Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

From Self-Reliance to Natural Power RevitalizationAuthor: Misawa Katsue

See Author Details Here：Wiki (Misawa Katsue)

Original Title	自力更生より自然力更生へ
Author	三沢勝衛
Genre	War & Social Literature
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In 1936, a gathering of over three hundred officials, engineers, and local leaders convened in Nagano Prefecture to address the urgent challenges of landslides and erosion. The speaker, a geography educator, challenged prevailing notions of human dominance over nature, urging humility and collaboration instead. Critiquing the era’s blind faith in scientific omnipotence, he argued that true progress lies not in conquering natural forces but in understanding their rhythms—whether constructing roads that follow terrain contours or cultivating crops suited to local climates. Through vivid anecdotes—like an old woman’s wisdom guiding river damming or villages thriving by harnessing landslides for agriculture—he illustrated how aligning with nature’s logic yields resilience. The lecture wove philosophy with practicality, advocating for industries rooted in regional ecosystems and warning against shortsighted exploitation. While acknowledging science’s role, he emphasized its limits, framing reverence for nature as both ethical duty and pragmatic strategy. This call to “vitalize” rather than subjugate natural power resonates as a timeless plea for harmony, inviting readers to explore how such principles might reshape our relationship with the environment—then and now.