What fascinates you in Echigo-Tumari County? Beautiful rice paddies, mountains or people who live there? Echigo-Tumari County is one of the most snow-laden and least populated areas in Japan. By asking memories of people who left the area, the project began to locate sites which were fascinating to them. The process of locating a site (experiencing their history, culture and nature) was more important than the site itself. The project also located favorite sites of local children. Ongoing research was conducted at the installation of The Locating Memories Center. Details of the location of the sites were labeled pinhole camera at the Center, where people were invited to locate the sites and capture the scene by the pinhole camera. The installation was further developed into an extended project, which was intended to create good memories for local children in their future, and provide ecological education at Matsudai Elementary School. This project would combine participation of the local community, with environmental education and therefore become a catalyst to enhance their environmental awareness.
