**3. Results**

#### *3.1. Kunugiyama Observation Site Creation Process*

3.1.1. Before the Determination of the Proposed Observation Site (by February 2020)

The main HRC activity in 2019 was developing a policy for reconstruction activities, including identifying the current status of the community after the NKTR disaster and projections for the future. In addition to the exchange of opinions among HRC members, the attractiveness of the community was confirmed through interactive meetings with the community's women's club and ex-residents who relocated from the community after the NKTR. Consequently, the aesthetics of the autumn foliage of persimmon trees and the taste of the well water were identified as the most attractive features of the community.

Based on the opinions of the residents, certain proposals were made such as organizing the river running through the community into a playground for children, promotion of traditional events in the community, and utilization of the community hall. Finally, the proposal, which revitalizes the community through landscape creation by establishing an observation site overlooking the persimmon orchards in the community, was adopted at the autumn persimmon foliage viewing event on 28 November 2019, to which the Kyushu University Team and the Asakura Extension Center were invited.

The HRC decided to plant broadleaf trees that would add color to the vegetation in the community during autumn. The Kyushu University Team assisted in determining the species and location of planted trees. Initially, there were two candidate sites for observation: one on the west side of the community near Kannondo Temple and one on the east side near the Kunugiyama Mountain. The candidate site was decided upon by voting after the autumn foliage viewing event on 28 November 2019. The western side was initially selected; however, the eastern side was ultimately selected as the observation site in February 2020 because a cemetery was located on the western side.

3.1.2. Concretization of the Observation Site Creation (by the Hiraenoki Reconstruction Tree-Planting Ceremony)

After the observation site was determined in February 2020, HRC meetings were suspended owing to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in July 2020. The species and size of the seedlings to be planted in accordance with the site conditions and the committee's requirements were then determined in a series of HRC meetings.

The proposed observation site was originally a persimmon orchard that was no longer manageable because of the NKTR. The HRC signed a contract with the three landowners to lease land (2183 m2) for 20 years (from 2020–2040). In addition, it was necessary to clear the remaining persimmon trees before planting broadleaf trees. Therefore, community residents, Kyushu University Team members, and Asakura Extension Center staff mowed the grass and cleared the remaining persimmon trees. They also built roads and installed drainage ditches in the planned area. Simultaneously, the Kyushu University Team surveyed and mapped the site.

In September 2020, based on the survey results and budget, the number of trees to be planted and their locations were determined based on the advice of Kyushu University Team members. In addition, a detailed plan for the observation site, created by a faculty member of the Faculty of Design of Kyushu University (the fourth author of this paper), was availed to the public to share the image of the completed project (Figure 3). In October 2020, stakes were driven into the planting areas, and weed prevention sheets, deer nets, and simple toilets were installed.

**Figure 3.** Plan of the observation site (created by Kazuo Asahiro [the fourth author]).

At the HRC meeting in November 2020, the Kyushu University Team introduced NPO Asa-Kuru to the HRC, and they decided that the two organizations would collaborate. It was also decided that the tree planting at the observation site would be held as a "Hilaenoki Reconstruction Tree-Planting Ceremony", inviting residents and ex-residents, staff of Asakura Extension Center and Kyushu University Team, children participating in NPO Asa-Kuru activities, and the media to help disseminate information regarding the project. It was also decided that the ceremony would be held to communicate with the children of the Shiwa School District, where the Hiraenoki Community is located.

In December 2020, HRC planted cherry (*Cerasus* Mill.), crape-myrtle (*Lagerstroemia indica*), and Ginkgo *(Ginkgo biloba* L.) trees and confirmed the location of a signboard before the ceremony (Figure 4). In the subsequent meeting in January, detailed arrangements and roles for the ceremony were determined and a pamphlet was prepared for distribution.

**Figure 4.** Signboard at the Kunugiyama observation site (obtained by Yoshio Harada [the first author] on 6 March 2021). The signboard notes that this project was led by the HRC and the community residents with support from Kyushu University Team, Asakura Extension Center, and the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization.

### 3.1.3. Hiraenoki Reconstruction Tree-Planting Ceremony (6 March 2021)

The Hiraenoki Reconstruction Tree Planting Ceremony was held on 6 March 2021. In total, 110 people participated in the event. Regarding the participation of ex-residents, the HRC sent invitations to 14 people, 4 of whom participated.

