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Credits

Copyright© 2008 Biodiversity Network Japan. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-4-9901743-1-6

Editorial committee: Naoya Furuta, Kunio Iwatsuki, Harufumi Nishida, and Mieko Kawamichi

Translation: Liza Drius, Tom Eskildsen, Yoshiro Kakei, and Haruko Kishi

Cover design: Tatsuo Hidaka

Layout: Takumi Kondo

Cover photo: Nature Citizen Institute

Other photos: Hikaru Sasaki,BIO-City,KYOTOKAN(Kenzou Yokoyama),Shogoin Temple,Kiyomizu Temple, and other contributers

Production : BIO-City

Foreword ······································································································································2Harufumi Nishida, Secretary General, Biodiversity Network Japan

Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, with Reference to the Japanese Spirit of Worshipping Nature····························4Kunio Iwatsuki, Director, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo and Professor emeritus,

the University of Tokyo

The Need to Conserve the Vanishing Satoyama Heritage ·········································································12Alphonse Kambu, Director, IICRC Special Programme, UNU IAS

Ecology of Divine Punishment and Favor: An Introduction to Environmental Ethnology ····································20Hiroyuki Torigoe, Professor at Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University

Dreaming 400 Years into the Future:Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto “Buys a Mountain” for Future Re-Building···········28Kounin Mori, Legal Affairs Manager, Kiyomizu Temple

山山川川草草木木悉悉皆皆成成仏仏 -- The Mountains, Rivers, Grasses and Trees Will All Become Buddhas -- The Japanese View of Nature and Religion ···························································································32Kasei Nagasawa, Secretary General, Kyoto Buddhist Organization

Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks in the Wild as the Central Focus of Policy Making ·······························36Hidemichi Ootagaki, Director of the Oriental White Stork and Human Coexistence Department, Toyooka City

Regional Planning with a Focus on Biodiversity: Challenges of a Local Natural History Museum- Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo ··················································································42Isao Nakase, Vice president, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo and Professor, University of Hyogo, and

Takashi Kyakuno, Senior researcher, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo

Rejuvenation of Valley-Bed Rice Fields and Restoration of Lake Water Quality through Sake Brewery Business······48Keinosuke Hirose, Shiragiku Shuzo, Co., Ltd.

Kajima Corporation’s Promotion of Biodiversity Efforts for a Sustainable Society ···········································52Yoriyuki Yamada, Kajima Corporation, Office of Global Environment

Initiatives on Biodiversity by Nippon Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation and its Member Companies ····56Nippon Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation

Formulation of the Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan ·······························································60Global Biodiversity Strategy Office, Ministry of the Environment of Japan

The First Prefectural Biodiversity Strategy of Chiba················································································66Nature Conservation Division, Environmental and Community Affairs Department, Chiba Prefectural Government

Home Building with Artisans: Helping Rebuild Forests ·············································································68Kiyotaka Suzuki, Director, Head Office of the Association of Creative Tokyo House for the Future

Targeting Sustainable Society by Utilizing Used Timber and Old buildings·····················································72Kozai Bunka No Kai (Association for the Preparation of the Bank of Reusing Timber)

Afterword ····································································································································76Naoya Furuta, Member of Editorial Committee, Biodiversity Network Japan

Contents

I am very pleased to present this publication at the CBD COP9 in Bonn. Biodiversity is a result of the earth’s long-time evo-lution as well as the basis of our daily life. Unfortunately, we are losing this valuable asset very rapidly, while we are stillignorant about it. It is evident that our conventional approach to conserve biodiversity solely through endangered speciesprotection and the creation of protected areas is not sufficient. We have to explore new approaches which lead us to workon farmland, forest land, villages and even cities, as well as collaborate with scientists, government bodies, private sectorsand civil society through creative integration of traditional knowledge and the latest science and technologies.

In this small publication, we tried to showcase broad experiences, views and initiatives on biodiversity in Japan. Unlikeother publications on biodiversity, we didn’t focus on conventional topics such as endangered species and protected area.Neither have we intended to show the best way to conserve biodiversity. Rather, as a first step to explore a new way ofthinking, we tried to review our cultural and social background and own historical experiences on how our ancestors tried tocreate ways to live harmoniously with nature. This traditional concept may be characterized by a sense of awe towardsnature and focused on respecting and enjoying nature benefits rather than just protecting them.

We also tried to highlight some of the recent efforts being made by various actors, such as central and local governments,the private sector, religious bodies, museums and NPOs with different interest. We believe that all of these efforts arerelated to biodiversity either directly or indirectly. By sharing these experiences, we would like to catalyze dialogue amongvarious sectors both in Japan and in the rest of the world towards the COP10 in Nagoya in order to find a way to reshape oursociety and thus co-exist with nature more harmoniously.

Finally, I would like to gratefully acknowledge financial support from Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF) to makethis publication available. I am also grateful to those who contributed with articles and photos to this publication and wouldlike to thank Countdown 2010 and Nippon Keidanren Committee for their valuable collaboration.

Harufumi Nishida

Secretary GeneralBiodiversity Network Japan

Foreword

IntroductionMankind is an animal species nowactive not only in cities and villagesbut everywhere on the Earth. Even inmountain forests far from the cities, as wellas on oceans, human activities are distinctand no mysterious place for human civi-lization, where no one ever stepped in, isremained on the Earth, except for the deepsea. In this situation, the life ofmankind is inseparable from the biodiversitysurrounding it and the so-called lord of creation cannot live even an instantwithout the support of biodiversity.Harmonious co-existence betweennature and mankind should, therefore, bea leading concept for sustaining theEarth. Yet, this concept seems not tobe easily accepted by modern peopleunder the strong influence of Western civ-ilization and the strong desire of energy-materials-based wealth.

Throughout its history until the MeijiRestoration era, development of theJapanese Archipelago has been per-formed in harmonious co-existencebetween nature and mankind and theresult was a structure divided in threedistinct zones, i.e. hitozato or residen-tial area, satoyama or buffer zone andokuyama or core area. This zoning wascreated by the general public, not byorder of decision makers nor suggested

by scientists. This historical develop-ment is mainly based on sincere wor-ship of Japanese people to nature.

At the time of the Meiji Restoration,some 130 years ago, Japanese recog-nized the higher level of Western civilizationand strongly expected to reach andovercome it and thus constructed aperfect education system to achievetheir target. After 100 years, Japan has per-haps reached the same level of civilizationof Western countries, especially as to

economy on material basis. Yet, theJapanese Archipelago has been overdeveloped thus resulting in a variety of severeenvironmental problems. In the educationsystem, aiming at the development ofan energy-materials-based direction,Japanese people have forgotten theirtraditional spirit to worship nature. Itis necessary to remember this beautiful con-cept to perform harmonious co-exis-tence between nature and mankind for sus-taining the Archipelago for forthcoming days.

Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, with Referenceto the Japanese Spirit of Worshipping Nature

4

Kunio IwatsukiDirector, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo

Professor emeritus, the University of Tokyo

The development of the Japanese Archipelago was followed by the concept of harmonious co-existence between natureand mankind. However, this traditional concept has now nearly been forgotten even by the Japanese themselves. Toestablish a sustainable use of resources, such concept should be understood more widely and its underlying idea shouldbe remembered globally. In this article, successful zoning of Japanese Archipelago forming hitoazato (=residentialarea), satoyama (=buffer zone) and okuyama (=core area) is introduced and traditional Japanese spirit to worshipnature is noted in reference to the chinju-no-mori. It may be suggested that the introduction of Western civilization wassuccessful in Japan with respect to energy-material-based development, but this was imperfect and resulted in the destruc-tion of biodiversity as the traditional spirit to worship nature was abandoned.

Satoyama landscape - Harmonious coexistence between nature and mankind

Organisms are distributed on the Earth invarious ways and biodiversity should bealways considered as a whole, i.e. allspecies living on the Earth. Thus, thesustainable development of biodiversi-ty can only be achieved when harmo-nious co-existence will successfully beperformed throughout our only Earth.This typically Japanese concept should bea leading idea for the sustainabledevelopment of the Earth in general.

Harmonious co-existence betweennature and mankind – its theory and practiceThe phrase ‘harmonious co-existencebetween nature and mankind’ was pro-posed as a symbol of the Expo '90 forFlowers and Greenery successfully heldin Osaka in 1990. At first, it is said thatthis type of expression was thought toapply on various sectors. In our genera-tion it is thought that nature andmankind cannot be co-exist harmo-niously, as ‘natural’ is the oppositeterm of ‘artificial’. The originalJapanese term for ‘harmonious co-exis-tence’, as applied here, has the sameexpression of the biological term ‘sym-biosis’ and in some documents ‘symbio-sis’ is erroneously applied to explainthis particular concept. However, thisis a misapplication as symbiosis is aterm applied mainly to the relationshipbetween two particular species and itcan be ironically noted that mankind isactually depends on nature, when weconsider the term symbiosis in itsbroadest application, including mutual-ism, commensalism and parasitism.The original Japanese term – meaningsomething like living together - meansharmonious co-existence with muchstronger impact and our traditionallifestyle in Japan followed such con-cept throughout history until the MeijiRestoration period. Actually, thephrase stated above was at first vari-ously related, but is generally recog-nized throughout Japan in its trueunderstanding. Since the 1990s, thisparticular phrase has been widelyapplied in various occasions in relationto environmental issue.

This symbolic phrase is easily under-stood in Japan if the traditional wor-ship of nature is recognized, but it isterribly difficult to explain to thosewho consider nature only as a providerof resources for human life. Nowadays,most of the people live according tothe concept of a materials-energy-based civilization and they usually con-sider materials only on the basis oftheir monetary value. The harmoniousco-existence between nature andmankind should be accepted only whenthe worship of nature is recognized andthe idea of evaluating every naturalmaterial as resource for human lifemay stand be the opposite of worship-ping nature. Recognizing this differentconcept based solely on material-ener-gy, it may be better to remember thatthe potential of the traditionalJapanese concept to live in harmoniousco-existence with nature aims at a sus-tainable development of biodiversityon our only Earth.

Sustainable development of the Japanese ArchipelagoBy definition, the term ‘artificial’ isopposite to ‘natural’. In the history ofJapan, the first artificial large-scaledevelopment was given to theArchipelago by our ancestors whoestablished the New Stone Age some 25centuries ago. It is logical to say here,therefore, that destruction of natureon our Archipelago was at first madeby our ancestors. Yet, no one says thatthey were the first nature destructors.

In Japan pasturing was only allowed inrestricted areas and the establishmentof the New Stone Age mainly focusedon agriculture. However, the devel-oped area for agriculture was onlyabout 20% of the whole Archipelago -only small plain areas and valley zonesalong the rivers. Even at this moment,the developed area is not so large,although no part is badly damaged bygeneral people. The complicatedtopography of the Archipelago prevent-ed the development of whole theArchipelago. In this respect, the devel-

opment of Japanese Archipelago is dif-ferent from that of Europe and NorthAmerica where it was performed com-pletely from one end to the other.European and American agriculturalfields are very large, in comparisonwith Japanese landscape always endingwith small hills or mountains and usual-ly with narrow agricultural areas. InJapan, the Archipelago is surroundedby steep mountains and/or gorges withvery narrow plains in its complicatedtopography and has a particular cli-mate with four distinct seasons includ-ing very cold winter and hot and humidsummer, having generally higher tem-perature and high precipitation.

The entire Archipelago was deep greenand soils were generally fertile with awide range of plants living in the samearea. Natural resources are richly occu-pied there and people historicallyenjoyed such a rich natural production,in addition to their agricultural prod-ucts. On the other end, the JapaneseArchipelago is frequently attacked bysevere disasters, including earthquakesvery often with tsunami, heavy rains,floods and typhoons. As the area wasso rich in resources but attacked bydisasters, the Japanese people grate-fully thanked but also terribly fearednature. The particular concept or thevalue attributed to nature seems tohave developed in Japan under thestrong influence of this relationshipbetween nature and mankind.

