KOCHI | Modern Nomad

PAPERSKY #64

KOCHI | Modern Nomad

A modern nomad's journey to Kochi, to the sea, to the mountains, to the bosom of nature, to stimulate the wildness

A coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean and a mountainous area with its backdrop to the Shikoku Mountains. Kochi Prefecture, which stretches from east to west, is filled with diverse natural fields, with the sea, mountains and beautiful rivers connecting them. This time, we will feature a trip to Kochi, where you can experience nature in its entirety and stimulate the wildness, with the keyword "modern nomad." Guests on the trip include Mikami Nao, a traveling chef who visits producers all over Japan and opens a pop-up restaurant with local ingredients, and Bun-chan, also known as Ishikawa Fumina, aka "fishing idol." With two people, who are just as powerful chefs and anglers, as well as powerful women in Kochi, they set out on a journey to unlock their mind, body and soul through unchanging activities since ancient times, cooking them with fish they have caught and local ingredients.

■Mikami Nao Profile
Traveling chef. Born in Tokyo. After graduating from Tokyo University of Agriculture, he worked in elementary school as a nutritionist. He then moved to France and trained at a local restaurant. After training at Chez Panis in California, he is currently creating tables that allow you to see the faces all over Japan. The sea, mountains, rivers, and the cooking fields everywhere.www.naomikami.com

■Profile of Ishikawa Fumina
A fisherman. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture. When he was a child, he began fishing due to the influence of his father. In 2014, he became the fifth generation of Angler's Idol, an idol in the fishing industry. He is currently affiliated with the lure maker Jackal Co., Ltd. It conveys the "life with fishing" from a unique perspective. instagramID: bun0404

Kochi! Women! Nomadic Life!

In Kochi prefecture you’ll find the percentage of ‘unique’ people to be higher than anywhere else in the country. In Kochi it’s ‘normal’ to be different.

Papersky, being a ‘unique’ magazine, felt at home in Kochi - most folks didn’t blink twice when they were confronted with the ‘Gaikokujin’ editor-in-chief making a magazine about Japan for Japanese people that subtly espouses such ideas as ‘more leadership for women’, ‘more importance placed on the outdoors and environment’, ‘blending the old and new to create a better lifestyle’ and ‘valuing both local & global culture’.

Our ‘unique’ mission for the Kochi issue was to live for one week as ‘modern nomads’ hunting and gathering our own food and then to set up camp both Seaside and Mountainside to cook it all up in scrumptious perfection. Our two guests were both women; fishing professional Bun Chan (Ayana Ishikawa) and ‘traveling chef’ Nao Mikami.

The path to ‘modern nomadism’ will no doubt be forgiven by Japanese women and the result of ‘modern nomadism’ will be a more sensitive lifestyle that combines freedom of movement and time as well as a chance to deeper enjoy our lives on earth via human’s intrinsic desire to hunt and gather. Modern Nomadism is all this while simultaneously living with the modern comforts of transport, technology, guest houses, local sake, surfboards and a never ending quest to stay Curious.