'Matagi Hunters,' dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo | I-Witness
Aired (March 2, 2024): Isa marahil ang pangangaso ng oso sa matagal nang kultura ng Japan kaya naman legal ang panghuhuli at pagpatay sa mga ito. Bilang isang mapanganib na hayop ang mga oso, ano nga ba ang buhay ng isang Matagi Hunter?
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FunTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:16 [Foreign Language]
00:31 [Foreign Language]
01:00 [Music]
01:06 [Foreign Language]
01:29 [Music]
01:54 [Foreign Language]
02:03 [Music]
02:08 [Foreign Language]
02:20 [Music]
02:23 [Foreign Language]
02:37 [Foreign Language]
02:39 This is a bear caught in this area.
02:41 If you touch it, you can see that the one here was captured in the summer,
02:46 and the other one was captured in the winter.
02:49 This distinction is made based on the bear's fur.
02:52 The summer-captured bear has a softer, fluffier coat.
02:57 [Foreign Language]
03:07 The ages are different, but in the case of summer, the fur is stiff but allows good airflow.
03:15 In contrast to the winter fur, it is soft and appears to have insulating properties.
03:20 [Music]
03:22 [Foreign Language]
03:31 [Music]
03:33 [Foreign Language]
03:40 [Foreign Language]
03:49 In the past, matagi, a traditional Japanese hunter, used to go to the mountains with Akita dogs to catch bears.
03:57 When the Akita dogs passed away, there were limited options.
04:00 So, they would consume the meat of the large Akita dogs, drink to the river for hydration,
04:07 and use their fur for clothing before entering the mountains.
04:10 This practice continued for a long time.
04:13 [Foreign Language]
04:31 [Foreign Language]
04:57 [Music]
05:06 [Foreign Language]
05:18 Yes, what we have here is a bear trap, also known as a bear box.
05:25 Here, some bear cages are packed.
05:29 One, two, three, four, five. We have five.
05:33 Five.
05:35 These were used as bear traps that would go down the mountain and go to the city.
05:42 The bears would go down the mountain more often.
05:50 It's metal.
05:53 There are also times when the residents would attack the bears, even though it was not done by them.
06:00 That's why they would put bear traps that the bears could pass through before reaching the communities.
06:09 Yes, there is a white bucket here. We place bait in it.
06:17 We use honey, bee hives, apples, rice bran, and sometimes sake or other alcoholic beverages as bait.
06:26 [Music]
06:29 [Foreign Language]
06:37 We set the traps upon sighting. If we find out that there are traces of a bear, then we will set them.
06:47 [Foreign Language]
07:06 [Music]
07:08 Bear hunting is legal in this area, including the eating of bear meat.
07:14 Until now, I used to encounter bears outdoors about one to two times a year.
07:20 However, this year, the encounters have been exceptionally frequent, happening more than ten times already.
07:27 In my hunting club, the goal used to be capturing ten bears throughout the year, but now we've already hidden sixty bears.
07:35 So the situation is about six times more encounters with bears than usual.
07:39 [Music]
07:41 [Foreign Language]
07:52 Yes, so the direct trigger was the search of the beech nuts, which bears particularly like to eat last year.
08:03 This led to changes in the behavior of individual bears, causing a decrease in the density within the mountains
08:11 and an unusual increase in the number of bears venturing outside their normal habitat.
08:17 Essentially, it was a year of poor harvest.
08:20 So the nuts were not harvested much the previous year, and a cumulative effect contributed to the large number of bears appearing this year.
08:28 [Music]
08:32 Dr. Komatsu clarified that it was not because of humans that the beech nuts, which bears like to eat, were decreasing.
08:41 It was the natural cycle of the ecology, which is why it was decreasing over time.
08:51 [Music]
09:01 What is the chance that I will see a bear looking for food?
09:06 This is what I was thinking while preparing to go hunting with Hideyuki.
09:14 I'm wearing this knife.
09:18 Just in case we really see a bear.
09:27 And then, he was asking me, "What is this for?"
09:31 This is a real bear fur.
09:34 What for? What is the purpose?
09:38 To avoid getting your butt wet when you sit.
09:43 He's wearing it.
09:45 So your butt doesn't get wet when you sit down.
09:48 Protection from the wet.
09:51 Look.
09:54 This is a hiking stick.
09:57 Okay.
09:59 We might get caught here.
10:02 Our hiking stick can also be used as a gun.
10:07 And as a hunting tool.
10:13 I'm excited and also scared.
10:17 Are you okay? Let's go.
10:20 I'm following you.
10:23 [Music]
10:24 Okay.
10:26 The hunters always pray before going to the jungle.
10:34 Before entering the mountains, I am using the smoke of a plant called morobi to purify us.
10:46 [Music]
11:02 At this point, I feel mixed emotions.
11:06 On one side, I want to see a wild bear and how a hunter hunts a bear.
11:15 But I'm also worried about the possibility of a bloody encounter.
11:21 I need to follow the lead of the hunter.
11:26 He's walking in a wide area.
11:30 So there's a high possibility that he'll run into a bear.