Even after agricultural sites were fully devel-oped, the area was not big enough to occu-py materials for all the people livingthere and the hitozato was not suffi-cient in space to offer the necessaryresources to the people living in theJapanese Archipelago. Our ancestors,then, thought that they could use thebackyards of the developed areas from wherethe firing woods were cut down andcharcoal was produced. They cut andcollected wood for energy purposes in aregular cycle - usually every 10 to 15years they could cut the trees for fire. Thebroad-leaved trees were cut down, but the

5

stocks were usually left aside fromwhere side shoots came up and grewup to the woods within 10 to 15 years. Some-times, tall stocks of over 1 meter high arepreserved to prevent damage causedby deer, bears and other animals. Fallenleaves of pines are collected and used asanother kind of valuable resource forfire. In addition to energy resources,people obtained various types of materialsfrom backyard areas. Small animalsand birds were hunted and eaten bythe people as valuable proteins. TheJapanese people were rarely fond ofeating meat of mammals. On the contrary,wild vegetables and fungi have beenthe favorite food of Japanese peoplefor many years in addition to a variety ofalgae, marine and freshwater. Theseare usually considered supplementaryfood, but the Japanese enjoy wildproducts as a gift from nature. Medicinalplants are also collected in the wildand folk medicine has been anothervaluable resource for human life for

many years.

With this activity of the backyard ofhitozato, or developed area now calledsatoyama, beautiful secondary forestsdeveloped throughout the JapaneseArchipelago. Warm and humid climatehelped the forests grow up fast, moregreen developed beautifully in theseareas. Forests developed in betweenhitozato and mountainous area as acontinuous zone throughout theArchipelago and worked as a bufferzone between primitive nature andartificial hitozato area. The naturalstatus of this zone was recognized evenin the Heian Period, some 1000 yearsago, as was noted in Japanese styleshort poet, waka, as seen in somewakas in our classic ‘Man’yoshu’. In theMuromachi Period, about 500 yearsago, this zone was established through-out the Archipelago and already in theEdo Dynasty the name satoyamaappeared in literature. This name is

popular in the past half century, whensatoyama was suffering from its criticaldamage by so-called energy revolutionin 1960s. The definition of satoyama isvariable and it is rather difficult to rec-ognize its area, but slightly less than20 % of the whole Archipelago may bereferred to form such a zone.

Active lives of Japanese people havedeveloped mostly in hitozato area andsupplementary work was made insatoyama. Thus, the remaining parts ofthe Archipelago were left natural andthe natural area, or about a half of theArchipelago, is named okuyama, ordeep mountain area. The okuyamaarea is kept natural and less artificialinfluence has been given there. Wildlife has, therefore, been naturallymaintained in this area and it is to benoted here that no big mammal specieswas extinct in Japan until at the end ofthe Edo dynasty.

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Our ancestors built village shrine, expecting the 8 million deities to guard their daily lives

Another interesting point is that inJapan battles were fought mostly insmaller scale or often only by the repre-sentative leaders and forests have neverbeen destroyed in wider areas. Nolarge-scale fire has ever hit the Archipelago.Forests are maintained naturally inmost parts of the okuyama area,although truly primitive forests cannot beseen now in most part of the Archipelago.

The Japanese Archipelago is thusdeveloped in typical zoning ofokuyama, satoyama and hitozato. Thiszoning coincides very well with that ofCore area, Buffer zone and Transitionalor Residential area as nominated byUNESCO at first by MAB programme in1960s and then by the World NaturalHeritage in 1980s. It is noted that thedevelopment of the JapaneseArchipelago during the past 25 cen-turies is referable to the mostadvanced concept of nature conserva-tion designed by UNESCO and now pop-

ular worldwide. This development wasmade through the daily lives of theJapanese people, not under the direc-tion of decision makers, nor recom-mended by the scientists. Moreover,this development is seen throughoutJapan, except for Hokkaido.

Another comment should be addedhere on the uniqueness of Japanesesatoyama. The landscape of satoyamais often seen in various places in otherAsian countries, especially in variousparts of China. Fuel woods are collect-ed from the backyard of the village incycle of several years and supplemen-tary resources are also collected fromthere. Secondary forests are main-tained in this area in a way similar tosatoyama in Japan. However, outsideof Japan this landscape is usually locat-ed in single areas and not continuousto form a zone buffering between nat-ural forests and residential areas. Inthis respect, the satoyama of the

Japanese Archipelago forms a distinctlandscape in Japan and is connectedwith the general Japanese concept asnoted in the next section.

Worship of nature as exemplifiedby chinju-no-moriThe development under ideal zoning of theJapanese Archipelago – recognizable by thenatural environment sustained therewith rich resources in beautiful forests, espe-cially in okuyama area- benefittedfrom warm and humid climate andcomplicated topography. It may betrue and we may perfectly realize that thenature of Japan brought to the people aunique concept of worship. In addition torich resources, we remember that terri-ble disasters frequently attacked theArchipelago and, even in these dayswhen technology developed very much, there are big damages to the lives ofpeople every year. Our ancestorsseemed to be afraid of it but at thesame time they had respect for the

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In Japanese concept, 8 million deities are believed to live in nature

nature and expressed sincere thanks to it.

Our ancestors who created the NewStone Age started the development oftheir land cutting down the beautifulforests surrounding them. They seemedto have realized that they damaged thenature and thus apologized to thenature. Then, they built their villageshrine, or tutelary deity, in every vil-lage, even in smaller hamlets. Theyexpected the shrine, which consistedof 8 million deities, to guard their dailylives. Sometimes the heroes and hero-ines of the village were deified andenshrined, but the main targets oftheir prayers were the 8 milliondeities, which were equivalent to theelements of nature. They believed thattheir village shrine was unique, yet thisunique shrine spread throughoutJapan, except for Hokkaido.

These 8 million deities are, in Japaneseculture, present in nature and it was

necessary for our ancestors to accom-modate them in the shrines under nat-ural forests. Thus, they invited thenatural forest to cover the shrine andevery shrine was mainly covered byforest which was named chinju-no-mori, or the forest to guard the shrineand/or the people. Throughout theJapanese Archipelago, shrines wereinvited to every village and covered bythe forests on behalf of okuyamawhere the deities were believed to livein natural condition. Such a conceptwas similar to the primitive animism inunderdeveloped peoples and it was so20 centuries ago. Throughout the histo-ry of Japan, village shrines were main-tained and the evolution of shrines wasobserved along with the historicaldevelopment of Japanese culture.

It is a pity to note the fact thatJapanese Shintoism was under a stronginfluence of militarism after the MeijiRestoration, in parallel with the pro-

motion of the advanced Western civi-lization. Moreover, many chinju-no-moris were destroyed by the directionof the government who considered thattraditional belief was an obstacle tolearn the advanced Western civiliza-tion. chinju-no-mori was established,as in the case of satoyama, by the peo-ple themselves in their own lives, notfollowing decision makers nor scientistsand it was developed throughout theJapanese Archipelago with the excep-tion of Hokkaido. The political powerworked on the chinju-no-moris only todestroy it and actually more than halfof them were cleared up after theMeiji Restoration.

Chinju-no-mori is, thus, the symbol ofthe Japanese concept featuring sincereworship of nature. Harmonious co-exis-tence between nature and mankindwas sustained in Japan on the basis ofthis general concept to sincerely wor-ship nature.

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The Japanese Archipelago is developed in typical zoning of okuyama, satoyama and hitozato

As religious facilities, it is well known thatthe temples in China are usually locatedon the mountains, like Emei-shan andWu-dei-shan. However, these templeswere actually built on the mountainsand forests were originally there. Inthe case of Japanese chinju-no-mori,on the contrary, the forests were invitedto the developed villages, or hitozato, onbehalf of okuyama, or nature.

Folk belief of general people is widelymaintained in Asia and is closely con-nected with the worship of nature. Asa result, various sacred places weresustained in natural, not to damage theplace of their deities. This is more orless similar to the case of JapaneseShinto. The uniqueness of JapaneseShintoism is found in : 1) the worship issustained throughout its historicaldevelopment even in particularlyindustrialized country with moreunderstanding of science and technolo-gy, and 2) chinju-no-mori was invited

to the developed village and grew upartificially by man power, in contrastwith the case of folk belief whichmaintained nature in their originallysacred places. The conservation of bio-diversity in sacred area is strongly sug-gested by UNESCO-MAB, currently hold-ing five successful symposia on thisparticular topic.

Now, chinju-no-mori is remembered byvegetation scientists as the particularsite where potential vegetation of thearea concerned is maintained in anideal way and its conservation isstrongly suggested. It is true that it ispart of the valuable heritage main-tained by people, but I would point outthat chinju-no-mori should be a partic-ular site in Japan as a symbol of theworship of nature. On the basis of thisconcept, the development of JapaneseArchipelago was made under the con-cept of harmonious co-existencebetween nature and mankind.

Japanese concept under the wordmottainaiSince the Nobel peace laureate MsWangari Maathai spread the Japaneseword mottainai outside Japan, thisparticular word has been international-ly understood. But, it seems necessaryto add some comments on the meaningand usage of this Japanese word.Recently, this word is usually under-stood as wasteful even in Japan andused with the meaning of saving thematerials even if they are not useful atthe moment and refraining fromthoughtless abandonment of them. Weshould evaluate all the materials onthe Earth, even though they are notuseful today and should avoid theirabandonment. This idea is important tosustain the Earth forever.

The modern usage of the word mot-tainai is to recommend not havingwastefulness of the materials and thisis important to have a stronger effect

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A little more than 20 % of the whole Archipelago may be referred to as satoyama

of this word, especially for youngergenerations who often abandon thematerials which are useless for them atthe time. It is a pity to note that nowa-days we often use materials and easilythrow them away because they are notnecessary at the time but can be stilluseful. Sustainability of the Earth isstrongly endangered by unnecessaryconsumption of valuable materials andthis campaign to save materials undermottainai is quite an effective actionexpected at the moment.

Originally, however, the Japaneseword mottainai has a particular meaning.Japanese mottai means substance and intraditional Japanese culture every substancewas a gift from nature. All the sub-stances around us are elements ofnature and we thankfully receive them fromnature. This is quite a religious grateful-ness and Japanese people have always beenthankful to the donor or in their con-cept the deities for their generous

gifts. Therefore, in the traditionalstyle, the word mottainai is oftenaccompanied with a phrase from a text ofsutra, a religious book in a sect of Buddhism.When I was a small boy, I was repeated-ly taught by my mother that everymaterial around us was a gift from ourdeities, or nature, and we shouldrespect even one grain of spilled riceas valuable material to sustain our own life.

Our extreme materialism often leadsus to evaluate every material in itsmonetary value. In this way, it israther difficult that all people under-stand the meaning of sustainability ofour only Earth. We should be respectfulto the donor of the materials to sup-port our lives and thank nature as intraditional Japanese culture. On thebasis of this idea, boys and girls canunderstand the worship of nature andwill eagerly contribute to sustain theEarth.

For a sustainable EarthThe Japanese Archipelago sustained an excel-lent history of development until theend of the Meiji Restoration in the secondhalf of 19th century. This has been followedby modernization under the influenceof Western culture during the past 130 years.Now our culture is more or lessinternational and in such a situation weshould use the concept of sustainability ofthe Japanese Archipelago, as a part of ouronly Earth.

The human environment was heavilydestroyed during the 20th Century, asa result of a variety of technologiesbased on advanced sciences. Somecomplain that modern technology wasthe devil that destroyed nature, butactually the crime was not technology itselfbut its management. Developers usuallyfelt that science could do anything and offerthe perfect tool even when technology wasmisapplied and influenced their envi-ronment negatively. This was only an

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The Japanese have historically enjoyed natural resources, in addition to their agricultural products

illusion and now we are faced with amuch more impoverished Earth’s sur-face, expecting our human environ-ment to recover from such abuse.

It is evident that we - every person onthe Earth - cannot expect completehappiness if we only believe in materi-al wealth. We can expect to be happierin requiring completeness in materials-energy wealth, but we will face a limitwhen all mankind expects this samematerialistic happiness. Even under aconcept of acquiring material wealth,we may increase our happiness, but noone can reach the happiest stage oflife if one wishes to fulfill his or herhappiness only in a materials-energydirection. It is recommendable, there-fore, to understand the traditionalJapanese concept of a sincere worshipof nature and this spirit is betterremembered to give sustainability toour only Earth.

It is rather difficult to explain to thegeneral public why it is necessary tosustain biodiversity. They do notunderstand how desperately biodiversi-ty has been affected by human activi-ty. In the case of climate change,especially global warming, the generalpublic recognizes our difficult situationand many people sincerely considerhow we can contribute to keep climatechange a natural process. We succeedin explaining this to the general publicmostly by applying statistics andnumerical information. In addition, it ispossible, in the case of climatechange, to estimate the future on thegrounds of mathematical indicators.However, we have to point out thatmost of the general public does notrealize why we have to halt globalwarming. And we have to warn that itis biodiversity that will be seriouslydamaged by rapid global warming andhuman beings cannot survive if biodi-versity on Earth is destroyed.

