A path to return the memory of water - Togura Town, Nagano Prefecture, mid-1990s

A path to return the memory of water - Togura Town, Nagano Prefecture, mid-1990s
In the mid-1990s, the town of Togura in Nagano Prefecture was facing contamination of its agricultural water supply by domestic wastewater. Pesticides and domestic wastewater were degrading the quality of the water, and the genji botaru fireflies that once inhabited the waters had disappeared. Against the backdrop of a stagnant post-bubble period, when environmental awareness was rising nationwide and the idea of a "sustainable society" was spreading in the wake of the Rio Earth Summit, the town of Togura launched a unique initiative that made use of local resources. This was the purification of agricultural water using a simple filtration system combining crushed stone and charcoal. The porous structure of charcoal adsorbs organic matter and chemical substances, and in combination with the action of microorganisms, purifies water. The low-cost, sustainable technology, which does not require electricity or chemicals and uses local materials, was well suited to the rural envir
onment. The results were clear: water quality improved, the lost genji fireflies reappeared, and the project was perceived by local residents as a symbol of nature's recovery. In addition, used charcoal was crushed and returned to the fields as a soil conditioner. This system not only improves water quality, but also provides a new pathway for people to return to their daily lives and nature. The case of Togura Town is a pioneering attempt to show that local communities can achieve environmental restoration with familiar materials and ingenuity, without large-scale facilities and large investments, and should be evaluated as a symbolic practice for creating a sustainable society.