Video Series Explores Traditional Knowledge of Japan’s Noto Peninsula

A new series of UNU-IAS documentary videos explores the traditional knowledge of Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. Focusing on food culture, the videos introduce traditional methods of cultivating, harvesting, and preserving local foodstuffs that are highly efficient and leave very little to waste — highlighting the importance of sustainable use of resources. This traditional knowledge has been passed down for many generations in the region.

The series of five videos is produced by the UNU-IAS Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK), as part of its Satoyama and Satoumi (SAS) initiative aimed at localising the SDGs. The videos focus on wild edible plants, Ohama soybeans, sea cucumbers, and Kajime edible seaweed.

The Noto peninsula has been designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), recognising the wealth of knowledge and skills that residents have developed over generations to sustain their livelihoods in harmony with nature. The videos feature community members demonstrating traditional agricultural and fishery practices. They discuss their efforts to preserve local food culture and overcome the challenges of climate change and modern lifestyles.

The videos can be accessed on the UNU-IAS YouTube channel.