The need for a huge amount of dataand statistics, probably unparalleled toother related concepts such as climatechange, adds to the complexity of dis-cussing or understanding biodiversity.The notion of 'diversity' goes beyondthe conventional scientific approachthat seeks universal or common princi-ples - this is, I believe, where the chal-lenges and importance of biodiversityscience lies.

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Wild vegetables and fungi were favorites of the Japanese for many years in addition to a variety of algae, marine and freshwater

Traditional Japanese concept - deep respect and sincerethanks to nature

IntroductionSatoyama is a term in the Japaneselanguage which is becoming a trendyconcept in Japan in recent years.Despite it being a trendy word, manypeople may not know what it is or theissues associated with it in greaterdepth. In fact, satoyama is loaded andit is perhaps deeper than what peoplemay perceive it to be as merely atrendy word or area. It is a very signifi-cant area. Satoyama once provided anabundance of food we eat, the water

we drink and use to brew our bever-ages, the timber we use to build ourhomes or for energy sources, cleansedthe air we breathe to stay alive, andprovided the aesthetic and spiritualvalues for inner peace. These are thebenefits provided by the ecosystemsfound in satoyama for human well-being. Satoyama continues to provide anumber of these services to people inJapan today, but to a lesser extentcompared with the past as it is losingsome of its functions.

Since the 1950s satoyama began toundergo change due to a number fac-tors which can be attributed to social,economic, ecological and technologicalchanges that began to take placearound that time. These factors areboth internal as well as external. Theexternal factors tend to be mostly tiedto the process of globalization, such asglobal trade, and sometimes can bebeyond the control of those that liveand work in satoyama. The internalones are sometimes a matter of policy,

The Need to Conserve the Vanishing Satoyama Heritage

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Paddy fields, terraces, secondary forests and human settlement in satoyama, Noto Peninsular, Ishikawa

Alphonse KambuDirector, IICRC Special Programme, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies

consumer preferences and socialchange. With the degradation and lossof satoyama some of the beneficialattributes of satoyama enjoyed by peo-ple in the past have been lost or in thecase where they continue to exist theyare being underutilized. This verychange is taking a toll on the value andfunctions of satoyama.

With the changes and the loss ofsatoyama and its functions, one is leftto decide on whether action should betaken to conserve satoyama or to allowthe changes to continue in a business-as-usual situation. In any case trade-offs come into play. However, accurateand credible scientific information isnecessary for decision makers. If adecision is taken to pursue action forconservation, a number of issues mustbe established first and some mayinclude the conceptual or definitionissue, the need for a profound under-standing of the issues surroundingsatoyama and how it functions is cru-cial. Clarifying such issues can con-tribute to a comprehensive conserva-tion effort. This paper introduces theconcept of satoyama and its benefitsand discusses some of the problemsfacing satoyama as well as some of theprospects that exist for the regenera-tion of the declining value ofsatoyama.

1. What is satoyama?Individuals and organizations havemade attempts to define satoyama,but no common definition has beencoined to date. The definitions thatexist are sometimes narrow and biasedas those that define it are influencedby their own beliefs, interests, percep-tion and expertise. The ecologists referto it as ecosystems. For the forestersand forest experts, satoyama is merelya forested area with human settle-ments. For the farmers and those thatwork in the areas of agriculture see itas paddy fields and terraces or agricul-tural lands. As can be seen it maymean different things to many people.

Furthermore, many people may beaware of the word, but they may notquite understand what it is or what itentails. Certain people may live andwork in it and yet they may not knowthat they are dwelling in satoyamabecause they may regard it as merelytheir home. Others may derive food,water, and building materials or otheritems necessary for their daily liveli-hoods without knowing that these basicmaterial needs are derived fromsatoyama. Or even those outside ofsatoyama may benefit from it in oneway or another without knowing it.

Despite the lack of clear understandingof the concept of satoyama, there arecertain things about satoyama that weknow already. Satoyama is not just oneof the things that different people orgroups describe above, but is all ormost of the things above put together.Unlike other people, I will not attemptto define satoyama, but I will try todescribe its features, which is a firststep to coining a common definition.As soon as we know the features ofsatoyama, then we can establish acommon definition. When looking atsatoyama I consider that there are fourmajor features, which I would like touse to describe here. These factorsinclude interaction and reciprocity,location and parameters, functions,use and value and the time factor.

a) Interaction and reciprocity Satoyama is an area that has been cre-ated through interaction betweenhumans and their environment, espe-cially the ecosystems existing insatoyama. Interaction with ecosystemshas always been an inherent process inhuman history. The interaction byhumans with their ecosystems whetherthrough clearing of forests for gardensand settlements, farming, hunting orgathering have all shaped the environ-ment in numerous ways. Satoyama isno exception as interaction betweenhumans and ecosystems has been acentral process responsible for the evo-lution and existence of satoyama.

In fact, the interaction has a reciprocaleffect on both humans and ecosystems.On one hand, humans interacted withecosystems in satoyama to obtain food,water, wood or other essential spiritualand material wealth to support theirlivelihoods while at the same timeleading to the development of thelocal diet culture and the knowledgesystem to manage the ecosystems.Moreover, humans have learned thetraits of managing satoyama in a sys-tematic way through interaction withtheir environment and ecosystems.

On the other hand, the various ecosys-tems, and in particular the biodiversityin satoyama grew accustomed tohuman interaction and the artificialecosystems shaped by humans to theextent that biodiversity became relianton interaction for their continued exis-tence. For instance, the engagement inagriculture and in particular the cre-ation of paddy fields and irrigationponds attract species including dragon-flies, tadpoles and frogs that use themas their breeding grounds and habitat.Without agriculture, paddy fields andirrigation ponds, frogs, dragonflies,tadpoles and other species would nototherwise be attracted to dwell in suchecosystems. The satoyama existingtoday is a consequence of the interac-tion and reciprocity between humansand the environment. In other words,interaction means sustainable manage-ment of satoyama and therefore it is avery essential feature of satoyama.

b) Location and parametersThe second characteristic of satoyamais its location or parameters. Satoyamais most commonly located between theouter peripheries of urban districts andstretches to the area just before thenatural or primary forests (or okuya-ma). What distinguishes satoyama fromany other regular area is that satoyamaencompasses between 4-5 majorecosystems including agro-ecosystems,secondary forests, artificial wetlands(such as paddy fields and irrigation

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ponds), grassland, and hilly or moun-tain ecosystems. In addition to theseecosystems, human settlements are anadded component to the total make upof satoyama where a number of vitalactivities including agriculture andfarming, forestry, and development ofcultural heritage takes place.

c) Functions, Use and ValuesSatoyama possesses a number of signif-icant functions, use and values for bothhumans and the environment. Thefunctions, use and values of satoyamaemanate from direct and indirect useof tangible and intangible materials oritems that exist within its parameters.Obviously, functions, use and valuesare all interconnected factors. Thefunctions or roles of satoyama includehabitat for plant and animal species,sceneries, habitat for humans, andpool for biodiversity and ecosystems.The plant and animal species andecosystems have both use and non-useor intrinsic values, which are oftremendous values to humans and theenvironment. Ecosystems alone are acentral component from which use andvalues are the most significant as theyplay an important link between thebiotic and abiotic elements of ecosys-tems that maintain a balance in theenvironment. The biotic component ofecosystems such as biodiversity are sig-

nificant in the sense that they can besources of food, timber and non-timberforest products, fuel and energy, spiri-tual, cultural and aesthetic benefits.Moreover, the recent MA recognizesfour major categories of goods and ser-vices, which humans derive fromecosystems for human well-being.These ecosystem services include pro-visioning services, regulating services,cultural services and supporting ser-vices. These are all services that canbe derived also from satoyama asTable 1 below identifies.

d) Time FactorThe fourth feature of satoyama is thetime factor. Although, the use of theword satoyama dates back to the 18thcentury, the creation and existence ofthe area is likely to predate the use ofthe word. This assumption can beattributed to the interaction factorbetween humans and their environ-ments. In history wherever humanswent, they had always interacted withtheir environments through agricul-ture, forestry and other activities. Forinstance, agriculture especially thecultivation of rice in Japan dates backto the Yayoi Era which is an era from500 B.C to 300 A.D.

The interaction between humans andtheir environment over time has gener-

ated new environments and ecosystemsof which satoyama is one such environ-ment. Imaginably, a tremendousamount of time has been invested inthe creation of satoyama. Interactionover time has enabled people to learnabout their environments and haveaccumulated knowledge systems abouttheir environment. Based upon theknowledge people acquired, they inturn applied it back to their environ-ments and knew how to deal with theirenvironments in a more sustainablemanner. For instance, humans havelearned the traits of mitigating andadapting to changes within their envi-ronment. In addition, they have alsodeveloped habits that form part of thecultural heritage that exist today. Forinstance, the festivals (matsuri) associ-ated with rice planting and harvesting(shukakusai) found in various parts ofJapan, the diet culture people havedeveloped and the knowledge systemsaccumulated over the years comprise apart of the bigger cultural heritage. Infact, satoyama can be regarded as aheritage.

2. Benefits from SatoyamaFor many hundreds of years satoyamahas been a place that provided manybenefits to the people of Japan. Forinstance, the rice, timber, charcoaland water that people obtain to nour-

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Handicrafts made from satoyama on display in local shop in Noto, Ishikawa Bamboo shoots and mushrooms from satoyama displayed in Sogo Dept Store

ish their livelihoods are a few examplesof the benefits derived from ecosystemservices of satoyama. Satoyama alsoplayed a significant role as a bufferzone for dangerous animals like bears,wild boars and sometimes monkeys. Italso prevented erosion from occurringas the drains in the paddy fields sloweddown the flow of water. The forests insatoyama also play a crucial role incleansing or purifying the air webreathe. Furthermore, the cleansingprocess adds to regulating local cli-mate in Japan. Such services that peo-ple obtain emerge from the manyecosystems found within satoyama.

Of special note is that the benefits ofsatoyama are not only enjoyed bythose residing within the satoyama set-ting. Some of the ecosystem servicesoriginating from satoyama are enjoyedalso by those living outside of satoya-ma. For instance, rice produced inrural areas of Japan, with the excep-tion of the imported portion, is con-sumed by both rural and urbandwellers. A similar case can be said forthe timber that is harvested in the sec-ondary forests of satoyama and used bypeople to build their homes or forother purposes. The ecosystem servicesthat originate from satoyama and arebenefited by those beyond the satoya-ma setting are what can be considered

as the ex-situ benefits of satoyama.This significant role of satoyama issomething which links the rural satoya-ma and urban dwellers, but it goesunnoticed at often times. Althoughsatoyama continues to provide some ofthe services today, the extent to whichit does now has declined compared tothe past due to the declining values ofsatoyama. The following table illus-trates some of the benefits satoyamacan provide to humans both within andbeyond the satoyama setting.

3. Issues of satoyamaDespite the vital services satoyama hasbeen providing to people in Japan, it isbeginning to face degradation and lossdue to numerous factors that it hasnow become a significant crisis inJapan. This means that it is losing itscarrying capacity or value and func-tions. The Ministry of Environment ofJapan estimates that 40 per cent ofthe total land mass in Japan is com-prised of satoyama, and this area isnow under threat. Satoyama is experi-encing overgrowth due to neglect, lossof its economic value, and it is losingits role as buffer zone to prevent nat-ural disasters, such as floods and theappearance and attacks by bearsamong other functions. The cause ofchange in satoyama can be attributedto a multitude of factors including

abandonment, ageing population andout-migration of the younger genera-tion, global trade, and advancement ofscience and technology. The change ispart of the changing ecosystems of theworld that have been identified by theMillennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)in 2005.

The abandonment and overgrowth isattributed to depopulation and lack ofable workforce. Depopulation is occur-ring in the rural satoyama areas as theyounger generation is migrating tourban areas for alternative ways of lifein urban areas. This adds to the prob-lem of low workforce in satoyamabecause the remaining population inthe satoyama hamlets is primarily thebaby boomers who are now in theirlate 60s or 70s. As the baby boomersgrow older they no longer possess thephysical strength to cultivate thepaddy fields or agricultural lands orengage in the forestry sector. As out-migration of the younger generationand depopulation continue to occur thegap between the older and youngergeneration in terms of knowledgetransmission grows wider and wider.This may lead to the loss of traditionalcultures and especially traditionalknowledge of the community.

