ペンシルバニア大学時代に習得した文化人類学のフィールド・サーベイの手法を越後妻有の限界集落問題に援用したプロジェクトである。ペン大のあるフィラデルフィアの場合は、デラウェア川の支流、スクールキル川の大地にかつて存在していたアメリカ先住民の集落跡地での現地調査手法と経験が雛形となっている。

十日町市には小貫（こつなぎ）と呼ばれる集落が2か所にあった。1つは旧松代町に、もう1つは信濃川対岸の旧中条の飛足に。松代町の小貫集落はすでに消滅、十日町市の小貫集落は休村（旧住民の言）状態にある。この中条・飛足の旧小貫村で昭和年代の住居、村道、往時の集落の中心であった農協の跡地などについて、旧村民の皆さんの記憶を頼りに復元を試みた。その結果、残土や廃棄物に半ば埋もれていた村の往時の姿を、皆さんの記憶とともに蘇らせることができた。この地で使われてきた屋号を表示した柱は、特に旧村民の皆さんの記憶の覚醒に寄与したようであった。ことに近隣に位置する、やはり限界集落と言われている枯木又集落の住民が彼らの屋号柱を道路沿いに並べて協賛の意を示してくれたことは印象的であり、かつ限界落問題への連帯を示している。

It was all fun in the past – from cultural anthropological fieldwork

This project utilizes field survey techniques in cultural anthropology, acquired during the artist’s time at the University of Pennsylvania, to address the depopulation issues in Echigo-Tsumari. These methods were originally developed for on-site surveys at Native American settlement sites along the Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

In Tokamachi City, there were two villages known as Kotsunagi—one in the former Matsudai Town and the other across from the Shinano River in the former Nakajo’s Tobashi area. The Kotsunagi village in Matsudai has vanished, and the one in Tokamachi City is in a state of “hibernation,” according to the former residents. Efforts were made to reconstruct the old Kotsunagi village in Nakajo-Tobashi, based on the memories of former villagers, covering aspects such as residences from the Showa era, village roads, and the site of a cooperative that once served as the center of the village. These reconstructions have managed to revive the appearance of the village, partially buried under soil and waste, alongside the memories of the residents. A particularly memorable aspect was the use of signposts bearing the traditional house names, which seemed to awaken the memories of the former villagers. Impressively, the residents of the neighboring Kogimata village, also considered a marginal settlement, displayed their house name signposts along the road in solidarity and support, highlighting a shared commitment to addressing the issue of village depopulation.