(1) What are the requisite conditions for locally controlled and sustainable economic development in the Russian Far East

The trial ecotour conducted last summer taught us a number of lessons. First of all, it was found out that no matter how beautiful the nature is, and in spite of so many wonderful things you can do there like catching the trophy-size cherry salmon and sea-run chars, if a small piece of metal parts of your outboard engine breaks down during the day and rain drops fall on you through the holes in the tent roof in the evening, it creates a tremendous pressure on the ecotourists.

The river boats used by the Udehe people, a branch of the Tungusic people, are narrow with a shallow bottom built for negotiating therapids of the Samaraga river, but all of us were so impressed by the perfect skill of the local men handling their boats through rapids and shallows all the way down to the mouth of the river opening into the Sea of Japan. During the 2000 summer ecotour, we went down the river on seven boats forming a long line of a flotilla stretching far beyond your eyes'reach. If some of them had mechanical problems, therefore, rest of us were kept in suspense not knowing what had really happened.

The key to solving these problems is the ability for all the boats to stay in communication with each other as well as the village. If this were possible, there wouldn't have been these relatively minor problems combining into a major obstacle. If we can quickly ask someone in the village to bring down the spare parts, or stay in touch with the village, and through it with the hotel in Khabarovsk, and ultimately with friends and families in Japan, we could have even enjoyed the experience of weathered in out in the wild for an extra day, or lie on the floor of the lodge for a couple of extra days in the village doing nothing waiting for the helicopter from Khabarovsk.
The hybrid power generating system donated to the village commune (cooperative) by the Virtual Foundation Japan as the first step toward fighting the problem of total isolation wouldn't as yet be of any help last summer because of the financial collapse of Iridium, an American corporation offering satellite communication services.

In fact, we were stuck in Agzu for two extra days last summer because of bad weather without any means of communicating with either our hotel in Khabarovsk or families and offices in Japan. By the time we finally got picked up by helicopters, our hotel in Khabarovsk was beginning to receive telephone calls from Japan, and we barely managed to forestall a certain panic in Japan. Since our return, therefore, the Virtual Foundation Japan has made every effort to explore the technological and economic feasibility of utilizing the cutting-edge digital technology to construct a viable system of communication with the Agzu village, being fully aware that a success in the Samarga valley will go a long way toward more effectively implementing many other projects involving the rural communities in the remote areas of the Asia-Pacific region.

(2) A unique satellite communication concept being tested this spring

Making use of the hybrid power system already in place in Agzu, the Virtual Foundation Japan has finally came up with a system⬠of multilingual e-mail communication system via satellites which will enable the people of the remote rural communities to talk directly to the urban consumers in Japan who are already their friends as ecotourists of the last season as well as those who might be interested to come in the future. The system uses low-altitude small satellites orbiting around the earth, and a compact, easy-to-operate and portable ground station terminal in the remote area can enable the local residents to latch onto the limitless world of the Internet and communicate with anyone in the world. The Virtual Foundation Japan can provide both the custom-designed hybrid power generator and multilingual translation service solving all of the major obstacles, which keep these remote areas permanently "remote," left far behind the progress of digital technology.

The first trial project shall be launched in the mountainous region of the Negros Island of the Philippines this spring, whereby the harvesters of wild bananas for export to Japan can talk directly with the Japanese consumers who buy their eco-bananas, and they in turn can ask the Negros islanders how they care for and harvest the wild bananas. The same setup is planned between the village of Agzu and the Japanese consumers interested in ecotourism in the Russian Far East.
Given the time factor in our favor, the ecotourists, both Japanese and American, who plan on visiting the Samarga valley this summer are very likely to be able to stay in contact not only from where they camp with the Agzu village, but also through it or even directly, with the outside world including their friends and offices in Japan.
Just look at the pictures of camp fires at a point, merely 1-hour boat ride from the Sea of Japan, and see the giant cherry salmon and char being baked whole! You know they go extremely well with your vodka. And, this might well be the place, surrounded by virgin forests sitting on a drift wood lying on crisp dry sand bank, where you can send your e-mails in Japanese or English out to anybody in the world - nothing but a real fruit of the IT revolution!
The Virtual Foundation Japan is also working with the Agzu village commune to design and build a small, but high-quality, fish-processing facility so that the Agzu village can proudly make the catches of the visiting tourists into fine smoke products to be taken back home and brag about their wonderful experience.

Those who want to find out more about the ecotour in the Russian Far East should contact Our Office by e-mail

Reported by: Yutaka Okamoto January 19, 2001