conservation and inheritance. Furthermore, we will expand our fieldwork beyond Okinawa to include coastal areas connected by the Kuroshio Current and across Japan’s shoreline, focusing on human-nature coexistence in these seaside environments. Through this broader lens, we will document and transmit the story of Okinawa's sea.
To carry out this mission, we are forming partnerships with researchers who have long been engaged in recording and preserving island life and culture, scholars offering fresh perspectives on Okinawan traditions, and experts who are passionate about the sea and nature. Together, we stand to face this cultural crisis head-on.
The connection with the sea, the spiritual foundation of Okinawan culture, is deeply embedded in the cultural identity of the people living in Okinawa today. It is also an essential source of belonging and guidance for future generations. However, this cultural relationship with the sea now faces a serious crisis of disappearance due to rapid environmental changes and the loss of historical records.
Precious photographs capturing past lifestyles, traditions, and rituals are deteriorating over time, and the number of people who can speak of those eras is rapidly declining.
The Wisdom Link Committee was established in response to this urgent situation. Its mission is to re-investigate and re-record the wisdom of our ancestors—wisdom engraved into their very bodies by nature and culture—and to pass it on to future generations.
As a first step, we aim to rescue and preserve seaside photographs—whether stored as film or digital data—by establishing systems for their proper conservation and inheritance. Furthermore, we will expand our fieldwork beyond Okinawa to include coastal areas connected by the Kuroshio Current and across Japan’s shoreline, focusing on human-nature coexistence in these seaside environments. Through this broader lens, we will document and transmit the story of Okinawa's sea.
To carry out this mission, we are forming partnerships with researchers who have long been engaged in recording and preserving island life and culture, scholars offering fresh perspectives on Okinawan traditions, and experts who are passionate about the sea and nature. Together, we stand to face this cultural crisis head-on.