11:34 If you come across a bear, avoid making loud noises or running
11:39 as this may provoke the bear and lead to a pursuit.
11:43 Instead, assume a defensive posture as bears may feel threatened and exhibit aggressive behavior.
11:50 It's crucial to be cautious and avoid provoking or startling the bear to ensure a safe encounter.
11:58 Bears tend to avoid human interaction, but if they feel threatened, they might react defensively or flee.
12:06 But there's a small mistake.
12:10 [Speaking in Tagalog]
12:13 [Speaking in Tagalog]
12:17 [Speaking in Tagalog]
12:37 [Music]
12:44 When we entered the forest, it started to get cold, so the surroundings became colder.
12:52 Deyuki became serious and quiet.
13:06 [Speaking in Tagalog]
13:08 [Speaking in Tagalog]
13:11 He's careful to avoid getting close to the bear.
13:20 He's holding his shotgun in his hand.
13:24 He also has a knife in his left hand.
13:35 As I was entering the forest, I quietly planned my next move.
13:43 What would I do if I suddenly came across a bear?
13:52 In this city, I met Hideo Suzuki, a veteran hunter.
14:05 Like Hideo, he's used to showing respect to the goddess of the forest before hunting.
14:14 He asked me not to enter the shrine.
14:19 Hideo himself built this shrine.
14:33 It's a place for hunters to use.
14:37 Why is it that ladies cannot go there inside the shrine?
14:44 We offer prayers to a female goddess.
14:49 However, the mountain goddess, not being particularly attractive,
14:53 becomes jealous of ladies with a pleasing appearance like yourself.
14:57 Moreover, we refrain from talking about girls inside the mountain.
15:02 The gate of the shrine has signs that show that not only people visit this shrine.
15:14 I set it up with my friends, so there was a bear bite on this.
15:23 The bear was so big that it bit the wood.
15:32 The goddess is jealous of the people who care for the environment.
15:37 She also says that she can come and go as she pleases.
15:42 This forest is a different kind.
15:49 I'm a father of two children.
15:54 Mr. Suzuki is one of the oldest hunters in their area.
16:00 Old pictures show that his father and grandfather were also hunters.
16:11 That's why he says that he has seen the culture of the Matagi, which says that the nature is deep.
16:19 They don't overdo it in getting the forest's wealth.
16:29 They should just get what they need.
16:39 It seems that we are receiving abundant blessings,
16:42 but our community, while living by respecting nature and cherishing the gifts of the mountains,
16:48 takes only what is necessary for ourselves.
16:51 We don't simply go out to hunt bears or gather wild vegetables.
16:56 Rather, we take only what is necessary for ourselves.
17:00 They also consider the food that the forest gives them as a blessing.
17:08 Yes, the Matagi have a remarkable history.
17:11 They express gratitude for the blessings of the mountains,
17:15 particularly in the context of bears, considering them as gifts from the abundant nature.
17:22 You can see in some of Mr. Suzuki's pictures how their group distributed the bear meat.
17:33 The bear's insides were also believed to be the source of the disease.
17:39 He said that this is a gallbladder or abdomen of a bear.
17:44 It's like a medicine.
17:47 It can be used for fever, cough, stomachache, and many other things.
17:54 Now, it's in powder form.
17:57 Can I taste it?
18:00 As you wish, Ma'am.
18:03 A little bit. I'm scared.
18:06 Take this.
18:08 Okay.
18:10 The bitter taste is stronger.
18:20 It's so bitter.
18:22 It's very bitter.
18:24 And that's just a little bit.
18:28 I need water.
18:30 And because it's so bitter,
18:33 Like this.
18:35 he made capsule form, the powder made from the abdomen of a bear.
18:40 He says that he drank this when he was young, but not in his younger generation.
18:46 It's very difficult to get sick there.
18:50 I believe our village has been sustained by bears,
18:55 providing assistance in times of need.
18:58 In the past, the entire village relied on the mountains,
19:02 utilizing all parts of the bear for medicinal purposes to heal local community.
19:08 Bear gallbladders no longer hold much value, and they are quite abundant.
19:14 We reflect on this with a sense of regret,
19:17 as their utility has been diminished significantly.
19:21 The history of bear hunters is believed to date back to the 8th century.
19:26 At the Bear Museum in Kitaakita City,
19:32 you can see some of their ancient tools,
19:38 and how they gradually changed from traditional swords and knives
19:45 to the use of bear gallbladders.
19:50 Some bears were also caught by bear hunters.
19:54 Throughout the history of bear hunters,
20:07 it's a pleasure to know some of them in this place.
20:12 Hideyuki says that he was not the only one who was caught by bear hunters.
20:19 Others were also caught, like the rabbit.
20:23 He taught me how to set up a trap to catch rabbits.
20:45 Then he tied it to a tree, and hid the trap in the leaves.
20:50 Then, if you leave it overnight, by the next morning you might find a captured rabbit.
21:12 As we continued our search,
21:15 in a part of the forest, a bear hunter suddenly grabbed his gun.
21:24 He quietly walked, while someone was watching.
21:38 Could he be blessed by the goddess of the forest,
21:42 to catch him on this day?
