Have you ever wanted to learn about the nature, history, and culture of your local area?
The author, who lives in Yakage Town, didn’t know where to start when that thought crossed their mind.
At such a time, they learned about the pamphlet series “Yakage Town Nature and History Series,” which explains in an easy-to-understand way the local history, culture, and nature that remain in Yakage Town.
The pamphlets are produced by Taga Tatsuya, a former high school teacher. We spoke with Taga Tatsuya, who is also active as an interpreter, about what led him to create the pamphlets.
What is an interpreter?
Nature and historical heritage each have their own meaning and importance—in other words, a “message.” An interpreter’s role is to convey that message clearly, using their own sensibilities as a medium. Their purpose can be described as creating “connections” between people and nature and culture, and through these, increasing the number of people who love their local area and, ultimately, the Earth. In today’s world, where environmental conservation and the sustainability of society are being questioned, the role of interpreters has become extremely important.
Source: Japan Interpretation Association
The information presented is current as of the article’s publication in August 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of the “Yakage Town Nature and History Series”
The “Yakage Town Nature and History Series” is a pamphlet series published at Taga Tatsuya’s own expense to help more people learn about the fascinating history, culture, and nature of Yakage Town.
Each pamphlet is designed so that one topic is covered on a single sheet, printed on both sides.
Back issues
As of August 2026, 19 issues have been published.
Issues No. 1 through No. 7 were published under the title “Yakage Town Nature and History Promotion Project”; from No. 8 onward, the title changed to “Yakage Town Nature and History Series.”
The topics of the back issues are as follows.
- Yakage Town’s natural environment, home to diverse freshwater fish / Fish of Yakage Town’s rivers
- Inland fishing in Yakage Town — Carp from the Oda River presented to feudal lords during the Edo period / Presenting fish and receiving silver from feudal lords
- A map of Yakage drawn by Saeki Gimon / From the Edo period to the Meiji period: traces of change remaining in Yakage
- “Saruo” embankments remaining in Yakage — Civil engineering heritage that tells the story of the days when Takase boats were in use / Remnants of water transport in Oda, Yakage Town
- Poet from Yakage Town, Ishii Naosaburo / Scenes of Yakage evoked in Ishii Naosaburo’s poems
- Children’s folk culture passed down in Yakage Town / The transmission of children’s folk culture nurtured by rich nature and local history
- Food culture passed down in Yakage Town’s farming villages / The transmission of food culture nurtured by rich nature and local history
- The story of Yakage Town’s designated cultural property, the chishanoki tree / The chishanoki tree and Korakuen Garden, the Okayama air raid, kabuki, and Takehisa Yumeji
- Memories of war remaining in Yakage Town — The war dead of former Nakagawa Village / The thoughts of people who lived through that era
- Sericulture that supported Yakage Town / Traces of sericulture remaining in Yakage Town
- Land-use ingenuity — Land formed by the Oda and Ichinose rivers / The history of growing crops suited to the land
- Biodiversity in rice paddies / The many functions of agriculture and rural areas
- Inland fishing in Yakage Town — The culture of catching river fish, from the Yayoi period to the present / Fishing gear and methods in Yakage Town
- Animals depicted in the Nirvana painting at Daitsuji Temple
- The painted ceiling of Konpira-ten, a designated cultural property of Yakage Town
- War-related materials remaining in Yakage Town: air raids / Seeing off soldiers departing for the front
- Records of prewar and wartime Yakage Town: bamboo-spear training / Hoanden shrine, worship toward the Imperial Palace, advertisements
- Uchiwa fans distributed by Yakage Town shops to their customers — Promotional goods from the Taisho and Showa periods / Shops seen in prewar flyers from Yakage Town — Different ways of writing shop names
- Domain notes circulated in Yakage / Abolition of domain notes and transition to new banknotes / Establishment of the 86th National Bank — The origins of Chugoku Bank / Banks operating in Yakage before the war
Where to get the pamphlets
The pamphlets are available at the following locations.
- Sanyo-do Yakage-juku Roadside Station
- Yakage Machiya Exchange Center
- Yakage Town Library
They are also distributed at events and other occasions.
Interview with Taga Tatsuya
We spoke with Taga Tatsuya, who produces the pamphlets, about what led him to publish them.
How the pamphlets came about
When did you first start thinking about this?
Taga (surname only)
I wanted to make a booklet featuring all the fish in Yakage Town ever since my late 20s, when I began collecting fish that live in the Oda River and photographing them. But when I was still working as a high school teacher, I didn’t have time to do research or editing, so I started thinking, “I’ll take it up gradually after I retire.”
Could you tell us about the pamphlet’s layout?
