イントロダクション Introduction

There are many reasons to take a trip to someplace far from where you live. Experiencing a new place provides a contrast to your everyday and opens up your world. Who you experience this with is also important. The purpose of our trip this time was to meet those who interact with nature, and enjoy it as a core part of their living and working. In Ishikawa,we ran along the coastline seeking surf points with a person involved with the sea in various ways ― as an oceanographer,wooden surfboard builder, and furniture designer. In Toyama, we walked along mountain trails in fine weather, with a person who enjoys the nature nestled in the mountains, while seeking to create the ultimate flavor as a pastry chef in a foreign land. In Fukuoka, we spent time with a runner who connects his daily life with races, and who continually challenges himself by running in jungles, Antarctica, and deserts. By glimpsing the lives of these people, we can better understand the charms of our land. That is, realizing the true abundance of it.