“Bura Tamori Guide."
Recently, I've noticed scholars in geology and geography using this term on their business cards and in their introductions.
This playful “title” indicates that the person has appeared in “Bura Tamori,” a weekly educational entertainment TV program broadcast by Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) that ended last month.
The unofficial title suggests that the expert makes a point of offering easy-to-understand explanations about topics in their fields of research to make them accessible to laypersons.
In the show, popular comedian Tamori, whose real name is Kazuyoshi Morita, and a female NHK announcer, guided by local experts, explore various parts of the nation, solving various questions concerning the areas they stroll around and discovering the relationship between the natural environment and the local communities.
Many scenes developed into geological and geographical exploration. Earth science, encompassing fields such as geology, directly impacts our daily lives.
However, its limited presence in school curricula leaves it underappreciated and less likely to attract student interest.
Researchers welcomed the program, which they thought would help popularize the field of research.
Academic societies related to the field have analyzed and utilized the program's methods, holding discussions themed around the show and featuring it in special issues of professional journals.
Related societies and the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan have commended the program for its contribution to popularizing earth science. The show has even been added as a new entry in the “New Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences,” published last month.
How the show integrates academic fields is also intriguing. The process by which the geology and topography of a land shape its regional characteristics is connected to history, agriculture, engineering and literature.
The show has also provided experts with an opportunity to reconsider their public outreach efforts. Simplifying the content is necessary to make academic topics accessible to the public, but this can sometimes compromise academic accuracy.
The issues involved in such scientific communication include whether there is a solid basis for specific theories, what should be omitted in explanation, and which one theory among many should be introduced. The program’s guides navigated these challenges by balancing entertainment and accuracy.
Now, the term “Bura Tamori" is synonymous with activities that spread knowledge of studies that require field research and outdoor surveys to the public. Experts can enhance the appeal of their initiatives by calling them “Bura xxx.”
Geographer and associate professor Tatsuto Aoki of Kanazawa University has named his public lecture “Bura Aoki."
He walks with citizens and teachers, explaining the natural conditions and the development of towns.
"Through learning about the land's history, I aim to show that its blessings and hazards are two sides of the same coin," Aoki says.
For example, the Noto Peninsula is dotted with patches of agricultural land created by utilizing gentle slopes formed by ancient landslides, such as the “senmaida” terraced rice paddies affected by the recent earthquake.
Humans have also utilized plateaus formed by past earthquakes in various ways.
Exploring the features of the land helps in understanding the risks behind them, contributing to disaster prevention.
The beautiful landscapes we see in our hometowns or travel destinations and the winding streets in towns are among the wealth of materials we can find in aimlessly walking “bura bura.”
We can use these materials for delving into the natural processes that created them and contemplating their connection to regional history, industry and their formidable power.
Deepening one's own bura bura wherever curiosity leads us is surely an enjoyable endeavor.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 7
EDITORIAL: ‘Bura Tamori’ show motivated us to learn more about our world
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08.04.2024
“Bura Tamori Guide."
Recently, I've noticed scholars in geology and geography using this term on their business cards and in their introductions.
This playful “title” indicates that the person has appeared in “Bura Tamori,” a weekly educational entertainment TV program broadcast by Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) that ended last month.
The unofficial title suggests that the expert makes a point of offering easy-to-understand explanations about topics in their fields of research to make them accessible to laypersons.
In the show, popular comedian Tamori, whose real name is Kazuyoshi Morita, and a female NHK announcer, guided by local experts, explore various parts of the nation, solving various questions concerning the areas they stroll around and discovering the relationship between the natural environment and the local communities.
Many scenes developed into geological and geographical exploration. Earth science, encompassing fields such as geology, directly........
© The Asahi Shimbun
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