In addition, the impact of the abandon-

15

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Table 1. Some Ecosystem Services from Satoyama

ment and overgrowth process can havean impact on biodiversity. As men-tioned earlier, there are speciesincluding tadpoles, frogs and dragon-flies that are used to human interven-tion and with abandonment and over-growth they may cease to exist whilenew species may invade. There are twoschools of thought existing on the issueof overgrowth where the first groupbelieves that the nature in satoyamashould be allowed to take its owncourse thus allowing secondary natureto evolve into primary nature wherehumans should not intervene. This isperhaps along the lines of deep ecologyor biocentrism where nature has thecapacity to evolve and should be leftto take its own course. The secondgroup on the other hand perceives that

satoyama is initially a managed areaand should therefore have humanintervention to maintain the centuriesold area. These views are paradoxicaland any decision to choose either oneof them requires accurate scientificinformation. However, it should benoted that the recognition of thesatoyama crisis in the third version ofthe National Biodiversity Strategy ofJapan illustrates the need to intervenefor conservation of the centuries oldtradition.

A second consequence of abandonmentcan lead to the decline in productivityand self sufficiency in Japan. A reportby the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries (MAFF) in 2004 alreadyillustrates this trend. For example,

self-sufficiency rate of vegetables inJapan declined from 100% in 1965 to82% in 2003, and that of mushroomsdoes from 115% to 77% in the sameperiod (Japan MAFF, 2004). Thischange can be partly attributed toglobal trade and competition.

Japan is capable of importing cheaperfood and other goods from abroadthrough global trade, but if it choosesto pursue this path extensively it willtake a toll on domestic products orgoods especially those from satoyamaand cause further demise of the entiresatoyama system. While trade can beseen as a contributing factor to thedemise of satoyama, Japan may choosenot to import foreign products.However, under trade rules the mea-

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Saka-ami net for catching wintering birds in Kamoike Ramsar Site surrounded by paddy fields in Kaga, Ishikawa is a dying tradition

sures taken to not import foreign prod-ucts may constitute an act of discrimi-nation. But, there are also exceptionswithin the GATT, especially underArticle 20, which provides exceptionsfor certain measures to prevent signifi-cant ecological damage due to trade.This is perhaps something for Japan toembark on in the future to minimizeexternal causes, especially trade relat-ed ecological, cultural and socialchange and prevent satoyama from col-lapsing. However, given the high costof labor and production for goods inJapan it will still be a challenge for thegoods produced in satoyama.

A related consequence is that whenconsumers tend to choose cheaperimported goods, the expensive domes-tic goods are forced to compete withthe imported goods. It is natural forconsumers to choose cheaper importedgoods over the expensive ones whichcan have an impact on the value oflocal goods causing the value of thegoods to drop followed by the closureof business. With high competition cou-pled with the declining value of goodsfrom satoyama and closure of business,it places the entire value of satoyamaat risk. It can discourage people toengage in the production of goods fromsatoyama. This is something which ishappening currently in the satoyamaarea. One such example is the decreas-ing production of charcoal from bam-boo and secondary forests. This is dueto the advancement of science andtechnology especially the import, pro-duction and consumption of fossil fuelsthat began during the 1950s which isthe era of energy revolution. It mustbe noted that local economies dependon goods produced in areas like satoya-ma. Therefore, once satoyama ceasesto exist along with the goods and ser-vices it provides it can take a toll onthe local economy.

Thirdly, satoyama has been losing itsfunction as buffer zone for dangerousmammals and pests. Satoyama whichonce acted as a buffer zone for animals

and residential areas is losing its func-tion due to abandonment and over-growth causing bears to wander intothe overgrown areas and residentialareas, and consequently attacking peo-ple. For instance, until June 2007 inNagano Prefecture, the PrefecturalGovernment reported 188 cases ofattacks by bears.

These few problems associated withsatoyama illustrate the change andseriousness of the declining satoyama.The implications of change in satoyamacan certainly lead to the collapse ofthe social, cultural, economic and eco-logical structures that have been creat-ed over many centuries. It is now cru-cial for innovative ways to be designedto help conserve the satoyama her-itage.

4. Prospects of satoyamaThe fact that satoyama is declining andso are its services is indisputable.However,satoyama should not beviewed as a useless area. There arecertain opportunities for satoyamawhich could be explored or developedto revitalize its value. To be able toensure that creative ways are neededas times have changed and one cannotuse old methods or neither return tothe hay days of satoyama where itsresources were used extensively. Someof the resources that were used in thepast have lost their value in the mod-ern context, but they lie dormant andhave a potential for development. Tobe able to regenerate the value, linkswith the current trends may be useful.Forests, cultural services including eco-tourism, and aesthetic values are someresources found in satoyama that couldbe developed.

Forests and technologyOne major sector for development isthe forest sector. Since the 1960sJapan started planting trees for pre-vention of natural disasters such asfloods and landslides, which increasedits forest cover. Approximately 70 percent of the land in Japan is covered

with forests. This high forest cover isalso due to the fact that Japan’s forestdemand has stabilized recently at 90million cubic meters. Given the largeamount of forest cover there is greatpotential to develop these resources.While timber itself might be less com-petitive compared with the cheaperforeign timber market, forest productscould be developed with technology toadd value to it for markets. Whiletechnology could be a cause for thedemise of satoyama as was seen in thecase of the development and use offossil fuels that killed off traditionalsources of energy from satoyama, itcan also be utilized, at least, in themodern context to regenerate satoya-ma. There are already examples ofusing technology to add value to woodresources from satoyama. One suchexample is the woodblock technologyused for homes, buildings and con-struction work. Over 900 locationsthroughout Japan use the woodblocktechnology today. Woodblock methodor technology is created from thinningsand woodchips from timber harvestedfrom satoyama. The material is com-pacted and used for walls of homes,buildings and construction for cheaperprices. Some of the features of thewoodblocks used for walls of homes arethat they are highly resistant to earth-quakes compared to concrete andsteel. They also absorb humidity duringthe summer season, and act as insectrepellants. Patents have been taken onthe technology by a number of compa-nies including the Deguchi Constructionof Ishikawa Prefecture.

Forests and woody biomassAgain given the large forest cover inJapan the timber and forest resources,such as forest thinning, branches,leaves, log ends, sawdust, and dam-aged trees from satoyama can be amajor source of biomass production forenergy or power generation. Whilethere is an abundance of forests thepercentage of electricity generationcoming from woody biomass is only 1per cent compared to other sources of

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power generation. It is estimated that37,000,000 cubic meters of primarywoody biomass is generated annually inJapan (Forestry Agency edition, 2004).This means that there is yet room forthe extensive use of woody biomass.

Forests, carbon sinks and marketsCarbon emissions trading is one of theprimary instruments developed world-wide to help reduce greenhouse gasemissions and mitigate global climatechange. While carbon emissions tradingis only at experimental stages inJapan, there is a potential to incorpo-rate forestry management and carbonsequestration projects into a nationalemissions trading scheme. WhileJapan’s voluntary emissions schemehas not yet developed a system toinclude forestry based off-set projectswhich could bring financing to suchactivities. The IPCC, Mitigation WorkingGroup describes forest-related mitiga-tion activities as low cost projects that

can be designed to create synergieswith adaptation and sustainable devel-opment and can have “substantial co-benefits in terms of employment,income generation, biodiversity andwatershed conservation, renewableenergy supply and poverty alleviation”(IPCC, 2007). Under the Kyoto ProtocolJoint Implementation mechanism,which outlines carbon offset projectsbetween industrialized Kyoto eligibleprojects include activities that lead to:avoided deforestation, and improvedmanagement of croplands, grasslands,forests and peat lands. This could helpregenerate the declining economicvalue of satoyama forests.

Ecotourism, which primarily combinesrecreational and educational excur-sion, is a growing niche market inJapan as it offers many urban-basedpeople retreat from the stress, noiseand pollution associated with living inthe city. In many parts of Japan, there

are rural-based, small-scale family-owned initiatives on sustainable ororganic agriculture and livestock man-agement which serve as businesses,training centers, tourist attraction andtechnology demonstration sites. Thesedraw visitors and patrons from withinand abroad. This trend has presentedopportunities for local residents, small-scale businesses and nonprofit organi-zations to participate in business activ-ities related to tourism, environmentaleducation, and sustainable or organicagriculture. Other related opportuni-ties include food production – mush-rooms, local rice varieties (e.g.kamo–mai) and local rice wines e.g.(maizokin) or conservation activitiesthrough ecotourism, green tourism,furusato (nostalgic values of past eratype of landscape), and cultural (spiri-tual) retreats.

ConclusionThe changes in ecosystems and their

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Secondary forests and terraces in rural Japan, Wajima, Ishikawa. Satoyama, Eco-tourism and Agro Products

Eco-labeling for rice produced in satoyama, Miyagi Tourist spot in satoyama terrace. Senmaida, Wajima, Ishikawa

services in satoyama are real. Themessage from the MA is timely forJapan’s satoyama as well. The degra-dation and decline of ecosystem ser-vices are in themselves messages for usto be worried about because some ofthe ecosystem services including food,fiber, clean air, freshwater, geneticresources, and cultural assets are someof the basic items that support ourlives and livelihoods. We cannot affordto wait for another 10 - 15 years toaddress the degrading ecosystem ser-vices of satoyama. The ecosystemchanges are real issues that needimmediate action because if weneglect them and delay action, theecosystem services can be lost, and itcould be difficult to restore themlater. Furthermore, any delayed actioncan be inviting the collapse of thesocial, cultural, economic and ecologi-cal aspects of the centuries old satoya-ma heritage.

However, satoyama still has resourceswhich are dormant, and if tapped intonow through innovative ways includinglinks to technological and marketopportunities it can help revitalize thevalue of satoyama. This can serve asincentive for interaction and can fur-ther lead to the sustainable manage-ment of satoyama.

ReferencesHM Treasury, UK, Stern Review on the Eco-nomics of Climate Change,(2006).

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies,Asian Perspectives on Climate Regime Beyond 2012:Concerns, Interests and Priorities,(2006)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,Working Group Three: Fourth AssessmentReport,(2007), Available at:http://www.mnp.nl/ipcc/pages_media/AR4-chapters.html

Charles T. Keally, Prehistoric ArchaeologicalPeriods in Japan,http://www.t-net.ne.jp/~keally/preh.html. Last visited on 10 April2008.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Ecosystems andHuman Well-being-Volume 4 -MultiscaleAssessments:Findings of the Sub-global AssessmentsWorking Group. Island Press, Washington, DC. (2005),pp. 1-388.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Ecosystems andHuman Well-being- Synthesis. Island Press,Washington, DC. (2005), pp. 1-137.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheriesof Japan, 2004.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,http://www.maff.go.jp/nouson/chiiki/gt/index.htm(in Japanese). Last visited on 10 April 2008.

The Ministry of Environment of Japanhttp://www.env.go.jp/nature/ecotourism/char-ter.html (in Japanese). Last visited on 10 April 2008.

MSN-Mainichi Daily News http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/p20070808p2a00m0na019000c.html. Last visitedon 08 August 2007.

K.Takeuchi, et. al, Satoyama-The Traditionalrural Landscape of Japan, Springer-Verlag,Tokyo (2003), pp.1-299.

World Bank, State and Trends of the CarbonMarket, (2007).

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Cultural and spritual value of satoyama,Chiba

Ethnology as a means toaddress the pressing problemsof timeFor quite some time, humans havebelieved that progress is determinedby how “independent” we are from the

natural environment, a notion whichhas gradually been challenged. We arenow reshaping our interpretation of theinterrelation between the natural envi-ronment and humans – who are depen-dent on the former.

Our ancestors accumulated personalexperience during the course of theirlives, out of which some truly splendidideas were born. Some of these ideashave become the wisdoms of localcommunities. While these wisdoms

Ecology of Divine Punishment and Favor: An Introduction to Environmental Ethnology

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Hiroyuki TorigoeProfessor at Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University

Until fairly recently, we have inherited wisdom gained through the experience of generations. These wisdoms areoften region specific, tailored to be best suited to its natural features and histories and most acceptable to theminds of the local communities. Environmental ethnology is a new discipline that seeks to explore and accumulateindigenous wisdoms, with particular focus on their environmental aspects. The question here is: in what terms arecurrent environmental and development issues irradiated by such wisdoms which remain alive beyond the bound-aries of time?

