Wainai Sadayuki
Encyclopedia
was a pioneer known for his contributions to the development of Lake Towada
in Akita Prefecture
.
in 1858. He initially began his career in 1881 in the mining industry, then the backbone of Kazuno's economy, working at Kosaka Mines, which worked iron ore deposits at the shore of Lake Towada
. At the time, Lake Towada was largely sterile, and the 2500 mine workers had to subsist on dried fish from town. Wainai worked as a guard on the water supply to the mines, and decided to ignore local folklore and superstition against stocking the lake with fish. Starting in 1884, Wainai attempted to introduce 600 salmon
fry into in Lake Towada. The effort failed, but persevering in the face of multiple setbacks and failures to the extent that he was forced to sell his personal belongings to continue the effort, Wainai finally succeeded in 1903 after a majority of trout
fry he had released two years earlier survived. Wainai continued his efforts in following years, establishing a hatchery to attempt to introduce other varieties of fish as well. Today, thanks to Wainai's efforts, and many other species flourish in Lake Towada, making it a very popular fishing spot.
Wainai also opened the Wainai Towadako Hotel in 1916 and is also known for promoting Lake Towada as one of the top tourist destination
s in Tōhoku Region
. He led legal efforts to preserve the lake and its surrounding natural environment, which eventually resulted in the proclamation of Towada National Park
in 1936.
After his death in 1922, Wainai's spirit was enshrined in the Wainai Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Kosaka, Akita
near the lake in acknowledgment for his works.
Lake Towada
is the largest crater lake in Honshū island, Japan. Located on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, it lies 400 meters above sea level and is 327.0m depth, and is drained by the Oirase river. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue...
in Akita Prefecture
Akita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
.
Biography
Wainai was born in what is now Kazuno, AkitaKazuno, Akita
is a city located in Akita, Japan.As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 33,664 and the density of 47.6 persons per km². The total area is 707.34 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1972.-External links:...
in 1858. He initially began his career in 1881 in the mining industry, then the backbone of Kazuno's economy, working at Kosaka Mines, which worked iron ore deposits at the shore of Lake Towada
Lake Towada
is the largest crater lake in Honshū island, Japan. Located on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, it lies 400 meters above sea level and is 327.0m depth, and is drained by the Oirase river. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue...
. At the time, Lake Towada was largely sterile, and the 2500 mine workers had to subsist on dried fish from town. Wainai worked as a guard on the water supply to the mines, and decided to ignore local folklore and superstition against stocking the lake with fish. Starting in 1884, Wainai attempted to introduce 600 salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fry into in Lake Towada. The effort failed, but persevering in the face of multiple setbacks and failures to the extent that he was forced to sell his personal belongings to continue the effort, Wainai finally succeeded in 1903 after a majority of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fry he had released two years earlier survived. Wainai continued his efforts in following years, establishing a hatchery to attempt to introduce other varieties of fish as well. Today, thanks to Wainai's efforts, and many other species flourish in Lake Towada, making it a very popular fishing spot.
Wainai also opened the Wainai Towadako Hotel in 1916 and is also known for promoting Lake Towada as one of the top tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
s in Tōhoku Region
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
. He led legal efforts to preserve the lake and its surrounding natural environment, which eventually resulted in the proclamation of Towada National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park is a national park in the Tohoku region, Honshū, Japan. The park covers Lake Towada, most of the Oirase River valley and the nearby Hachimantai plateau.-External links:...
in 1936.
After his death in 1922, Wainai's spirit was enshrined in the Wainai Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Kosaka, Akita
Kosaka, Akita
is a town located in Kazuno District, Akita, Japan.As of 2011, the town has an estimated population of 6,046 and a density of 29.9 persons per km². The total area is 178.00 km²....
near the lake in acknowledgment for his works.
Reference
- Gavin, Masako. Shiga Shigetaka 1863-1927: The Forgotten Enlightener. RoutledgeCurzon (2001). isbn: 0700713042