Disney's Jungle Cruise "In reality, there is a probability of about 90%," explorer Yoshiharu Sekino explains

"Jungle Cruise," a live-action adaptation of Disneyland's most popular attractions, is now in theaters.

This attraction has a particularly long history in Tokyo Disneyland, and many people are familiar with it.

So this time, we invited Mr. Yoshiharu Sekino, an explorer known for his travel documentary "Great Journey", who is currently publishing a series of videos on YouTube "Great Journey Again", to Tokyo. He explained Disneyland's "Jungle Cruise" from an explorer's point of view.

Yoshiharu Sekino

■A real-life Jungle Cruise has a 90% chance of returning

ーーThis time, we will explore Disneyland's popular attraction "Jungle Cruise" I would like to explain from the perspective of the house. First of all, how dangerous is it to ``travel the actual jungle by boat''?

You almost never die in the jungle.

It is safe to assume that there is a 90% chance that you will be able to return home.

ーーWhat kind of danger is the remaining 10%...?

The most dangerous are poisonous snakes and malaria, yellow fever and other endemic diseases.

However, if you travel by boat and don't land in the jungle, you're probably safe.

So you're saying it's surprisingly safe as long as you don't land! relieved. You can enjoy various animals on the Jungle Cruise attractions, but are there many animals you can see in the actual jungle?

I can see it pretty well. I've actually seen hippos and crocodiles, and if you're lucky, you might even see a jaguar.

Birds are also fairly easy to spot, and in some areas you can see large birds like eagles and condors.

If you want to enjoy watching animals, then boats are for you.

ーーJungle Cruise is an attraction with a story of ``exploring the jungle for 3 weeks.'' Is ``3 weeks'' a suitable length for exploring the jungle?

Sightseeing should be enough.

It's hard if you're doing research (based on exploration) or writing a book.

ーーAt the attraction, you will cruise through the jungle on a 32-passenger motorized boat.

Since the ship has a large load capacity, I think this size is enough for 3 weeks.

I don't think food is enough, but if you go fishing in the river or buy it from people who live along the river, you'll be able to travel comfortably.

--On Jungle Cruise attractions, each ship is named after a river and a woman's name, such as 'Amazon Annie' and 'Nile Nelly'.

I know the name of the river, but why is it named after a woman?

I think it's traditional.

Traditionally, ship crews are often male, and they like to name their ships after their wives and daughters. I think that naming a ship after a family member makes them feel like they are traveling together.

And "ship" is basically a "feminine noun" in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, etc. (*Depending on the language, nouns may be treated separately as "masculine" and "feminine") I think that is also related.

ーーTraditionally, there is a strong image of “ships = women”, so you are matching that with the Jungle Cruise.

The skipper (captain) who guides us happily is also popular at the attraction. They are said to be "paid 10 bananas a day", but what about the economic situation of skippers working in the actual jungle?

This is more or less the same in all regions, the owners of ships are highly paid, but the skippers who are hired are very poorly paid. Unless you're a real professional.

ーーThat's sad. I hope that the treatment of both attraction skippers and real skippers will be improved.

■The reason the campsite is being attacked by gorillas is because humans did bad things

ーーNext, I would like to ask about the animals that are the main part of the Jungle Cruise. is. There are many animals such as gorillas, lions, and cobras in the attractions.

It's a gorilla. This is rarely seen.

Other animals are animals that can be seen in some way.

--On the Jungle Cruise, the gorillas are quite casual and you can even see them attacking human camps.

Gorillas don't attack people unless there is a very good reason.

This is true for all monkeys, not just gorillas. (For them) humans are very scary.

However, even gorillas have something similar to a human "family". So, if the family is mistreated by humans, they may attack for revenge.

So the gorillas attacking the campsite on the Jungle Cruise probably did something terrible to humans...!

Right. If you don't do bad things from here, wild animals will be quiet.

ーーI see, from now on, the view of gorillas in "Jungle Cruise" is about to change. Speaking of animals, in the attraction there is an act of desperately running away from a hippo colony.

Hippos aren't carnivorous, so they won't attack you if you pass by on a boat, but they're scary if you're in a group.

On the other hand, alligators are okay depending on the species. As long as you're in the water, they won't attack you.

ーーI was wondering how to say hello to a crocodile when I was desperately trying to escape from a hippo, so I'm glad I was able to solve my longstanding question!

Also, at the attractions, there are three guardian deities of the jungle: elephants, tigers, and monkeys. They are used as talismans and enshrined in temples, but why were these three animals chosen?

These animals are considered sacred creatures in different regions. Elephants are considered sacred throughout Asia, while monkeys are found near Nepal.

Tigers are sacred creatures in cold regions such as Siberia. However, in this case, it is not a so-called "tiger", but a large cat that lives near the jungle, such as a jaguar, puma, leopard.

On Amazon, jaguars, pumas, leopards, etc. are collectively called "tigers." I think it's from there that I use the tiger's fang as a talisman when I go out hunting.

