The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck on January 1, 2024.
Since the earthquake, Kurashiki City has quickly dispatched city staff and provided support in various ways, including supplying water and food and transporting a toilet trailer from within the city.
About six months after the earthquake, in June 2024, an acquaintance who serves as a Community Revitalization Cooperator in Mabi invited me to come see how bamboo charcoal is made.
In Mabi, which was affected by the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster, bamboo charcoal made from locally grown bamboo, a specialty product, is being sent to areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and they were going to make some.
I thought few residents knew that bamboo charcoal was being put to use in disaster-stricken areas, so I went to interview the people supporting the recovery effort with bamboo charcoal.
Here is a report on the bamboo charcoal-making process.
The information presented was current when this article was published in July 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Mabi bamboo charcoal at work in disaster-stricken areas
In Mabi, a variety of bamboo products are manufactured and sold, including crafts and processed bamboo shoots made using the area’s specialty bamboo.
Among them, bamboo charcoal can be used in many different situations, and its versatility has made it popular with people of all ages.
Bamboo charcoal is often associated with starting fires for barbecues and camping, but its deodorizing, moisture-absorbing, and purifying properties also make it useful for the following purposes.
- Add bamboo charcoal to bathwater
Minerals dissolve into the water, making it gentle on the skin. The far-infrared effect also helps warm you up. - Add bamboo charcoal to tap water
It reduces the chlorine smell, turning the water into smooth, delicious mineral water. - Cook rice with bamboo charcoal
It makes fluffy, glossy, delicious rice. - Place bamboo charcoal in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer
It absorbs ethylene gas released by vegetables and fruit, helping them stay fresh longer. It also deodorizes the refrigerator. - Mix bamboo charcoal into pet litter
It helps reduce odors from pet waste.
In addition to the uses above, Mabi bamboo charcoal has also been used in disaster situations.
During the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster, bamboo charcoal was spread beneath the floors of flooded homes, where it helped remove odors and moisture.
Drawing on their experience using bamboo charcoal after a disaster, the organization that began making it so they could send it to disaster-stricken areas in preparation for disasters across Japan is the “Specified Nonprofit Corporation Komorebi no Sato.”
Komorebi no Sato began its activities in Soja City in March 2020. Through processing and selling products made from bamboo, a specialty of Mabi, it provides continuous employment support services for people with disabilities and older adults.
The bamboo charcoal sent to areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake was planned jointly with Yoshida Masahiro, a Community Revitalization Cooperator in Mabi.
On Thursday, June 6, 2024, I visited the worksite where bamboo charcoal was being made to send to areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
How bamboo charcoal is made
When I arrived at Komorebi no Sato’s Mabi Volunteer Workshop, where the bamboo charcoal is made, the fragrant smell of burning bamboo filled the air.
The workshop is surrounded by bamboo groves, making it seem like an ideal environment for producing bamboo products.
The source of the fragrance was a drum canister on the premises.
The drum canisters have been modified for making bamboo charcoal, and the chimney on each lid was apparently installed by Komorebi no Sato’s staff themselves. The staff say, “Drum canisters are essential for making bamboo charcoal.”
Komorebi no Sato’s unique bamboo charcoal-making method, developed through trial and error
Three staff members were splitting bamboo in the workshop.
They made a small split in the bamboo with a hatchet and mallet, and it split in half all at once.
It was my first time seeing bamboo split, and I was amazed, saying, “It splits so cleanly!” A staff member working nearby told me, “Bamboo splits straight and cleanly. You know the saying, ‘a personality like split bamboo,’ right?”
The experienced workers split one piece after another in a steady rhythm, making it look easy, but I thought it must take experience to split hard bamboo so efficiently.
They knock out the inner nodes of the halved bamboo, then line the pieces up and pack them into a well-worn 18-liter can. Removing the nodes allows them to fit more bamboo into the can.
The can filled with bamboo is placed at the bottom of a drum canister, and then they start the fire. All the drum canisters were well-used, showing how much work they had done making bamboo charcoal.
They use a large amount of rice husks to start the fire.
They scoop up the husks with a shovel and add them little by little until the drum canister is full. Burning the husks lets the fire spread slowly, producing clean, crack-resistant bamboo charcoal. They said that after much trial and error, they found rice husks to be the most suitable fuel.
I was also given the chance to try adding the rice husks.
It looks like a simple task at first, but it was difficult to scoop up a full shovel of husks, and I spilled some when putting them into the drum canister. I realized that it takes a knack to fill the drum canister efficiently. Lifting and lowering the heavy shovel seemed like good exercise.
We took turns with the shovel, adding rice husks until all the drum canisters were full.
They use Mabi bamboo charcoal to light the fire. It was made at Komorebi no Sato and is easy to ignite. It felt very light when I picked it up, and when I broke it, it made a satisfying “crack.”
In addition to the bamboo charcoal, they also place dried bamboo shavings to help the fire catch easily. Once they light it with a burner, they close the lid, and that’s it.
After the lid was closed, white smoke flowed from the chimney. They say that if smoke is coming out, the fire has caught successfully.
It takes time for the bamboo charcoal to be ready. They leave it for about three to four days while the inside of the drum continues to burn, and it is finished once the fire has completely gone out.