Taga
Unlike a book, a pamphlet has limited space, so I really struggled with how to lay it out.
What I prioritized was making it a single sheet that people could easily hold and read; printing on both sides of A4 paper because there was a lot of information; and using an online printer to keep costs down, since it was self-published.
From the beginning, I used a style with a dark blue background and the main text in white, and I still use that style today.
It’s like writing in white or yellow chalk on a blackboard so that it’s easy to read.
All the photos in the pamphlets are so vivid and beautiful, like illustrations in a field guide. Do you take special care with your photography?
Taga
I have a deep attachment to every single fish photo.
The old photos from around 1990 were taken on slide film, and to get one shot I was satisfied with, I would use up a whole roll of film (about 36 frames), and sometimes start on a second roll.
If a fish lived on mud, I would bring mud; if it lived in a place with lots of fist-sized stones, I would bring stones from the river and arrange them at the bottom of an aquarium. I recreated the fish’s habitat and took the photo so that the bare aquarium wouldn’t show.
Since the fish move around, I used the strong light of a flash to make them appear still.
But if the water is cloudy and you use a strong light, the whole image turns out washed out. That’s why it takes at least about three days to take a single photo.
Using slide film took a lot of effort, but I gradually learned how to take better photos—for example, how to avoid having my shadow appear and how to position the flash.
What do you pay attention to when editing?
Taga
When I include information that isn’t my own opinion, I add footnotes in the pamphlets too, so readers can see which source it came from.
Sometimes people’s names appear in the pamphlets, and I make sure to get their permission before including them. I believe that writing this way also gives the pamphlets value as a record.
And anyone who wants to look into the subject can consult the earlier research, too.
How do you choose the topics for the pamphlets?
Taga
There are all sorts of reasons for writing.
Sometimes I write about something that comes to mind; sometimes I write about something I’ve wanted to publish for a while; and sometimes someone shares information with me, and I explore the topic further.
At times, I’ve also proceeded by thinking, “Let’s dig deeper into what we’ve newly discovered.” When I publish pamphlets or books, people sometimes share information with me, such as, “We have this kind of cultural property here,” and I’m very grateful for that.
For example, I learned about the map from the early Meiji period in No. 3, drawn by a man named Saeki Gimon, from Kenjiro Saeki of Saeki Stationery in Yakage Town. I thought I’d explore it a little further, and that’s how I started writing about it.
I knew that Ishii Naosaburo, featured in No. 5, was a great poet from Yakage Town, but after I retired, I looked into him again because I wanted to write about him.
What he hopes to do next
What are your plans for the future?
Taga
At the end of April 2026, I had the opportunity to give a presentation at the Okayama Folklore Society, which I joined in 2001.
I joined the Okayama Folklore Society because I thought we need to consider not only living things, but also the region’s agriculture, farming tools, fishing methods, and everything else together.
For my presentation at the end of April, I plan to talk about “the folk culture of Yakage Town and the Oda River Basin.” I’m currently putting together the folkloric significance and background for the presentation, but I’m struggling to prepare the manuscript.
Through the activities of the Okayama Folklore Society, I’d like to be able to study more deeply the folkloric significance of Yakage Town and the Oda River Basin—or, in other words, the distinctive characteristics of the region.
Taga Tatsuya received the “Okayama Folklore Society Award” from the Okayama Folklore Society on April 26, 2026, in recognition of the publication of The Biocultural Diversity of the Oda River Basin.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Taga
As the person who makes them, I put everything I had into writing every issue, so I want people to read them. That’s why, whenever each issue is printed, I distribute copies to members of the Yakage Marugoto Shopping District Promotion Association and, through the Board of Education, to each and every teacher at elementary and junior high schools in Yakage Town.
The pamphlets feature little-known topics about Yakage Town, so I’d be happy if they give the teachers something to think about.
I’d also like to use opportunities to talk about river observation events or life in the past during classes and other activities as a way to help spread the word about what makes Yakage Town special.
From the Writer
Taga says that 30 years ago, when he was conducting interviews, a variety of fishing methods were still in use. He also says that there used to be many children playing in the river and adults fishing there, but he feels that there are fewer people doing so now.
As Taga says, “When you try to convey the diversity of life and culture in a river basin, you naturally see how its history, human activity, and living things are all connected.” The pamphlets vividly portray Yakage from many different angles.
The “Yakage Town Nature and History Series” is distributed free of charge.
If you’re interested, why not pick up a copy?
Yakage Town Nature and History Series details
| Name | Yakage Town Nature and History Series |
|---|---|
| Address | Available at Sanyo-do Yakage-juku Roadside Station, Yakage Machiya Exchange Center, Yakage Town Library, and other locations |
| Contact | None |
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