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Paper short abstract:

This ethnographic study explores the reintroduction of the Crested Ibis in Sado Island, Japan, highlighting its role in revitalizing rice fields and fostering sympoietic relationships among species, offering valuable insights for addressing contemporary socio-ecological challenges.

Paper long abstract:

Based on a year of fieldwork, this ethnographic inquiry examines the reintroduction of the Crested Ibis (Nipponia Nippon) in the multisided villages of Sado Island, Japan. First, I delve historically into why the last ibis went extinct in 2003 due to anthropogenic stressors such as the utilization of agricultural chemicals in wetlands, hunting, feather trade, and medicinal use, to name a few. Second, I trace the reintroduction efforts from 2008 with the help of gifted Crested Ibis from China and captive breeding and rewilding practices in other prefectures of Japan. Ethnographically, I interpret the reintroduction as a catalyst for another reinvigoration: a typhoon in 2004 damaged the rice fields on Sado Island, and the famous and high-quality Sado rice lost its popularity across Japan. Since then, officials took advantage of this timely occurrence and created a cohabitation story in which the reintroduced ibis played a vital role in revitalizing the damaged rice fields. Lastly, this study elucidates sympoietic modes emerging as previously uninvited species thrived in the wetlands. These developments resulted from interdisciplinary approaches, collaborative agricultural practices, and infrastructural reforms. By meticulously scrutinizing the reintroduction of the Crested Ibis on Sado Island, this study makes a substantial contribution to the overarching discourse on Anthropocene histories and anthropologies of wildlife, thereby showcasing how such perspectives can be instrumental in addressing the urgent socio-ecological challenges confronting our contemporary milieu.