I had assumed the bamboo charcoal would be ready in just a few hours, so I was surprised to learn that it takes several days. I think taking the time to make it carefully is what produces high-quality bamboo charcoal.
Packing is done by hand, one item at a time
After the bamboo-charcoal-making work had reached a stopping point, they began packing bamboo charcoal that was already finished.
They put the bamboo charcoal being sent to the disaster-stricken areas of Noto into nets and pack them into boxes.
At Komorebi no Sato, every step of both making and packing the bamboo charcoal is done by hand. They cannot produce it in large quantities like a factory, but the bamboo charcoal, made carefully over time, is high-quality and has a strong deodorizing effect.
When asked about making bamboo charcoal for use in disaster-stricken areas, a staff member told us, “Thinking of the people who will use it really boosts our motivation to do the work.”
Bamboo charcoal used in the recovery from the July 2018 heavy rain disaster is now being put to use in another disaster-stricken area. I feel this is truly support unique to Mabi, drawing on the experiences of a disaster-stricken community.
We spoke with Akasaka Masako, deputy representative director of Komorebi no Sato, which planned the initiative, and Yoshida Masahiro, a Community Revitalization Cooperator in Mabi, about the thoughts behind their support activities following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
We spoke with them about recovery support
I think the disaster caused by the July 2018 heavy rains was what prompted you to send bamboo charcoal. What inspired you to start these activities?
Yoshida (surname only)
I have an acquaintance who lives in Noto, and when I thought about what I could do to help, I came up with providing supplies using bamboo charcoal, a specialty product of Mabi.
My mission (job responsibilities) as a Community Revitalization Cooperator also included supporting recovery from the July 2018 heavy rain disaster. I had often heard people in Mabi talk about their hopes for recovery, and that was another reason I felt the Noto Peninsula earthquake was “not someone else’s problem.”
As we looked for a recipient and people who could transport the supplies, we consulted Komorebi no Sato, which had previously sent bamboo charcoal to disaster-stricken areas, and decided to work together on this initiative.
Akasaka (surname only)
During the July 2018 heavy rain disaster, I was responsible for distributing supplies in the affected areas.
At the time, I had many opportunities to speak with people affected by the disaster. Hearing people whose homes had been washed away say things like “Just getting through today is all we can manage” and “All we could do was laugh,” I wanted to do something to help. Seeing the desperate situation of those affected firsthand, I wondered what we could do to help.
At the time of the heavy rain disaster, bamboo charcoal was placed under floors to absorb moisture.
I thought, “Could bamboo charcoal be useful in disaster-stricken areas across Japan?” That led me to open a volunteer workshop in Mabi and begin making bamboo charcoal in earnest. At Komorebi no Sato, we support disaster-stricken areas by making bamboo charcoal and doing other activities together with people with disabilities who receive employment support.
Could you tell us about the characteristics of bamboo charcoal and its benefits for use in disaster-stricken areas?
Akasaka
When repairing homes damaged by tsunamis or heavy rain, moisture and odors need to be removed before disinfecting the space beneath the floor.
Using bamboo charcoal removes moisture even in conditions where things are soaked with water and mud and are slow to dry, and its strong deodorizing effect also reduces odors. Bamboo charcoal does its job simply by being placed under the floor.
Also, bamboo charcoal can be reused again and again if washed and dried, so it produces no waste and is environmentally friendly.
The bamboo charcoal made at Komorebi no Sato is burned using rice husks, which allows oxygen to circulate slowly and maintains just the right heat, resulting in a clean shape. We have seen firsthand not only its strong deodorizing effect, but also how easily it catches fire and how strong the heat is.
How is the bamboo charcoal transported to disaster-stricken areas?
Akasaka
One of the directors at Komorebi no Sato is involved in disaster volunteer work, so we asked that director to find a recipient.
For transportation, we get help from disaster-relief volunteers in Okayama, who also helped us during the July 2018 heavy rain disaster.
Although it was not a disaster-stricken area, we also sent bamboo charcoal as a thank-you gift to people who donated to support relief efforts following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake at the 2024 Soja Kibiji Marathon.
Do you have a final message for us?
Akasaka
The Noto Peninsula Earthquake brought back memories of Mabi, which was affected by the July 2018 heavy rain disaster.
We hope to continue supporting recovery in disaster-stricken areas in other prefectures by drawing on our own experiences and our connections with volunteers.
We hope that everyone affected by the disaster can return to their normal lives as soon as possible.
From the Writer
I feel that the media are covering the situation in areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake less often.
However, through this interview, I learned that people nearby are still supporting recovery efforts, and it prompted me to think, “Is there still something I can do?” I want to look for ways to support recovery within my own capabilities.
As a Kurashiki City resident, I felt proud to learn that local specialty products are being put to use in other disaster-stricken areas, drawing on past experiences. I hope to continue supporting the bamboo-charcoal-making activities of Komorebi no Sato and Yoshida.
I sincerely hope that the affected communities can recover as soon as possible.
Komorebi no Sato Mabi Workshop, a Specified Nonprofit Corporation Information
| Name | Komorebi no Sato Mabi Workshop, a Specified Nonprofit Corporation |
|---|---|
| Address | 3910 Ichiba, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 050-8884-6822 |
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