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Kunio Takami (center) plants pine saplings with local people in Dayuanshan Village of Datong's Yanggao County in 2005.

 

Green, a color of life and hope, is not how you'd think to describe a place like the sandy and dry Loess Plateau.

 

But since 1992, about 17 million saplings have been grown along the northeastern rim, which covers the rural areas of Datong City in Shanxi Province.

 

This achievement is due to the efforts of locals and a 58-year-old Japanese man who has persevered with the project for the past 15 years.

 

In 1992, Kunio Takami established a non-governmental organization called the Green Earth Network (GEN) in Japan, which is devoted to restoring Datong's countryside by planting trees.

 

Actually, Takami had dedicated himself to friendly exchange between China and Japan since the formal establishment of the two countries' diplomatic relations in 1972.

 

"I came to China for the first time in 1971 as a member of a friendship delegation and later became a frequent visitor to China working for people-to-people exchange," said Takami, secretary-general of the GEN.

 

"At the suggestion of All-China Youth Federation and after a field survey to Datong in 1991, I initiated the GEN to protect the environment there."

 

At that time, he was just one of an inspection group from Japan. But the harsh conditions in Datong scared away his colleagues.

 

Kunio Takami has been planting trees in Datong of north China's Shanxi Province for 15 years.

 

"If I left, the whole undertaking would run aground," he said.

 

For the last 15 years, Takami has commuted from Japan to Datong. In Japan, he helped the GEN collect funds from the government, companies and individuals, recruit volunteers to plant trees in Datong and invite environmental experts to join the GEN's projects.

 

Takami spent more than three months in Datong's villages every year, doing field inspections, coordinating between the GEN and its local partners and meeting local farmers.

 

"In terms of the time I spent in Datong, I could be a quarter Datonger," he joked, who now can understand Chinese well, especially Datong dialect.

 

However, Takami was initially given the cold shoulder from local people in Datong, where Japanese soldiers invaded during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). "Some villagers even placed skeletons along the road when we passed because they knew the 'Japanese were coming'."

 

"Back in Japan, people were also cold to us as they knew little about Datong's worsening environment."

 

As time went by, more and more Chinese and Japanese were attracted to the GEN's initiatives. Over the past 15 years, the organization has collected 20 million yuan ($2.6 million) in donations from Japan and has recruited about 2,400 Japanese volunteers to plant trees in Datong. Tens of thousands of local people in Datong have also been actively involved in the GEN's projects.

 

"As we all know, Datong people suffered a lot during the war. But now visitors to our projects are surprised to see Chinese and Japanese can get along so well," Takami wrote in his Chinese blog.

 

"They were not familiar with each other at first, but as the work progressed, they became very close. Before the volunteers left for Japan, they started organizing to see each other again."

 

They did meet again and again. "Many of our volunteers visited Datong frequently," Takami said. "It is really encouraging to see more and more young Japanese become our volunteers and have a close relationship with local Chinese farmers."

 

With Hunyuan County as the starting point in 1992, the GEN has launched about 190 projects across Datong's four districts and seven counties, covering an area of 5,000 hectares.

 

"At the start of our endeavor, I really did not imagine we could carry on for such a long time and achieve so much," Takami said.

 

About 30 percent of the projects are to build orchards (mainly of apricots trees) for local elementary schools in poverty-stricken areas.

 

Apricots can endure drought and bring short-term profits 5 to 10 times more than normal crops, Takami said. Some profits goes to participating farmers, some to the schools and the rest is for the upkeep of the trees.

 

The other 70 percent of the projects are to plant pine trees on hills, to prevent and control water loss and soil erosion. This takes at least 20 years to become effective.

 

Local villagers became enthusiastic in the projects when they knew planting trees could also improve their living standard, Takami said.

 

For example, by growing normal crops such as potato and wheat, each farmer in Wucheng Village of Datong's Hunyuan County earned about 2,000 yuan ($260) every year. After joining the GEN's apricot projects, their annual income rose to 10,000 yuan ($1,300).

 

Many have been touched by Takami's resolve to carry out the GEN's projects in Datong. "He is very determined no matter what difficulties he faces," said Wu Chunzhen, head of the GEN's office in Datong. "The living conditions in our countryside were far behind Japan, but Takami made himself at home here," said Wu, who has worked with him for almost 10 years.

 

Yu Wen, who was Takami's interpreter when two groups of Japanese volunteers recently visited Datong to plant trees, said: "As a Chinese, I even felt a little ashamed to meet a foreigner who spent 15 years and did his utmost to improve the Loess Plateau's environment. He is very respected and terrific."

 

But Takami said: "With only me, the GEN could do nothing. It's the concerted efforts from involved parties that is driving me not to give up."

 

He said he had received a lot of support from his Chinese partners which coordinated between the GEN and Datong's townships or villages, and from those environmental experts in Japan who volunteered to help.

 

As Takami is so busy in China, he has very little time with his wife and two sons. "They have gotten used to my absence at home," he said.

 

"People often kidded I was my wife's oldest son instead of husband."

 

Although Takami said little about his family, Wu told China Daily that his wife supports him by working as an accountant in the GEN.

 

In Datong's Guangling County, Takami also has a 15-year-old foster daughter, Dong Qianqian. "She is smart and loves study. But she had to quit school as her family is too poor to afford her tuition."

 

Since 2004, Takami began paying tuition fees for her. "I will continue to sponsor her if she goes to college," he said.

 

At the same time, Takami has also helped build four Hope primary schools in Datong's rural areas.

 

Last year, Takami was recognized as an "honorary resident" by Datong's city government. In 2001, he was bestowed with a "Friendship Award", the highest honor granted by the Chinese government to foreign experts.

 

Takami said he did have a sense of achievement but he is still concerned about the problems at hand. As one of Beijing's main water sources, Datong faces serious drought and accelerating desertification, Takami said.

 

Located on the Loess Plateau, Datong has only 430-cubic-meter water resources per capita every year, far below the international standard of 1,700 cubic meters.

 

"Even for the drought-enduring trees, water is needed or they will easily die," said Wu, the office head.

 

"Shortage of water has become one of the major hurdles to carry out our projects," he said.

 

(China Daily April 13, 2007)