Hideyuki Oriyama (Mt. Moriyoshi Guesthouse ORIYAMAKE)

A brief view into the life of a traditional hunter

in modern Japan

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For many young people, moving to the city to work is a dream come true. A bustling metropolis of excitement and opportunity. Why then, would someone give up the city life to move to the country, a place that is often thought of as a place of lesser opportunity for young people seeking employment? Mr Oriyama was one such person. After spending 8 years working and living the high life in Tokyo, he made the decision to move back to his ancestral home in Akita, to open a guesthouse, and to live as a Matagi; one of the fabled Bear Hunters of Japan. Despite the many things he enjoyed about the fast-paced lifestyle of Tokyo, his home prefecture was where he found a sustainable way of life and long-term happiness.

Authors: Juri Kurosawa, Ezekiel Lee, Taskil Dastoor

January 2021

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About Mr Oriyama

―Are you originally from Akita?

Yes, I lived in Akita City as a child, before moving to Tokyo for college, where I lived and worked for 8 years.

―How would you describe your work style when you were working in Tokyo?

Looking back on it, I think it was actually a really fun way of working. The company I worked for was open 24 hours a day and when I started as a part-time worker there, the shifts were 12 hours long. So I worked from 10 pm to 10 am, with an hours break from 3 to 4 am.

Although the work itself was rewarding, I was making twice as much money as I do now, it was a tough work environment. Many of my colleagues ended up quitting due to mental health issues. I was constantly on edge too, but I think experiencing that style of work was good for me. However, I did always know that I wouldn't be able to work like that long-term, it's simply unsustainable.

―So, after working in Tokyo, why did you come back to Akita?

Tokyo was not spared in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. All the trains stopped working and I had to walk all the way home. I had a 3 month old baby at the time, but there were no nappies on the shelves because they were sold out.

This was when I realised that Tokyo has nothing of its own. Tokyo just takes things like electricity and food in from the surrounding areas, it doesn't produce anything. My parents in Akita and my in-laws in Wakayama had to send us food, nappies, and water for a month because where they lived had not been as badly hit by the earthquake.

Also at that time, I already knew that I wanted to open a guesthouse and had planned to quit my job that year. My initial plan was to work in tourism to gain some experience, but things did not go according to plan. To make matters worse, I was no longer able to afford the house I was looking at because the price had risen. In the end, my wife suggested that we move to Akita since she already knew that I wanted to move back eventually.

―Why did you want to open a guest house?

Akita was where my grandparents lived, and I used to come here on weekends to visit them. It is a beautiful place. There's the Moriyoshizan mountain, the area is filled with wildlife, the food is great, and overall, it’s a good place to visit. Despite all this however, there were never many tourists. So, I've always wanted to open my own guesthouse here in the hope that it will bring more tourists into Akita.

About Guesthouse ORIYAMAKE

―What are some of the unique characteristic of your guesthouse and how do you think they contribute to your popularity?

I think one of the main features of this guesthouse is that it shows what life in the countryside is really like, even if it is a touch inconvenient at times. In Summer, it’s hot and there are mosquitoes, in Winter, it can get so cold that you wake up because your ears are hurting, there are loads of bugs, and we have only traditional Japanese toilets.

In some ways, I also think it's better that I can't speak English. I think that speaking English would diminish the experience for the kind of people who like to venture away from typical tourists hot-spots and into mountains to this small local areas like these.

Think about it, if you were to go somewhere, and everyone was able to understand you in your native language, it would take away from your ability to really connect with the place as it is. If you go to Tokyo, or another large tourist attraction, everyone is able to speak English very well, and there are places where, really, things have been over prepared for customers. Here, we show things as they are, which is the main point.

Just in case though, for important things like matters concerning money, I either get my wife, who speaks some English to translate or I use services like Google Translate.

About being a Matagi

―Matagi values not only influence how the guesthouse is run, but also Mr Oriyama's way of life. But what made Mr Oriyama decide to become a Matagi in the first place?

A friend of mine from Tokyo came to visit me. This friend of mine liked to read fascinating books. In particular, she liked a novel called Kaiko no Mori, which is about a Matagi and it won the Naoki Prize for outstanding Japanese literature. I was so inspired by the book that I wanted to visit the place in which it was set. Like a pilgrimage to a sacred place of some sort. So, this friend and I arranged to be shown around the mountains by a Matagi. His knowledge of the mountains was amazing, and it was fun to walk the mountains with him. I had never walked in the mountains with someone who had the kind of experience that he had.

