A New Media Platform for Indigenous Culture and Food

Reframing the Image of the Countryside

Kinameri, a village nestled in the foothills of Mt. Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, serves as the stage for Yamadachi-kai’s diverse ventures. At the center is the “Dekee Nameko,” an oversized nameko mushroom they cultivate. Building on this, they launched a new media project called Kinameri Indigenous Food Catalyst, which explores local food culture—such as wild game and mountain vegetables.
From naming and tabloid design to tenugui (traditional hand towels) and appearances at urban farmers markets, each element forms part of a cohesive narrative. The project proposes a “vernaculative style” that reimagines rural identity. Using local products as cultural catalysts, it aims to energize the world—starting from Kinameri.

Issue

How Broad Branding Dilutes Local Identity

Branding efforts that group entire prefectures or regions can be effective—they distill local features into a digestible form tailored to a wide audience. But the broader the scope, the more the subtleties rooted in the land—the lived details, the textures of daily life—tend to slip through the cracks. The unique character of each village fades into a generalized image.
Under such uniformity, Yamadachi-kai’s efforts in the satoyama, the story of the giant nameko mushroom, and the realities of rural life struggle to resonate. Recognizing this as a challenge, we chose to focus on the smallest unit: the village of Kinameri. From this hyperlocal foundation, we explored how indigenous culture could spark excitement on a global scale.

Creation

Conveying Local Identity Through the Senses

The Kinameri Indigenous Food Catalyst logo blends the contours of a village nestled at the mountain’s base with the visual language of local signage. For the tabloid, a photographer joined us in circling the village, capturing unfiltered scenes of daily life and landscape. These images were mapped to their real locations, forming a cover that allows readers to intuitively grasp the atmosphere of Kinameri.
A QR code links to soundscapes—music woven from the ambient sounds of the village and the nameko mushrooms. On the reverse, we present unembellished text created in collaboration with Yamadachi-kai, sharing honest voices from the region. The result is a multisensory medium that invites readers to experience Kinameri with their eyes, ears, and beyond.
The tabloid also functions as wrapping paper for local products. In addition, we showcased it at urban events to test how the project resonates from an outside perspective, integrating creation, context, and evaluation as one continuous process.

Technology

Tasting the Village Through Sound

To evoke the village through all five senses, we explored its auditory landscape. Collaborating with PPTV—a DJ and composer from Ishikawa—we field-recorded sounds like passing cars, flowing water, and factory machinery. We also used a custom device that converts signals from the nameko mushrooms into MIDI data, translating them into audible tones via synthesizer.
These elements were collaged into a musical composition, accessible via a QR code in the tabloid. The result invites listeners to experience the village not just visually, but through sound—making the atmosphere of Kinameri something you can truly hear and feel.

Future

Expanding from the Local Outward

Kinameri Indigenous Food Catalyst aims to energize the world through local food culture and deeply rooted traditions. At its core is co-creation—connecting the lived realities of the village with fresh perspectives from the outside.
We hope to extend this model to other communities, sparking a chain reaction of local energy. If your company is interested in incorporating Kinameri’s food into your offerings, or if you're looking to design regional identity through a vernaculative approach, we’d love to hear from you.