Ema - Illustrated wooden plaques given as votive offerings to shrines and temples, observed all over Japan. Visitors to a shrine or temple often write their prayers or words ofthanks on the ema and dedicate them to the shrine or temple they have visited

may seem strange or obsolete to theeyes of contemporary humans, ethnol-ogists – in their attempt to discover theunderlying concepts – believe thatthese are irreplaceable sources ofknowledge. Environmental ethnology is

a discipline that focuses on the envi-ronmental aspects of such underlyingconcepts.

Japanese ethnology is a descendant ofKokugaku (lit. National Study or

Japanology) led by Norinaga Motooriand Atsutane Hirata. What character-izes Kokugaku is that it does not drawdistinctions between factual analysis,thoughts and social movements. In eco-nomic science, for example, what is

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Enjoying a slow and relaxing trip going down the river with the raft

The Japanese have loved the beauty of managed nature ingardens at home and landscapes since ancient times

done before a discussion is to clearlyspecify the difference between valuesand prices or define the meaning of acapital. In Kokugaku, on the otherhand, an essential term may have morethan one definition. For example,when you ask what “home” means inethnological terms you get severalanswers. This is because in the disci-pline of Kokugaku, the notion of“home” recalls the questioner ofhis/her own life experiences and anyanswer that precludes them is mean-ingless in the pursuit of what “home”really means.

During the Meiji era, the discipline ofKokugaku was excluded from schooleducation by the government. Yet, therenowned scholars Kunio Yanagita andShinobu Orikuchi favored the thoughts,and consequently gave rise to a new

discipline to be adapted to the modernsociety called Shin Kokugaku (neo-nativism), which was later termed“Japanese Ethnology.”

Most research carried out by Japaneseuniversities is based on western sci-ence which was strongly influenced bythe Western European politicalthoughts of 17th century. Objectivismand elementalism speak of such influ-ences, as proved by the breaking downof water into H and O elements in nat-ural science or the separation ofhuman activities into individual socialacts in sociology.

We, humans, systematize knowledge inour lives and in so doing create somesort of a pattern. Science is no excep-tion - it has its own pattern in system-atization, which is to consider what is

deemed ideal by the current society asa desirable goal. On the other hand,since Kokugaku was not founded on thehistory of western science, its basicmethodology is different from those ofeconomic science, political science orsociology.

Kunio Yanagita, the father of Japanese eth-nology, stated that “the reason why we studyghosts and the world of the dead isthat these things pose compelling problems.Japanese ethnology is concerned withthe research of what is compelling for indi-vidual living humans. It is a disciplineof posing deep questions on how weshould exist at all.”

It is often considered that the Koku-gaku school researched on The Kojiki:Records of Ancient Matters and TheMan’yoshu: Collection of Ten Thousand

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Cherry blossoms covering Yoshinoyama. Tradition says that breaking one of the branches will break your arm

Leaves because studying old Japanesethings is what it was set out to do.This, however, is an incorrect under-standing of the discipline. From theGenroku era onwards, when the Kokugakuschool was founded, ordinary peoplestarted to have more spare time toponder over the purpose of humanbeings existence. To them, the time ofMan’yoshu seemed laid-back and free, rep-resenting the most desirable form ofsociety. This deep interest in the questionof how they should exist laid the foundationfor the rise of Kokugaku.

Now, if ethnology is about studyingcompelling themes, then why should itaddress ghosts and the world of thedead? Kunio Yanagita put it this way:“The most compelling problem for oldthe elderly is what they will becomewhen they die, but there is no disci-

pline available to provide any plausibleanswer for such question. That is whythese matters should be studied.”Thus, it is certainly not concerned withthe simple question of whether ghostsactually exist or not.

With regard to the world of the deadfor example, ethnology explains that inJapan, when people die they are sup-posed to become one of the ancestorswho will protect their home or villageas a divine being. This explanationmakes you happy as it reduces yoursorrow at the thought of dying andbeing forgotten afterwards.

Some people dismiss such a way ofthinking as unscientific. Indeed, it isnot in line with western science at all.Nonetheless, if a question is concerned withthe meaning of gaining knowledge for

humans, it should not be devalued justbecause it is “unscientific.”Japaneseethnology is essentially disinterested inthe question of whether or not it istrue in scientific terms. After all, ifany new explanation makes people –who lead their lives at this verymoment – feel at ease, this can only be anadvantage.

The basic systematization approachadopted by ethnology is to examine thewisdoms gained through experiences bymany generations of ancestors. Thekey is to seek to figure out what liesbeneath these wisdoms. To this end,the focus of the research tends to beplaced on the past.

Invisible rules for happy livesAs part of the research into wisdomsgained by generations of ancestors,

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One of the local small girls dressed up to dedicate a cherry branch to a temple on the birthday of Buddha for Yoshinoyama Hanae-Shiki - Lit. a ceremony to meet the flowers atYoshinoyama. A tradition that shows how local communities have cherished the cherry blossom trees here

ethnologists visit various places to lookat a variety of traditional occupationssuch as farming, forestry, ship buildingand smithing. The utilization of the his-tory of traditional occupations is effec-tive in dealing with environmentalissues in ethnology.

Conventionally, ethnological studiesare driven by the pressing need torecord traditional occupations thatseem to be vanishing due to the agingof skilled workers. As a matter of fact,however, there are always some youngpeople replacing them and taking overthe business. The young people dowhat they believe is important, notswayed by the continuing driving forceof industrialization. Environmental eth-nology seeks to find the reasons whythese people stick to the traditionalways of farming or fishing, despite theapparent inefficiency of these activi-ties.

It is found, for example, that a fisher-man answers his young follower’s ques-tion as to where he could find fish say-ing “Ask fish about fish” – an answerbased on the deep understanding ofnature, representing the idea of com-promising agreements between natureand humans in the form of sustainablefishing. As a matter of fact, doingsomething in an inefficient way is fun.As much as it may look inefficient, tak-ing what you need without damagingecology is a rational relationship youcan have with nature.

Compromising agreements also existamong the members of a local commu-nity. There are unspoken rules on whatto take, where and which part of thecultural aspects of the community.Understanding these cultural aspects iskey to getting on with other membersand enjoying being in the community.

The property value of a Shinto shrinemay now sometimes become a topic ofa conversation, “chinju-no-mori (i.e.sacred groves around Shinto shrines)”essentially belong, not solely to the

Shinto priest, but to everybody. Ascapitalism progresses, the idea of“belonging to everybody” has becomeso weak that the notion that the ownerhas the right to do anything abouthis/her properties seems to have pre-vailed.

Still, I believe more people will beginto realize the fact that while a piece ofland belong to a particular person, it isat the same time part of the whole,which belongs to us all. As all rice pad-dies and vegetable fields in Japan usedto be viewed that way, we believe thatprivate land is part of “our land” whilestill acknowledging private ownership.When such idea has taken root, thecapitalist society would have maturedto a point where the term “capitalism”

seems somewhat irrelevant.

Japanese have always cherished a managed naturalenvironment Interested in people who have devel-oped wisdoms by living with thenature, ethnological researchers have apositive view towards human beings’working on nature. Ecology, on theother hand, focuses on the lives oforganisms and regards human beings’livelihood from that perspective. Forexample, walking through a forest is aperfectly natural thing for a humanbeing to do, but such an activity maybe regarded as a disturbing factor in anecological survey, as it could “jeopar-dize” what is going on in the forest.Human activities are often excluded

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Yoshinoyama Hanae-Shiki - Many people including those serving gods at the temple and those fromlocal communities attend the ceremony

for that reason in ecology. The disci-pline of ecology tends to be based onprinciples by which the managed natur-al environment – such as rice paddiesand vegetable fields – would be kept“unchanged”.

Ethnology, on the other hand, has apositive view towards changes made byhuman beings. For example, people inKyoto have been enjoying the managednatural environment, instead of thewild mountains per se, for a long time.The beauty of the managed naturalenvironment – cherry blossoms, coloredleaves, pine trees planted along thebeaches – is what they cherish asnature. Regarding the state of being“virgin” as more precious is a relativelynew view of nature, which has been

developed through scientific knowl-edge and environmental education. For example, it is now prohibited toenter part of the Shirakami MountainRange - a world natural heritage site -on the basis of the notion that therethe virgin Japanese beech forestsshould be protected. Local hunters,who have long worked in the forest fortheir livelihood, are now allowed towalk on the mountains provided theywear guardians’ armbands to watch outfor intruders. This certainly feelswrong – they had worked deep in theforests since ancient times and shouldbe allowed to continue to do so. Atleast some thought should be given towhat a virgin Japanese beech forestreally means.

A mechanism to develop respectfor natureHumans have also made numerous mis-takes by carrying out destructivedevelopments since ancient times. Forexample, when constructing theancient capital cities of Heiankyo andHeijokyo, they cut timbers excessively,so much so that new raised-bed riverswere created. On the other hand,there have been numerous successfulcases of the managed natural environ-ment which all share common charac-teristics – respect for nature, and acertain mechanism to keep respectfulmanners.

Throughout Japanese history until veryrecently, everyone was given some roleto play in the society. Any person who

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Regarding mountains as sacred places is often observed in Japanese religious practice. Believing in the presence of spiritual power in mountains seems to be connected to the con-trol of worshippers’ behavior in their daily lives

may be regarded “useless” in the cur-rent society, including the elderly whowere unable to move properly or thosewith disabilities, used to have a part inthe society they belonged to. TheJapanese used to have a concept thatpeople would carry certain roles evenafter death – the dead were expectednot to simply rest in peace but toensure the peace of mind of theirdescendants and the prolific growth ofcrops for the community.

In Japan and other Asian countries, theterm “gods” is not the God with thecapital “G” but it is represented byancestors who protect us after death.Those who did what they should nothave are not worshipped by theirdescendants and thus become ghosts.If you ask the Japanese people if theybelieve in God, many would answer

“No.” However, they all more or lessshare this kind of spiritual concept – allthose rituals they enjoy, such as throw-ing money into an offertory box of ashrine at the New Year or putting agood-luck charm in the car, representnothing other than faith, no matter ifthey deny it. Therefore, when trying tocommunicate with the Japanese aboutthe respect for nature, it would beeffective to use this sort of spiritualconcept in a sensible way.

Accepting the notion of gainingadvantage from the environ-ment The Japanese term “kyosei” hasbecome very popular in recent years. Itliterally means “living together.” Inecological terms, it is used to mean“symbiosis”, where both or either oftwo species are drawing advantages

from living together. However, whenthe term is used in administrative poli-cies or by social scientists or naturalconservationists, it seems to mean “liv-ing harmoniously,” which I believe ismore representative of what theJapanese in general have in mind whenthey say “kyosei.”

From an ethnological point of view,“living harmoniously” brings about cer-tain advantages, including the joy ofplanting and enjoying the aesthetics offlowers and trees. For example, thereare canals that lead to Lake Biwa,which were once used to transportfirewood and tiles. They tended tobuild up sediments, which would thenbe dredged away – together with algae– by farmers, to recycle them as fertil-izer. Once the sediments used in ricepaddies became clayey, they would

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Worshipping water springs as sanctuaries results in more care to keep the places clean. A happy interaction between a tradition and daily life

then be dug up regularly to be used astile materials. The tiles produced werethen transported via the canals.

In those old days, people did notdredge sediments and algae to cleanthe water of the lake - they tookadvantage of them by reusing them asfertilizer. I believe the idea of “takingadvantage” this way should be creditedmore in current environmental conser-vation efforts.

What is behind animism andfaith?In Yoshinoyama, which is renowned forits splendid cherry blossoms, there isan old saying that if you break a branchof a cherry blossom tree, you willbreak your arm or finger, get ill orincur some sort of divine punishment. Iregard this as a way of utilizing faith to

prevent people from damaging trees.

To cite another example, Fukui Cityhas many public washing-up places.When I visited them, I found theseplaces suggest to worship the god ofwater. In one of these places, I sawseveral local ladies doing their wash-ing-up and chatting. One of them leftthe place in a hurry, as someone calledher because the phone was ringing.Another lady tidied up what she left,saying something like, “Oh my, the godof water is watching us” in a pleasantway. I suppose she may have not caredif the god of water had not been there.Because she did it for the god, I gathershe did not feel her neighbor was anuisance.