21:46 While we were walking, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of the surroundings,
21:57 even though the weather is cloudy.
22:01 This is like a spring from the mountain.
22:03 It's very clear.
22:05 Japanese black bear is what bears are called,
22:13 found in Akita Prefecture, in the Honshu region of Japan.
22:18 They grow from 1 to 1.5 meters in size,
22:24 and weigh 60 to 100 kilograms.
22:29 They have a white crescent-shaped mark on their belly.
22:33 Some hunters I met believe that bears are still in their area.
22:42 Just this January, the Ministry of the Environment released a report
22:48 that there are bears spotted in various parts of Japan,
22:52 which are more than 90 percent of the population.
22:57 The Ministry of the Environment has also reported that
22:59 there are more than 19,000 Asian black bears in Japan
23:03 from April to October 2023, compared to 18,000 in 2020.
23:09 Bear hunting in Japan is legal but regulated, depending on the area.
23:17 But their training also includes avoiding extreme harassment.
23:24 Matagi hunters want to convey that we have a deep appreciation for bears.
23:28 Our sentiment is rooted in the genuine fondness for bears,
23:32 and we don't hunt them out of pleasure in killing.
23:35 Bears are highly respected in Matagi culture as being living in the harsh mountains,
23:41 considered messengers of the mountain gods due to their large size
23:46 and ability to endure the challenging mountain environment.
23:51 Bears and humans are often found in the wild due to the so-called human expansion.
23:58 The direct and immediate cause of the bears being classified as protected species
24:07 was not directly related to the cultural factors.
24:10 Instead, it was primarily due to the habitat loss resulting from human activities.
24:15 The expansion of human activities, such as creating golf courses or ski resorts,
24:20 led to habitat loss for bears.
24:22 And in the encounter of humans and bears, there is a chance that one should be lost.
24:30 My grandfather instilled in me the importance of not letting my guard down in difficult situations,
24:37 especially when dealing with bears.
24:39 He advised me to retreat without lowering my guard until I confirmed that the bear was subdued.
24:47 The Matagi hunters say that they do not make it difficult to hunt.
24:51 Specifically when delivering the final shot, the aim is at the head region.
24:59 It is crucial to target the area around the temple, typically where the ear is located.
25:04 However, as the bear tends to move quickly, the challenge lies in precisely hitting this spot
25:10 in a brief moment for an effective and humane outcome.
25:14 We walked in the forest for a long time.
25:17 Not far from us, we spotted a bear trail.
25:24 There is a bear's pathway, so we will enter on the left side of this bear trail.
25:29 What is the sign?
25:31 It looks like somebody stepped on the plants.
25:34 That branch has fallen.
25:36 I think there is a bear down here.
25:40 He asked us to stay away from the bear if it has already fallen.
25:44 After a few minutes of inspection on the bear trail, we were finally able to reach it.
25:50 It is likely that the bear is already far away.
25:53 We walked again outside the forest, but it seemed like somebody was going to step on it.
25:59 The bear trail is too slippery because of the snow.
26:07 We will eat here.
26:11 We will camp here.
26:14 Until we reach a campsite.
26:18 I'll help you make the fire.
26:21 This is a very old style of campfire.
26:26 We will make a fire here.
26:31 We will put this here.
26:38 We will eat here for lunch.
26:47 We will eat the meat of a Japanese black bear that was caught by Hideyuki.
26:52 They caught it last week.
26:58 If you like camping, you will surely enjoy this place.
27:02 You are surrounded by a growing tree.
27:07 You are embraced by the cold wind.
27:11 You are being formed by a unique experience.
27:17 Along with that experience is a traditional Japanese culture.
27:25 This is a traditional Japanese culture.
27:28 This is a traditional Japanese culture.
27:37 Let's eat.
27:40 I will taste the food now.
27:51 This is my first time tasting bear meat.
27:55 It's delicious.
28:09 It's like beef, but it has a different taste.
28:17 I thought it would be hard, but it's soft.
28:21 It's like it's been boiled for a long time.
28:25 I noticed that Hideyuki is proud to share his knowledge with us.
28:33 He was able to pass it on to the hunters who were his first.
28:39 But Mr. Suzuki was left to take care of the next generation of old hunters that he was counting on.
28:49 How can he pass on to the next generation his deep spiritual connection to the mountains?
29:01 For the hunters, as long as the mountains are rich, their culture will remain.
29:09 If not, it's for their own good if they don't finish this gift.
29:18 Good evening, I am Sandra Aguinaldo.
29:26 Please give me a lot of gifts.
29:31 This is what's not in the city.
29:33 Thank you very much.
29:35 Is this the first time you've met?
29:37 Where are your parents?
29:39 For a long time,
29:41 I just passed through this intense training before a hovering.
29:46 You accompanied me to IWINX.
29:52 I was able to learn a lot.
29:56 I was able to learn a lot.
29:59 I was able to learn a lot.
30:03 I was able to learn a lot.
30:07 I was able to learn a lot.
30:11 I was able to learn a lot.
30:15 I was able to learn a lot.
30:20 [MUSIC]