―What surprised Mr Oriyama on his first trip to the mountains with a Matagi?

What surprised me was how few tools the Matagi guide brought to the mountains. He brought only a knife. It was broad, single bladed, and long enough that it would make a sound when swung. But you would think that they would bring water too, right? Since you need something to drink while you climb a mountain. But they don't. As long as you know where to find spring water, you don't need to bring water with you. And instead of bringing a cup, you can roll leaves together to make one, and use that to drink water.

―Meaning of Matagi

The word "Matagi" means a solitary hunter, or a scary person like that. When I see posters, movies, and so on, I think of them as such. Also, bear hunting. I had this scary image of a Matagi as someone who kills bears, but really, a Matagi is someone who collects wild vegetables in the Spring, fishes in the Summer, and gathers mushrooms in Autumn. He is a forester, and a caretaker of the mountains. He also maintains the mountain trails and so on. So, although the word "Matagi" means hunting, or hunting bears, I realized that it is just one small part of being a Matagi truly is.

―Is being a Matagi a lifestyle or profession?

I think it would be a bit misleading to think of Matagi simply as a profession. Matagi is a lifestyle, a way of life. The whole concept of the Matagi is easier to understand if you think of it as a lifestyle rather than a profession. Being a Matagi changes the way you think of life and work.

―When do Matagi hunt?

There is a very specific season for group hunting. Spring. April to early May. It is difficult to spot bears otherwise. Imagine a mountain in Spring, no leaves on the trees, and there is still some snow remaining on the ground. If you look carefully, you can easily spot a black bear walking on the white snow. But, later in the Spring, leaves start to sprout, and it is much harder to try to spot bears. This means the hunting season is over.

―How much time do you spend in the mountains?

The longest time I spend in the mountains is during the hunting season in spring, from April to May. I stay in the mountains from 7:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the evening. In the old days, though, Matagi would stay in the mountains for 2 or 3 days or until they got a bear. But nowadays, we can go to the mountains by car, so we don't have to stay in the mountains for such extended periods of time. We can leave and come back the next day.

―How do Matagi and hunters differ?

The biggest difference between the Matagi and hunters is in beliefs. Matagi believe in the mountain gods, so they understand that the catching of the prey is not something that is the work of the hunter alone, it is a gift from the mountain gods. There are people overseas who go trophy hunting, posing for pictures with the small animals they kill. To the Matagi this is a disrespectful practice, when a bear is given to us by the mountain, we hold a ceremony to show that we will take only the meat and skin of the bear, the soul of the bear, we return to the mountain, and we pray that another bear will give us its meat and skin again.

―Is there an interest among younger people in Matagi culture?

There is a huge increase in the number of people who are migrating to Japan to become Matagi. It seems like there are always one or two a year. Probably because there is an increasing number of young people who want to be self-sufficient. There are also young people who don't like other people very much and want to seclude themselves in the mountains. But when they come to the countryside, they need to communicate with others to survive, so gradually this introverted nature will disappear.

―What if someone wants to become a Matagi?

In Kita-Akita City, there is a local organization that is in charge of Matagi. But in reality, I think the best thing to do is to ask someone who has been working in the mountains for a long time to help you and walk with him in the mountains to learn. Also, there are many government subsidies available, so if you want to get a gun license too, you obtain one more easily. In the meantime though, you can come to Kita-Akita and ask for help at the city hall.

About the Future

―Do you want your children to take over the guesthouse from you?

I'm currently undecided on the issue. I’m interested in Matagi culture, and therefore like using the guesthouse as a way to share this culture and knowledge. However, if my daughter wanted to take over, I would want her to show the guests what she is interested in, not necessarily the Matagi culture.

Furthermore, there is also the issue as to whether it is a viable source of income in the future. All in all, I do not want to pressure her either way.

―What are your future goals for the Oriyamake guesthouse?

Since being a Matagi involves hunting bears over the winter, for Oriyamake, I want to get approval to run a butchery and put bear meat on the market. Other than that, I have an idea where the whole village could be turned into a hotel/resort. For instance, visitors can eat at one place, bathe in another, and sleep in a different place. I want to build a relationship like that with the community here.