If you call such a behavior as represen-tative of “animism” or “faith” from a

western point of view, it would bequite irrelevant – these people wouldfind it difficult to accept such termsfor what they are doing. It may be alittle similar to animism, but not quiteanimism per se. Likewise, it may besome sort of faith, but not quite faithper se. So, how can we call this men-tality? This is not a simple question,but a very important one too, as it con-cerns something we have lost in returnfor a rapid economic growth, whichnow needs to be recovered.

Ethnological concept in planningand designWith regard to planning and design, Ithink there are two points to note froman ethnological perspective. The firstone is concerned with veneration fornature. Unlike our ancestors, theJapanese today are trying to escapetheir responsibilities for natural disas-ters by simply utilizing latest technolo-gies to delay potential occurrences.For example, when a river is deemedrisky, we could just take away thehouses around it instead of construct-ing new embankments to stand for just100 to 200 years. The ancestors oflocal communities in the region musthave known they should not live there.Some locations may do better withconcrete, but some may not. We reallyshould incorporate our respect andveneration for nature in planning.

Planning must also be taken into con-sideration for another aspect. Priorityshould not be given to the physical cre-ation of a beautiful natural environ-ment. The lives and lifestyles of thepeople who live in the area are key tothe creation of a beautiful naturalenvironment, and not vice versa.Today’s development activities seemto ignore the fact that a beautiful nat-ural environment should be a naturalconsequence of the way people leadtheir lives. I believe this is why ethno-logical perspectives are needed in theconcept of development today.

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A sacred place kept in the managed landscape. A means to maintain respect for nature

Buildings, traditions andscenery all coming together“The Temple buys a Mountain.” Thusread the headlines in the newspapers anumber of years ago. KiyomizuTemple, a well-known Buddhist templein Kyoto, had purchased surroundingmountain land and begun plantingtrees - an unprecedented activity for atemple. Kiyomizu temple, with a histo-ry of more than 1200 years, is one ofthe most popular of the many shrinesand temples in Kyoto. It is so renownedthat it appears in many literary worksand is on the itinerary of all schoolexcursions.

The secret to the temple’s unchangingpopularity is without a doubt its beau-tiful surroundings. The main templeand the stage where the “Bugaku”dance is performed for the deities hangover a steep mountain cliff atop 12meter-high stilts. The view from thereis breath-taking. Some visitors are soenthralled by the view that they forgetto pay their respects to the Kannon(Bodhisattva of Mercy) in the maintemple. Japanese often use the adage“to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu,”meaning “to take the plunge” or makea bold decision. The subtle changes ofthe four seasons so unique to Japanadd splendor to the scenic beauty.However, the scenery of Kiyomizu tem-ple is unique to Kiyomizu; the samescenery viewed from a different placewould not move the soul in the sameway. In other words, the buildings, tra-ditions, scenery and other aspects ofthe Kiyomizu temple come together tomove the heart in a special way. The

Kiyomizu temple purchased surround-ing mountain lands out of a sense ofmission to protect this moving experi-ence for future generations.

Growing the necessary wood Let us consider how the Kiyomizu tem-ple came to purchase the mountainlands.

The head abbot’s first and foremostmission is to “protect the temple.” Ifthe temple is to be safeguarded in per-petuity, it needs to be repaired on aregular basis. But many challengesarise when repairing an old temple.

The first challenge is that proper repairof shrines and temples requires use oftimber from “hinoki” (Japanesecypress) and “keyaki” (zelkova) treesthat are at least three to four hundredyears old. The trees need to be closelycared for to be suitable for templerepair. Such wood is quite scarce. Forinstance, the “hiwadabuki” method forroof thatching requires “hiwada”(Japanese cypress bark) from “hinoki”trees that are at least 80-100 yearsold. The wood is painstakingly pre-pared by first peeling off all the roughouter bark, then letting the tree recov-er and finally harvesting the re-grownbark ten years later. If all the suitable

Dreaming 400 Years into the FutureKiyomizu Temple in Kyoto

“Buys a Mountain”for Future Re-Building

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Kounin MoriLegal Affairs Manager, Kiyomizu Temple

Interviewer: Masaki Mashita, Nippon Keidaren Committee on Nature Conservation

Kiyomizu Temple - One of the most famous temples in Japan

©KYOTOKAN (Photo:Kenzou Yokoyama)

wood is used up at once, repairs willnot be possible for another four hun-dred years. Not long ago, when theItsukushima shrine in Hiroshima suf-fered damage from strong winds ontwo separate occasions, a huge amountof “hinoki” bark was required forrepairs. The necessary wood maybecome unavailable if such crisesrecur.

The second challenge is the shortage ofpeople with expertise to repair orrebuild temples. The craftspeopleknow as “motokawashi” who specializein collecting “hinoki” bark are dwin-dling in number, to the extent that

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The stage of the templesurrounded by the colored leaves of autumn

©KYOTOKAN (Photo:Kenzou Yokoyama)

some temples are trying to train peo-ple in this skill. Master artisans whospecialize in building and repairingtemples and shrines, known as “miya-daiku,” are also extremely few in num-ber, and their traditional skills arebeing lost due to a lack of successors.

The third challenge is that templeswish to use wood grown on their ownlands. During the Meiji period (latter19th century), the so-called “haibutsukishaku (expel Buddhism)” movementto segregate Shinto shrines fromBuddhist temples was carried out withthe biased view that the Japaneseancestral religion of Shinto must bepurged of the foreign influence ofBuddhism. Prior to that, Buddhist tem-ples had fiefs known as “jiryou” whichsupplied wood for repairs, but the tem-ple fiefs were nationalized as stateforests as a result of the crackdown onBuddhism. After that, temples wereforced to purchase the wood theyneeded for repairs.

The novel plan of “buying a mountain”was conceived as a way to solve suchproblems. The plan was to buy moun-tain land, plant the necessary trees onit, then grown the wood needed forthe temple’s future. A decision wasmade to purchase mountain land thathad been abandoned due to thedecline of forestry in recent years.Some people who read about the planin the newspaper donated zelkovasaplings which they had raised. Thesewere planted on the newly acquiredlands - an activity without precedent.TV stations went on to report that“Kiyomizu temple is planting zelkovatrees with a dream for 400 years in thefuture.”

The head abbot of Kiyomizu templesays: “Planting trees is a way to fulfillour dream. We don’t expect all of thetrees to survive 400 years. It is enoughif even one of them survives. It isenough if we can even replace one ofthe stilts of the temple platform withtimber from our mountain. That will

mean one less tree to cut elsewhere,and less damage to nature. Buying thewood might be simpler, but we wouldprefer to harvest at least some of thetimber from our beloved mountain. Noone knows if even the mountain willexist 400 years from now. But why notinvest in this dream?” One can feelthe abbot’s sense of mission and hopethat motivated him to purchase themountain land and plant trees forKiyomizu temple.

At present, the Kiyomizu temple owns twoareas of mountain land (forests), which arebeing carefully managed, each at acost of nearly 5 million yen a year,partly subsidized by Kyoto city. This is onething the caretakers of Kiyomizu tem-ple can do to protect it for the nextone or two hundred years. Planting and tend-ing the trees is hard work that must be con-tinued for many years, so it has beenentrusted to the local people, provid-ing a boost for the local economy and com-munity. Though nature cannot berestored overnight, the important thing is

to work one step at a time while lookinga couple of centuries ahead. That is a les-son we can learn from the Kiyomizutemple.

Caring for the treesThrough such activities, the templestaff deepened their understanding on con-serving biodiversity and the cycles ofinterdependence between plants andanimals, and began to feel the need to planta greater variety of plants. They also begana process of trial and error to grow the kindof trees needed for temple building.For instance, they carefully selectedwhich branches should be pruned andtried planting other trees around thezelkovas so that they would growupwards rather than outwards. People hear-ing of their concerns started to giveadvice on how to best care for thetrees. This advice was communicated tothe people tending the trees, andmethods suitable to the area wereactively adopted. Not only Kiyomizutemple, but the entire community took itupon itself to care for the mountain.

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Protecting surrounding forests protects the temple - Kiyomizu temple carefully manages forests at a cost of nearly5 million yen a year

Recently the town of Kyoto has alsostarted to pay attention to scenicbeauty. Even the local government,which used to take the attitude “letthe scenery take care of itself,” startedto take action as it saw the hills losetheir vitality. As Kyoto is surrounded bymountains on three sides, there is amovement to revive the “satoyama” ormountain biotopes of the old days.With a wish to bring back the seasonal beau-ty of Kyoto with its spring cherry blossomsand autumn wheat fields, the localcommunity and temples are teamingup with the Forestry Agency, City Hall, andKyoto Prefecture and nowadays eventhe Construction Ministry.

“Now all stakeholders must worktogether to foster nature. We have torebuild what we have destroyed. Atone time, even the famous Arashiyama dis-trict, so renowned as a place to enjoy Kyoto’sseasonal beauty, lost all of its pinetrees. Even the cherry trees were on theverge of extinction. That is when the con-servation society made a massive

effort to transplant heavy trees on the hill-sides, somehow restoring the land-scape to the present state.”

For the future of our childrenThe head abbot says that such activi-ties of caring for the environment areneeded more than ever nowadays dueto the weakening bonds of human rela-tionship. The mountains, invigoratedby these activities, breathe fresh lifeinto people’s hearts. Modern-day peo-ple, driven by profit, have lost theirsense of gratitude and reverencetowards nature. They do not think toplant a tree after cutting one, to keepwaste off the sidewalk or separatetheir garbage. What is common tosuch behavior is a lack of the sense ofthe sanctity of nature, or in Buddhistterms, “that even rivers, grasses andtrees will become Buddhas (fully awak-ened).” Practically speaking, one rea-son is that people had few opportuni-ties to commune with nature as chil-dren. The head abbot of Kiyomizu tem-ple insists on the importance of envi-

ronmental education and learningthrough contact with nature. The head abbot comments that chil-dren used to have all their fun playingin nature. As soon as they returnedfrom school, they would go out to playin nature, hunting for insects, buildingtree houses, or picking wild berries. Sothey appreciated nature, knew thenames of plants and animals, andlearned the sense of being alive. Butchildren nowadays live in the virtualworld of TV games, where they cometo think that violence is O.K. since“reset” is only a click away. They losetouch with the sense of being nurturedby nature and sharing life with otherliving creatures.

It is actually the children’s parents,the adults, who are fomenting suchattitudes. They also grew up withoutexperiencing nature, so they do notknow how to teach children aboutnature and prefer to keep their chil-dren away from nature. As long as the par-ents deprive their children of nature,scolding them for “going near the dangerouspond” or “picking up those dirtyinsects,” the children will have no way toget in touch with nature.

The greenery of the temple groundshelps in a modest way to improve this sit-uation. Teachers, parents and children needto learn together from nature in thespace the temple provides. “I wanteveryone to feel how nice it is to be innature. A temple is a place of worship, but that is not its only function. Itsmore basic role is to calm the minds of thosewho visit. To be able to forget thewoes of daily life, even for just amoment, and take in a breath of fresh airwhile enjoying the view-such peace of mind is the temple’s gift to people.This same serenity is needed when nurturinga forest. I hope people will learn tocalm the mind while tending the trees. Ifso, the wish to protect nature will natu-rally take root. People who think this way will instinctively work to protectthe environment.”

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The basic role of a temple is to calm the minds of those who visit

©KYOTOKAN (Photo:Kenzou Yokoyama)

Religion takes root in a placeThe Japanese view of nature cannot bediscussed without considering theJapanese religious outlook. TheJapanese have developed a unique per-spective on religion over the long yearsof their history. The influence ofBuddhism has been particularly strong,and has been a major factor in thedevelopment of the Japanese view of

nature. Buddhism was brought to Japanvia China and Korea, but was trans-formed into something uniquelyJapanese after its arrival. Its transfor-mation came about through interactionwith ancient Shintoism, the indigenousreligion of Japan devoted to the “eighthundred myriad gods.” A typical exam-ple of this influence is the concept of(Japanese) Buddhism that “the moun-

tains, rivers, grasses and trees all haveBuddha Nature”; in other words, thatBuddha Nature (the enlightened con-sciousness of the Buddha) is immanentin all of nature. This view is deeplyinfluenced by ancient Shintoism.Shintoism has also been influenced byBuddhism in many ways, such as in the“garan”*-style layout of the religiouscompound (*Translator’s note:from

山山川川草草木木悉悉皆皆成成仏仏- The Mountains, Rivers, Grasses and Trees

Will All Become Buddhas -The Japanese View of Nature and Religion

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Kasei NagasawaSecretary General, Kyoto Buddhist Organization

Interviewer: Masaki Mashita, Nippon Keidaren Committee on Nature Conservation

A shinto shrine inside a premise of a temple - representing the unique coexistence between Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan

“Samgharama” or monastery inSanskrit).

