Forest and Yezo deer leather
I am currently a lecturer at the University of Tokyo. As part of a design assignment, I was considering monuments and materials, and this got me interested in the relationship between forests and civilization, so I read and researched a variety of literature on the topic.
Many of the civilizations that began in Sumer shared the fate of forests from their birth to their decline; civilizations were born alongside the forests and perished with the loss of the forests. Learning about this history, I became interested in the forests of today.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the main source of energy has shifted from wood to fossil fuels, and we rarely see trees being cut down to serve as an energy source, as was the case in ancient civilizations. However, looking at the world as a whole, deforestation continues, with excessive cutting and burning of forests to the point where they cannot be replenished, in order to support an accelerating population. Even in familiar Japanese forests, the deer and wild boar populations are increasing, eating the bark of existing trees and newly planted seedlings, and the forest environment is becoming unsustainable.
While thinking about what I could do to contribute as part of a proactively sustainable business, I came across Ezo deer leather.
Ezo deer live throughout Hokkaido and are the largest subspecies of Japanese deer. They have a strong reproductive capacity, and because humans have taken over their natural enemy, the wolves, their numbers have increased to the point of destroying all forest vegetation. Therefore, in order to build a good symbiotic relationship between forests, Ezo deer, and humans in the future, it is important to maintain an appropriate population. Since fiscal 2010, more than 100,000 Ezo deer have been captured each year to control the population. However, Ezo deer leather has scratches on its surface that are unique to wild animals, and the supply is unstable, so it is rarely used effectively and is simply discarded.
We have wiped out wolves for our own convenience, and we feel responsible for taking the lives of Ezo deer. So, the first thing I can do is to use this Ezo deer leather to make SYRINX speakers.
About Ezo deer leather
SYRINX proposes new ways to use leather, and respects and treasures the lives of Ezo deer, a gift from Hokkaido's great nature, without wasting them. We hope to expand the new possibilities of Ezo deer leather, let many people know about its existence, and spread the effective use of Ezo deer leather throughout society.