Furthermore, when it comes to animals that have been deified, there is the Harpy Eagle, the strongest bird of prey in South America. It is probably because it is a strong animal at the top of the food chain in the jungle along with the tiger.

ーーIt is said that ``Jungle Cruise'' was modeled on the ``Amazon River in South America'', ``Nile River in Africa'', ``Irrawaddy River in Asia'', and ``Ganges River in Asia''. It is possible that they chose animals that are regarded as sacred creatures in the model regions.

■The lives of indigenous people in the jungle have changed dramatically more than we could have imagined

ーーYou may meet indigenous people living in the jungle at attractions. You can also see the canoes they use, but is this something that can be seen near the actual jungle?

The canoe that appears in the attraction has an outrigger (a stick attached to the side of the boat to prevent it from capsizing).

These canoes aren't from the jungle.

That's right!

These canoes are meant to be used in windy waters like the Pacific rather than rivers.

Just looking at the attractions, I think the patterns and colors are modeled after the culture of the sea.

In the case of the actual jungle, we used dugout canoes in the past. Currently, I am using a structural ship (a ship made by connecting plates) with an engine attached.

ーーI see. Not only the actual jungle culture, but also the cultures of various regions are mixed!

Also, in the attraction you can see the residences and meeting places of the indigenous people.Where do you think this model is?

I don't know the exact location because the patterns of houses are different for each ethnic group, but I think Colombia in South America is a model.

So this is modeled after jungle culture. At attractions, you can see villages of about 10-20 indigenous people, but how many people actually live there?

If it is a small village, there are about 20 people living in 3 to 4 families. No matter how big the village is, it doesn't exceed 150 people.

In hunter-gatherer settlements, above 150 people, internal tensions rise and troubles increase, and near 200 people, they split up.

Two split settlements are prone to hostility.

ーーIt's human nature to fight when there are more than 150 people.It's a very interesting story.

Returning to the attractions, you can see the indigenous people dressed up in the house.Who is the model for these clothes?

The most similar area is the area called the Xingu River in Brazil where the indigenous people gather.

The decorations are very colorful, and there are many flashy costumes using birds such as macaws.

ーーAt the attraction, there is an act in which the indigenous people point spears at you and attack you. Are people in the real jungle more friendly or hostile?

While you'll be welcomed as a tourist, you can be warned when you're heading out to explore deep inland areas.

ーーWhat should I do in that case?

First of all, if the other side wants to contact you, there is always an easy-to-understand sign (near where you live).

So I put iron tools like knives and axes there.

Why iron tools?

Indigenous people can make everything they need for their lives, but the only thing they can't make is iron. So when I want to go to an indigenous village in the hinterland, I always bring iron tools such as knives, ono, and machetes as gifts.

However, there are almost no indigenous people in the world today who do not have iron. Even in the Amazon, no more than 1% of indigenous peoples are out of contact with the outside world.

About 80% of the ethnic groups can speak Spanish and Portuguese (the official languages ​​of the country), and many young people are now leaving the indigenous villages to attend higher education.

ーーThere are no longer any “savage” indigenous peoples that you can imagine from attractions.

Finally, I would like to talk about an indigenous person named "Sam" who is also a popular attraction. He originally had a human head in his hand when Disneyland opened, then he started holding a banana, and now he has a talisman.

"Human neck" is modeled after an ethnic group called Jibaro in Ecuador. They have a custom of cutting the heads of enemy warriors and saving them.

However, when it became rare and sold to tourists, this time I started making shrunken heads with monkeys. This is one example of how the culture of indigenous peoples has changed through contact with the outside world.

ーーThis is a shocking story.

The name "Sam" is also interesting.

In the jungles of the Amazon, the indigenous people have converted to Christianity, and 99% of the indigenous people have Christian names. is.

I think this name "Sam" was also given to me that way.

ーーIt was very interesting to hear a wide range of stories, from the actual situation of the jungle to the lives of the indigenous people of the jungle. Thank you for today!

Born in 1949 in Tokyo. Explorer. Cultural anthropologist. doctor. Professor Emeritus at Musashino Art University. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Hitotsubashi University in 1975. Graduated from Yokohama City University School of Medicine in 1982. In 1999, he won the Naomi Uemura Adventure Award. Received the 2000 Travel Culture Award. 2013 National Museum of Nature and Science (special exhibition) "Great Journey, Human Journey" held. 2002-2019 Musashino Art University Professor (Cultural Anthropology) 1971 Descending the entire Amazon River. Over the next 25 years, he made 32 trips to the headwaters of the Amazon River and South America for a total of more than 10 years. Over the course of 10 years starting in 1993, I walked the 53,000km "Great Journey", and then walked the three main routes that humans born in Africa came to the Japanese archipelago.

Currently Director of Morphotherapy Medical Research Institute, Director of Da Vinci Clinic Shibuya (from January 2021), part-time doctor at Yuuwa Clinic Asagaya, part-time doctor at Azabu Clinic and Tamagawa Hospital, professor emeritus at Musashino Art University (anthropology) ), representative of the Global Permanent Settlement Program, and an explorer. He streams "Great Journey Again" every Saturday on YouTube.