This is the second part of a series covering the Fairy Creek Blockades and those working to protect the land. We recognize this is a departure from SAD’s typical content, but have chosen to publish these stories in allyship toward the protestors and Pacheedaht First Nation.

At 81 years old, Hisao Jim Ichikawa is a well-loved figure at the Fairy Creek Blockades. He teaches Rajio Taiso (a form of calisthenics popular in Japan) to young people at the frontlines, offers shiatsu to lift people's spirits, and has a great voice, often leading a call-and-answer song about saving the old growth and leaving forests for bears. He can also still do the splits. 

Ichikawa started engaging with activism when he went to Unist’ot’en in 2014. “As one of the settlers to Turtle Island, I am responsible for the problems we are facing, so I am doing my best to pay back by engaging in environmental activism and not buying new things.”

According to Ichikawa, the bigger problem representative in the struggle to save the old growth forest is overconsumption, “We are so used to the wasteful lifestyle and most of us want perpetual economic growth and prosperity which is the principal cause of the global warming and degradation of our environment.” 

The night before Ichikawa was arrested at Waterfall Camp he took a quiet moment to reflect on life and speak with SAD MAG about his personal philosophies. “I don’t think about my personal problems anymore, only of the common good.” 

On July 22nd, Ichikawa was arrested above Waterfall Camp. He was locked into a dragon (a tube you can lock your arm into) in a trench with one person hovering over him on a balanced log and two others locked into a pipe running through the log. 

After his companions were arrested, an officer convinced him to unclip, but Ichikawa struggled to do so because of the angle the dragon was positioned in. He was arrested once he was able to get loose, but said the commanding officer ripped up his release papers after he had signed them. 

A few days later he was back at camp offering Shiatsu. 

“I am here because life is theatre and I play the hero as best as possible before the curtain goes down.”