As this indicates, religion does notdevelop in isolation. It takes root inthe culture of the area, accommodat-ing the local climate and customs. Theview of nature is an important factorfor religion to take root in the localtraditions. In Japan, it came to be

believed that the Buddha nature isimmanent in the mountains andforests, trees and flowers, moon, starsand sun, which help to purify anddevelop the mind.

There is a Zen saying that “water flowsto its origin, the sea; the moon setsbut never leaves the sky.” Zen teachesthat there are many rivers following

different courses, but they all end upat their origin, the ocean. The moonmay set, but it is still most certainlythere, though it is not visible to theeye. This teaching is transposed to ourdeceased loved ones, who are thoughtto be not dead but certainly present,only not visible to the eye. In this way,nature in its many aspects hasbreathed new life into the teachings ofBuddhism in a way unique to this land.

Interaction of Buddhism andShintoismBuddhism and Shintoism have been incontact for more than a thousandyears. It is no exaggeration to saytheir interaction gave birth to theJapanese identity. The uniqueJapanese view of nature that devel-oped over a millennium considers thehuman mind itself to be one withnature. Thus, humans are not thecaretakers of nature, rather they areat one with nature and inseparablefrom it.

This view of nature is most apparent inJapan’s mountain religion, as repre-sented by the Honzan Shugen School.The Honzan Shugen School, headquar-tered at Shogoin temple in Kyoto, is auniquely Japanese religion syncretizingBuddhism and Shintoism. It is based onthe spirituality of ancient mountainworship and teaches that one canachieve enlightenment, overcomingsuffering and purifying body and mindby practicing austerities in the ruggedmountains. Prior to the “haibutsukishaku” crackdown, this sect hadtwenty thousand temples throughoutJapan, but now this has dwindled toonly some two hundred temples. Thenumber of practitioners roaming themountains while praying to the Godsand Buddhas was also drasticallyreduced. (Note: “Haibutsu kishaku(expel Buddha)” refers to a crackdownon Buddhism during the Meiji Period(late 19th century) in which manyBuddhist temples, statues and scrip-tures were destroyed and the monksand nuns were deprived of their privi-

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Japan’s mountain religion is based on the spirituality of ancient mountain worship and teaches that one can achieve

enlightenment, overcoming suffering and purifying body and mind, by practicing austerities in the rugged mountains

©Shogoin temple

leges,since Shintoism alone was seento be the ancestral religion of Japan.)As this shows, the “haibutsu kishaku”crackdown shook the very foundationsof Japanese spirituality. However, peo-ple did not go so far as to throw awaythe Buddhist altars in their homes asurged by the Meiji government.Therefore, the government could notcompletely wipe out Buddhism fromthe hearts of the Japanese people. Noinstitutional change could wipe awayspirituality from people’s minds;theuniquely Japanese outlook on religionhad somehow survived.

At present, the relations between thetwo religions, which had become alien-ated under such historical circum-stances since the Meiji era, have start-ed to mend, leading to new coopera-tion between Buddhism and Shintoism.For instance, the Kitano Tenmangu

shrine that enshrines the noblemanMichizane Sugawara as a god of learn-ing has started to donate Michizane’s“hamaya” (ritual arrows said to dispelevil influences) to the Kinkakuji(Golden Pavilion) temple. The monksof Toji temple, world famous for itsfive-storied pagoda, have been makingregular visits to pray at Fushimi Inarishrine, headquarters to the countlessInari shrines throughout Japan. TheHachimangu shrine conducts the Hojo-e ceremony*, and the Yasaka shrine,famous for its Gion festival, is also vis-ited regularly by the monks of Mt. Hiei,the sacred mountain that is like amother to the many schools ofBuddhism in Japan. (*Translator’snote: originally a Buddhist ceremonyin which captured fish are freed in apond as a sign of compassion and grati-tude for giving their lives to humans.)The deep communion between

Shintoism and Buddhism is thus beingrevived nowadays. Here we can seethe strong spiritual support of not onlythe general populace but also the cler-gy devoted to the Gods and theBuddha’s teachings.

Shintoism, based on the ancientJapanese values of reverence fornature and the wish for prosperity offuture generations, is also very muchalive today. Often one will find aBuddhist temple right next to theShinto shrine, or a shrine side by sidewith a temple. These are signs of thecontinuing syncretism of Shintoism andBuddhism in the present age.

Environmental issues need to beaddressed with a Buddhist senseof time The view that “the mountains, rivers,grasses and trees will all become

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The Japanese view of nature is partly based on the spirituality of ancient mountain worship©Shogoin temple

Buddhas” considers that humanity wasgiven life by all of nature. This is thebasis for the Japanese outlook onnature. When environmental issues areviewed from this perspective, it is nolonger possible to speak of “symbiosisbetween humanity and nature” as sep-arate entities. The two are one. Theconcept of “being gentle to the earth”is human-centered and is full of humanintent. Rather, the relevant view isthat “the earth is gentle to us.”“Being gentle to the earth” implies arather arrogant outlook, much differ-ent from the distinctly Japanese viewthat “nature breathes life into us.”This outlook cannot be understoodwithout reference to religion and cul-ture. For instance, wooden buildingsare part of Japanese culture. Buildingsconstructed with wood from thousandyear old trees are said to last for athousand years, but nowadays acid rain

and environmental degradation arepreventing large trees from living thislong. Japan is being deluged by prob-lems such as acid rain, global warming,infiltration of exotic species and loss ofbiodiversity, which are impacting notonly human health but also our culturalassets. Solving these problems requiresaction grounded in a Buddhist sense oftime, a long term vision of the futureat least one or two hundred years fromnow.

From now on, it will be necessary totake an approach that supports the lifeof humanity and nature as one, pro-tecting the way of life and social cohe-sion of residents and making the mostof the unique features of the localesuch as the people, landscape and sea-sons. One of the uniquely Japaneseexpressions of this approach is the“chinju no mori” or sacred grove of the

Shinto shrine. These groves most clear-ly reflect the Japanese sense of awetowards nature and the presence ofthe sacred in nature, which safeguardnature and greenery. Depopulated vil-lages whose shrines and temples areseldom visited tend to lose vitality ascommunities, leading to loss of naturalbounty as well. In other words, trea-suring the community spirit by protect-ing the sacred groves and everyone cel-ebrating the local festivals ultimatelyfosters a vibrant society in which allliving things can prosper.

Having a sense of awe towardsnatureJapan, surrounded on all sides byocean, has fostered a distinctlyJapanese culture of great subtlety andrefinement through many centuries,incorporating diverse cultural influ-ences from the continent. This cultureis based on the “forest religion” ofBuddhism, which is sensitive to thesanctity of nature and its changing sea-sons. Buddhism is also characterizedby self-knowledge and edification.Self-edification leads to a commonview of reality, fostering a uniquelyBuddhist view of nature, which I amconvinced can transcend nationalboundaries to instill deep understand-ing.

I think nature has its own grand bio-rhythm. The sense of awe towardsnature that the Japanese, Inuits andother peoples share has helped us tolive in harmony with this biorhythm.Humans cannot live without eatingother plants and animals. For this veryreason, we have a natural sense of aweand gratitude toward nature. Thissense is universal. Is it not the com-mon ground we share with all othernations?

I am certain a solution to the biodiver-sity crisis can be found if we let go ofour human bias and tap into the wis-dom of “all living beings” which thinksfive hundred or a thousand years intothe future.

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Solving various problems requires action grounded in a Buddhist sense of time, a long term

vision of the future at least one or two hundred years from now

©KYOTOKAN (Photo:Kenzou Yokoyama)

Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks in the Wild as the Central Focus of Policy Making

Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture

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An Oriental White Stork chick at the feet of its parents (Photo credit: Hyogo Prefectural Homeland for the Oriental White Stork)

Hidemichi OotagakiDirector of the Oriental White Stork and Human Coexistence Department, Toyooka City

Toyooka City Data- Confirmed to have been the habitat

for the last wild Oriental White Storkin Japan.

- Location: North-east part of HyogoPrefecture, adjacent to KyotoPrefecture.

- Population: 90 thousands approx.

- Municipal area: 700km2, 80% ofwhich are forests

- Industries: Agriculture, fishery,forestry and tourism (over 5 milliontourists per year); indigenous indus-tries include bag making, ToyookaKiryu woodwork, Izushi porcelain,Kinosaki strawwork and Tajima silkcrape.

- Oriental White Stork initiative: Thecity started releasing Oriental WhiteStorks in the wild in 2005.

What is the Oriental WhiteStork?- Order : Ciconiiformes ;

Family: Ciconiidae

- A huge limicoline bird, 1m long,weighs 4 to 5 kg and has a wingspanof 2m approx.

- Predatory - Eats fish like cruciansand loaches, as well as frogs,grasshoppers and other small ani-mals.

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A fledging young Oriental White Stork

Trial release in 2005 Crowds of spectators gathered to witness the 2005 trial release

- Eats approx. 500g per day undercaptive breeding (equivalent to 80loaches), and thus is unable to livewithout rich biodiversity.

- Basically migratory. Mainly breeds in wetlands in the catchments of theAmur River in eastern Siberia andtravels to the south-east region ofChina (around the Yangtze River and Lake Poyang), Taiwan, Korea andJapan to stay over the winter. Basicallymigrates between the breeding

place and a wintering place, but maybecome a resident bird when adaptedto the environment of a particularplace along the way.

- Estimated population: 2,500 to4,000.

- Classified as CR (Critically endan-gered) on the “IUCN Red List” IUCNRed Listof Threatened Species.

- Classified as Category IA (Critically

Endangered) under the Law for theConservation of Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora.

- Designated as a specially protectedspecies by the Japanese government underthe Cultural Properties Protection Law.

- The White Stork is a closely-relatedspecies, which mainly breeds in themid-south to north region of Europeand migrates to the North Africa tostay over the winter.

Extinction and revival of Oriental White StorksOriental White Storks used to hover theland of Japan. In the Edo Period,Heinrich Schliemann, who wasrenowned for the excavation of thelegendary city of Troy, witnessed someof these birds nestling in a temple anda Shinto shrine in June 1865. InToyooka City, which is confirmed tohave been the last of their habitats in

Japan, the population steadilydecreased until the last wild individualwas found dead in 1971.

How did they come to extinction? First,there was the lifting of ban on gunsunder the Meiji government, whichresulted in overexploitation. Second,the cutting down of pine trees duringthe Second World War for the purposeof providing wood and oil for the bat-

tlefront radically reduced theirnestling places. Third, the post-warenvironmental destruction caused seri-ous damage to their habitats, i.e. wet-lands. Use of pesticides and chemicalfertilizers also reduced their food, suchas crucians and loaches, and causedthe accumulation of toxic substancesinside their bodies.

Alarmed by the rapid decrease, a pro-

38

Paddy field ecosystem pyramid A city government's sign asking drivers not to disturb Oriental White Storks

Farmers and an Oriental White Stork

Extermination of non-native species

A study group examining ways to accommodate Oriental

White Storks

tection campaign was launched in1955, which eventually came to usingartificial feeding as a last resort inToyooka in 1965. It turned out to be anabsolute ordeal, as not a single chickwas hatched for 24 years. In 1985,Khabarovsk of Russia, with which theHyogo Prefecture was trying to have asister city relationship, provided juve-niles as a gift. This led to the hatchlingof the first ever chick in 1989, and

today, there are over 100 birds undercaptive feeding.

Ultimate goal of reintroductioneffortsReturning Oriental White Storks to thewild is a grand project, unprecedentedin the world. Toyooka City has investedenormous time, energy and resourcesin this project for the following rea-sons:

We are committed to fulfilling apromise we made with the bird. Whenwe decided to do artificial breeding asa last resort, caught a pair and lockthem in a cage, we promised them toreturn their offspring to the wild. Wemust keep our word. Returning thecaptive birds to the wild has been oneof the important missions of Toyookafor generations.

