Mihama

Mihama Town is the "town of two seas." Mihama is on Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture. Population is about 23,000. Mikawa Bay is east of Mihama. Ise Bay is west. Mihama is sandwiched between two seas. Mihama residents see the sea every day. East sea. West sea. For Mihama residents, sea is "daily life." Mihama's economy depends on fishing. Mihama residents go to sea every day. Catch fish. Return. For Mihama residents, "time" is "tide time." High tide. Low tide. Mihama residents measure time by tides. Mihama residents don't look at clocks. Mihama residents look at sea.

Fishing has no "speed." Fishing is "waiting." Set nets. Wait for fish to come. Wait for hours. Sometimes wait for days. Mihama residents are professionals at "waiting." Mihama residents don't hurry. Mihama residents follow "nature's rhythm." Fish can't be controlled by humans. Fish are controlled by sea. Mihama residents "respect" sea. Mihama residents wait for sea's "time." For Mihama residents, time flows "slowly." One day is long. One year is long. Mihama residents live "slowly."

From Mihama to Nagoya is about 1 hour by car. From Mihama to Suzuka Circuit is about 1.5 hours by car. Mihama is geographically close to motorsport. But most Mihama residents aren't interested in motorsport. Why? Because for Mihama residents, motorsport is "too fast." F1 finishes in 90 minutes. Time for Mihama residents to catch fish once is 6 hours. One F1 race is 1.5 hours. Mihama residents' one day of fishing is 12 hours. For Mihama residents, F1 is an "instant." Mihama residents live in "long time." For Mihama residents, motorsport time is "incomprehensible."

Mihama is trying to become tourist destination. Japanese government aims to transition coastal fishing villages toward tourism hubs. Mihama is one of them. Mihama has "Ebisen Park." Mihama has "Mihama Fishing Park." Tourists visit. Take photos. Eat seafood. But Mihama residents don't look at tourists. Mihama residents look at sea. Look at fish. For Mihama residents, tourism is "others' business." Mihama residents live in fishing. Mihama residents aren't interested in tourism.

Mihama has temporal contradiction with motorsport. Motorsport competes in "seconds." 0.001 second difference. F1 drivers fight for thousandths of seconds. Mihama residents count "tides." High tide. Low tide. For Mihama residents, 6 hours is "minimum unit." For Mihama residents, "seconds" don't exist. Mihama residents don't look at clocks. Mihama residents look at tides. Morning high tide. Evening low tide. Mihama residents live in "tide time." For Mihama residents, motorsport's "artificial time" is incomprehensible.

Mihama's population is declining. Peaked around 2005, slowly declining since. Mihama's youth leave town. To Nagoya. To Tokyo. Mihama's youth aren't interested in fishing. Mihama's youth can't endure "waiting." Mihama's youth seek "fast life." Mihama's youth work in cities. Only elderly remain in Mihama. Mihama's fishing lacks successors. Mihama's tradition is in crisis.

Mihama has contradiction. Mihama is surrounded by sea. Mihama should be symbol of "freedom." Sea is vast. Sea has no boundaries. But Mihama residents are "bound." Mihama residents are bound by fishing. Bound by tides. Bound by sea. Mihama residents have no "freedom." Mihama residents go to same sea every day. Catch same fish. Return to same port. Mihama residents' life is "repetition." Mihama residents don't experience "new things." So Mihama residents aren't interested in motorsport. Motorsport is "new experience." Different every race. Different every lap. Mihama residents can't understand.

Mihama is quietly disappearing. Population declining. Fishing declining. Tourism not succeeding. Mihama is "being left behind." But Mihama residents don't change. Mihama residents continue going to sea today. Catch fish. Look at tides. Mihama residents live "slowly." As if not knowing the world spins "fast." Mihama residents live with sea. Die with sea. This is Mihama residents' fate.