Children mainly planted small seedlings, such as hydrangeas (*Hydrangea macrophylla*) and azalea (*Rhododendron* L.), and adults planted medium-sized seedlings, such as Japanese maple (*Acer palmatum* Thunb.). In total, 144 trees, consisting of 9 Someiyoshino cherry (*Prunus yedoensis* Matsumura), 4 Yamazakura cherry (*Cerasus jamasakura*), 4 ginkgo, 2 kousa dogwood (*Cornus kousa*), 1 giant dogwood (*Cornus controversa*), 25 crape-myrtle, 20 Japanese maples, 45 hydrangeas, and 34 azaleas were planted. The planted trees were labeled with the name tag of the person who planted the tree, which was intended to strengthen the connection between the participants and the Hiraenoki Community. At the tree-planting ceremony, children played musical instruments (Kalimba) that were handmade from driftwood generated during the NKTR disaster. The ceremony was reported in newspapers. Subsequently, in April 2021, a group photo of the tree-planting ceremony participants and a project report were distributed. In addition, panels were set up to introduce the past and present of the Hiraenoki Community and the Kunugiyama observation site (Figure 5).

**Figure 5.** Panel installed at Kunugiyama observation site (created by Kazuo Asahiro [the fourth author]). The panel shows the community residents' thoughts on the Kunugiyama observation as a symbol of reconstruction and their vision of the future of the Hiraenoki community. It also includes a link to a website that introduces the Kunugiyama observation project with a message from HRC and community residents. Please access the website on your smartphone or tablet. Photos from those days, activity scenes, etc. are available.

The observation site project was subsidized (800,000 yen) by the Green and Water Forest Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization, and the committee allocated approximately 500,000 yen from their community budget. To minimize costs, all work at the observation site by residents was carried out voluntarily. Consequently, labor costs were reduced by approximately 200,000 yen from the original estimate. In addition, residents utilized their personal connections to obtain saplings at low prices and by division from trees in the community.

During the tree-planting ceremony, we conducted a simple interview with four exresidents who participated in the tree-planting ceremony. The following three questions were posed: (1) how did you know about the tree-planting ceremony?, (2) do you still own persimmon orchards in the Hiraenoki Community?, and (3) do you want to live in the Hiraenoki Community again?

All four respondents answered that they were informed of the tree-planting ceremony by invitation from the HRC in January 2021. Thus, they were unaware of the Kunugiyama observation site prior to receiving the invitation. In terms of persimmon orchards, three of the four respondents answered that they did not own a persimmon orchard because they had already stopped producing persimmons before the NKTR. One respondent still owned a persimmon orchard in the Hiraenoki Community and visited the community at least once a month to maintain it. When we asked the respondents if they would want to live in the Hiraenoki community again, all four answered "No". Three respondents stated that they could no longer live in the Hiraenoki Community due to the trauma of the disaster experience.

The interview results indicated that it would be very difficult for the community members to reside in the Hiraenoki Community again. On the other hand, we found that their relationship with the Hiraenoki Community had not completely disappeared. For example, an ex-resident visited the Hiraenoki Community to maintain his persimmon orchards. The invitation to the tree-planting ceremony from the HRC also served to connect them with the community.

#### 3.1.4. Activities after the Completion of the Kunugiyama Observation Site (from March 2021)

In June 2021, the HRC, NPO Asa-Kuru, and Kyushu University Teams formed the "Hiraenoki Community Guard Group (*Hiraenoki Satomori Kai*)". As part of these activities, they decided to invite children participating in Asa-Kuru to the Yodo Festival on 23 July 2021, a Shinto ritual held every other year in the Hiraenoki Community, and also to implement recreational activities for them. The Yodo festival is a ritualistic event with fireworks at the Akiba Shrine. The festival was also an opportunity for residents to communicate with each other before the NKTR. At the 2021 Yodo festival, Hiraenoki Community Guard Group staff made preparations in the morning and the children participated in recreation activities in the afternoon, including nature games prepared by the Kyushu University Team, shaved ice, ball scooping, river games by NPO Asa-Kuru, and fireworks prepared by the HRC. The recreational fireworks display was held in front of the community center (Figure 6). Residents also held a firework display at the Akiba Shrine as a Shinto ritual.

**Figure 6.** Yodo festival in which children participated (obtained by Ai Ichinose [the second author] on 23 July 2021).

Recreational activities with residents and children from the Asa Kuru Community were held at the Reconstruction Autumn Foliage Viewing Event on 28 November 2021 (Figure 7). During the event, a walk around the observation site and a viewing of autumn foliage were held to promote the beauty of autumn foliage in the persimmon garden in the community. The residents served persimmons to the participants and staff from the Asakura Extension Center gave small lectures on persimmon varieties to the children. In addition, a treasure hunt game prepared by the Kyushu University Team and a puppet show by a street performer commissioned by Asa-Kuru were implemented.

**Figure 7.** Reconstruction Autumn Foliage Viewing Event (obtained by Yoshio Harada [first author] on 28 November 2021).

This event also served as an opportunity to assess the condition of the observation site after the tree-planting ceremony. At the meeting after the event, the participants shared their concerns about the large number of pests that had eaten the leaves of the cherry trees and the fact that the wild boars had broken through the nets. It was also confirmed that four crape-myrtle trees and one Japanese maple tree had died. Therefore, the HRC decided to replant these 5 trees and an additional 16 azaleas and 32 hydrangeas. The replanted tree species are widely found in Japan.
