I’m from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
I had never had the habit of eating sea squirts growing up

When I came to Niigata and saw sea squirts for the first time at the supermarket
I thought it was a kind of seaweed.

What a surprise, sea squirts are chordates!!

In terms of biological classification, they’re an animal similar to a human being. I’m surprised.
So they have a spine, a brain, a heart and reproductive organs.

When they’re born, they look like tadpoles and they’re playing in the sea
by the time they reach adulthood, the sea water temperature is just right and they have no trouble feeding and
they’re always looking for a place where they can be protected from their natural enemies.

Here it is!! Once they find a place where they become adherent animals that never move from that spot.
And what a surprise, when they become adherent animals, the first thing what they do is

They eat their own brains.
They eat their own brains.
I couldn’t help but repeat myself twice…

Basically our living world chose to “move on”
only life has a “brain”.
It’s not like you don’t need a “brain” if you don’t move on but
the “skin” and “intestines” can take place of the “brain”.

If they’re left with a smart skin and a smart intestine, they decide that they don’t need to waste blood and nutrients to the brain
sea squirts eat their own brains first.

The skin is not just a membrane that surrounds their bodies it has the ability to catch and judge the environment and also
nurture indigenous microorganisms to provide strength to the immune system, and excrete unnecessary substances through perspiration
and also regulate body temperature through sweating.
They manage oxygen levels, analyze light and listen to sound
such an unbelievable features are now being reported.

Also the intestines not only absorb nutrients and produce and release stools, but also
it can function on its own independent of instructions from the brain and
it’s an organ that possesses many nerve cells.
They have many indigenous microorganisms and work together as a partner for life.

I believe the absence of a brain in a life form that has chosen to be solidly attached or indigenous is not low-level or no thoughts or it has no feelings, but that it may have sharpened their skin and intestines functions that are capable of more than we can imagine.

Plants are the same. Trees are the same.

Skin is the bark.
Intestines is the root.

Trees in the forest protect their life by catching of changing environment and their sensitivity of the bark, and
while connected like synapses by taut roots
many trees and various plants exchange information and communication.
That is how they may live for hundreds of years.
I cannot help thinking that they are like elders.

I feel we have much to learn from the forest.
Until now, humans have destroyed forests and cut down trees out of greed and now we are losing many forests due to wildfires caused by abnormal climate.

Human beings are the greatest.
The only way we can manage this world in a way that is livable for humans is because humans are the top.
We should quickly graduate from such shallow thinking and
I hope that we can regain the attitude of admitting our failures and asking the mountains and forests to help us learn.

I hope that we can admit our failures, and regain our willingness to learn from the mountains and the forests. I hope that we can regain the attitude of admitting our failures and asking the mountains and forests to help us learn.

I have been living at the foot of the mountain for 18 years.
For some reason, I was attracted to the countryside and chose this place.
From the window, we can always see a magnificent mountain called Mt. Gotouzan.
Many people have asked me, “What is the secret of your energy?”

My answer is always

“I think it’s because we live by the mountains.”

Let’s go to the mountain
Let’s go to the sea
Let’s go to the river
Let’s touch the trees
Let’s touch the soil

It is too simple and too important to live.
Have a great time with your children.

Author ; Mayumi Inoue