39

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Oriental White Stork sake brand

A fishway connecting a paddy and a water channel

Studying living organisms in a paddy

Changes in the number of visitors to Eco Museum Center

for the Oriental White Stork (2000 to 2006)

Changes in the number of visitors to Eco Museum Center

for the Oriental White Stork (2000 to 2006)

Changes in the area under cultivation for the Safe Rice

brand

We are committed to contributing tothe international efforts on the conser-vation of endangered species. Therapid economic growth, which causedthe extinction of the birds in Japan, isalso happening in the breeding placeslike Russia, as well as in China, Koreaand Taiwan. Now that many speciesare being threatened by environmentaldestructions, conserving an endangeredspecies, like Oriental White Storks, isregarded as a duty of a member of theinternational community. HyogoPrefectural Homeland for the OrientalWhite Stork has promoted internationalinformation exchange, in whichToyooka is participating to further pro-mote international collaboration.

We are committed to recreating a rich envi-ronment. In order to allow OrientalWhite Storks to live, it is essential toturn the current satoyama, paddyfields, rivers and water channels intothe rich natural environment sustained bydiverse living organisms. Regenerationof such natural environment requireschanging our lifestyles. We mustremind ourselves of the fact that it was ourway of living and values that forcedthe birds to extinct. We will also have torecreate a cultural environment tocoexist in harmony with the birds. Ifwe manage to create the natural andcultural environments that are richenough to make the birds comfortable, itwill definitely be beneficial for ushumans too.

Synergetic effects betweenenvironmental efforts and economyIn order to make the initiative sustainable,we believe economic benefits shouldbe sought at the same time. ToyookaCity developed the “EnvironmentalEconomic Strategy” in March 2005,aiming to promote synergetic effectsbetween environmental efforts andeconomy. The Strategy has threeobjectives: to make all environmentalinitiatives sustainable; to make the citi-zens proud of being part of the city;and to become economically indepen-dent through the effective utilizationof environmental assets. To fulfillthese objectives, five key policy con-cepts have been developed: promotion ofconsumption of locally produced productsin the city; promotion of the Toyooka-stylesustainable agriculture; promotion ofOriental White Stork tourism; promo-tion of the invitation of private enterpriseswith the environmental economicfocus; and promotion of the use of naturalenergy. We have had some successfulcases already, they are describedbelow.

Rice productionby the stork-oriented farmingWe developed the “Oriental WhiteStork Oriented Farming” to combinethe efforts to promote good rice pro-duction and create the good naturaland cultural environments for thebirds. The method consists of varioustechniques to nurture their live foodorganisms, such as the early flooding ofpaddy fields, maintenance of an amplewater depth, delayed mid-term waterdrainage, water flooding and installa-tion of fishways in paddies. Thanks tothe vigorous media coverage whichreported on the birds feeding on thepaddies and promoted the safe imageof the rice grown there, inquiries fromconsumers and retailers are rapidlyincreasing. The prices of the rice pro-duced this way are much higher thanthose of the conventionally grown rice,which has been the good incentive forthe farmers. Furthermore, rice forbrewing sake is grown in this methodunder contracts with major sake brew-ers, and a variety of Oriental WhiteStork brand sakes are available in themarket now.

40

Tour guide training course

Local communication center “Konotori Hompo (Oriental White Stork Shop)” run by Toyooka City

Promotion of oriental WhiteStork tourismThe Hyogo Prefecture set up theHomeland for the Oriental White Storkin November 1999 as a breeding andresearch center, while Toyoyoka Cityopened the Eco Museum Center for theOriental White Stork in the Homelandin June 2000 as a center for city resi-dents to participate in the initiative.Since the first reintroduction of thebirds to the wild in September 2005,the number of visitors to these facili-ties has rapidly increased from 150thousand to more than 450 thousandper year. Those visitors often purchasesouvenirs, dine or reserve accommoda-tions in the city. Some major travelagencies have released tourism prod-ucts featuring the birds, which arebecoming very popular.

Presence of a solar batterymanufacturer giantOne of the biggest thin film solar bat-tery manufacturers of the world hasmoved to the city to strengthen itscompetency and meet the rapidlyincreasing demand mainly fromEuropean countries. The company first

moved its production base to the cityin 1999, and now has transferred itsheadquarters functions of research anddevelopment as well. They are plan-ning to expand their business furtherfrom here, which not only will boostthe local economy but also help reducefossil fuel consumption, ultimatelyhelping prevent global warming. Uponmoving, they stated clearly that theychose Toyooka because of its OrientalWhite Stork initiative. They found thecity a suitable location for pursuingtheir dream of a sustainable future.

Biodiversity initiativesfor sustainable city planning One of the issues in returning Oriental WhiteStorks to the wild is the regenerationof feeding places. There are notenough live food organisms naturallyavailable for the 20 birds currently livingin the wild, particularly during winter. Toy-ooka used to be a major habitat for the birdsbecause it had diverse wetlands scat-tered around the city. Now that allthese rich habitats were lost, what we needto do is to reconstruct individual wetlands,however small they are, and link them tocreate a wetland network. To create,

regenerate and conserve rich ecosys-tems, the city continues to undertakeefforts for wetland revival, includingregistration under the Convention onWetlands of International ImportanceEspecially as Waterfowl Habitat, incoordination with flood control andagricultural interests.

The initiatives are expanding into theprivate sector too - more and more pri-vate enterprises are participating inthe initiatives as part of their CSRactivities. The city is also promotingthe theorization of the initiative, as webelieve that in order to make ourefforts sustainable, all the experiencesand lessons learned should be orga-nized as a set of academic knowledge.To this end, we are establishing amulti-disciplinary and multi-level col-laboration system to involve local com-munities, students in and outside thecity, researchers and specialists in andoutside Japan. Our Oriental WhiteStork initiative is thus a part of cityplanning processes, where ourlifestyles, material needs and knowl-edge are interconnected with eachother through revaluation of history,traditions and resources centering onthe natural environment of the city.Toyooka is committed to promote itselfas a small City of Pride through theseinitiatives.

41

Reconstructed wetland provisionally called"Hachigoro’s Toshima"

A wild Oriental White Stork that used to fly to Toyooka called “Hachigoro” feeding himself

1. Biodiversity in regional andcommunity planningAs the Kyoto Protocol entered intoforce, Japan has to reduce CO2 emis-sions by six percent by 2012. In themeantime, actions on biodiversity,such as the introduction of the InvasiveAlien Species Act to conserve nativeecosystems, have also been accelerat-ed. Although increasing concerns on

environmental issues are not a specialphenomenon in Japan, Japanese eco-nomic and social systems have gradual-ly changed to address environmentalchallenges since Rio EnvironmentalSummit in 1992.

Over recent years the emphasis on the“environment” in urban, regional andcommunity planning has increased.

Accumulation of knowledge and dataon biodiversity is indispensable forregional and community planningtoday. Regional natural history muse-ums can contribute much in thisregard. The function of natural historymuseums is not only to hand specimenand data to future generations, butalso to support environmentally-soundregional and community planning by

Regional Planning with a Focus on Biodiversity:Challenges of a Local Natural History Museum

Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo

42

Isao Nakase*, Takashi Kyakuno*** Vice president; Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo. Professor;University of Hyogo (Landscape planning, Regional planning)

** Senior researcher; Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo (Urbanplanning, Environmental planning)

Fig.1: Example of research project information brochure

educating citizens and providing pro-fessional knowledge to the public.

In this article, we discuss how naturalhistory museums can contribute tocommunity and regional planningfocusing on biodiversity and the rolenatural history museums have to playon the basis of our experience in theMuseum of Nature and Human

Activities, Hyogo (hereafter HITO-HAKU). As a public natural historymuseum, HITOHAKU has been activelyengaged in communicating and cooper-ating with citizens and supportingregional and community planning. Thismakes HITOHAKU one of the leadingmuseums in this field in Japan. AtHITOHAKU, researchers in the field ofplanning (urban planning, architecture

and landscape planning) have beencooperating with those in the field ofnatural science to promote projectsand programs since its establishment in1992. Such partnership amongresearchers considerably contributes tocommunity and regional planning bytaking into consideration nature andthe environment.

43

Fig.2: Example of results of a dandelion survey (native species)

Fig.4: Results of a wild boar appearance survey

Photo 1: Local residents joining in the dandelion survey Photo 3: Huge encapsulated specimen

Fig.5: Results of a Japanese macaque appearance survey

Fig.6: Results of a simultaneous water temperature dis-tribution survey

Fig.3: Example of results of a dandelion survey (exotic species)

2. Collection of basic materialson biodiversity with participa-tion of citizens(1) Collecting materials with citizen’s participationHITOHAKU is collecting various materialsrelated to nature and the environment. Spec-imens of living organisms are mainlystored in the repository while photosand figures are stored either as tangiblecopies or as image data. The number ofitems is more than one million, which makesit one of the largest stocks in naturalhistory museums in Japan. Collecting is thebasic activity of a natural history museumand the core for its research activities. Manynatural history museums, including HI-TOHAKU, collect materials by efforts of theirown staff or by donation from amateur col-lectors and researchers. Moreover, owing

to the growing interest in environment is-sues and the necessity of environmentaleducation at citizen level, there is also agrowing need to promote environmentaleducation among citizens while col-lecting basic materials in collaboration withthem so as to enrich the academic materialof the natural history museum.

HITOHAKU has been conducting basicbiological surveys with the participa-tion of citizens since 2002. In this par-ticipatory research project, we distrib-ute brochures explaining the surveymethod to the citizens who want tojoin the project to collect data, includ-ing witness information on variousspecies, which are then plotted onmaps to create distribution charts.Information is provided to us mainly bypostcards and the Internet. The resultsare published through the Internet byusing GIS and can be searched for andbrowsed. It is also possible to comparethem with the distribution data ofother wildlife in order to understandthe natural environment of the region.The targets of past research projectsincluded dragonfly (Sympetrum pede-montanum elatum), flowering date of

cherry blossoms, bamboo lily (Liliumjaponicum), forest green treefrog(Rhacophorus arboreus), etc. Currentlywe are working on the distribution ofcolonies of cormorants (cf. Figure 1).In the case of Sympetrum pedemon-tanum elatum, elementary schools inthe region actively participated in theproject by contributing to the educa-tion of children.

HITOHAKU is conducting other severalbasic surveys related to biological dis-tribution with the participation of citi-zens besides the examples above.Some of those examples such as thesurvey on dandelion and wild animalswill be explained later on.

(2) Dandelion distribution surveyThe research project “Dandelion Sur-vey 2005” was a wide-scale distribution survey of dandelions which saw theparticipation of citizens from the Kinki areain the Western part of Japan from 2004 to2005. The Kinki area is composed bylarge cities (Osaka, Kobe, etc.) withtheir wide urban areas, as well as widemountains and coastal areas. Climateconditions vary considerably in the Kinki

44

Photo 2: Aquatic plant survey

Photo 5: Learning the construction of a flower from anexpert

Photo 4: Borneo Jungle Experience School

area, ranging from modest tempera-ture with limited rainfall and relatively lowtemperature with large amounts ofsnowfall in winter, to high precipita-tion. Taraxacum japonicum Koidz (na-tive species), Taraxacum officinaleWeber (exotic species) and Taraxacum lae-vigatum DC (exotic species) are themajor species of dandelion in this area. Itis generally recognized that Taraxacum lae-vigatum DC is more common thanTaraxacum japonicum Koidz in urbanareas, although their detailed distributionis still unknown. The distribution ofTaraxacum pectinatum Kitamura andTaraxacum albidum Dahlst. is also unknown.The identification of these distribu-tions was an important task for the InvasiveAlien Species Act and the national biodiversitystrategy. The special feature of thisproject was the collaboration with alarge number of citizens; especiallyschools played an important role ascenters for field surveys. The steps of sur-vey were as follows:- Asking citizens, including students, tocollect dandelion from nearby parksand roads;- Asking them to record the date andplace of sampling in a data sheet and

submit the data sheet together withthe collected samples;- Identifying species using advancedmethods including DNA analysis in diffi-cult cases for identification, althoughbasic identification methods are pro-vided to the participants; and- Summarizing the results in the GISsystem.Photo 1 shows the collection of sam-ples and Figure 2 and Figure 3 show the re-sults on GIS system. This distributionsurvey has achieved academically valuableresults, which are utilized in the pre-sentations and seminars at HITOHAKU.

As mentioned before, schools playedan important role in this survey. Highschool students were the main actorsand they conducted surveys while performingDNA analysis for identifying collectedsamples and studying basic knowledgeon the classification and identification ofplants. This resulted not only in a great suc-cess in collecting comprehensive dataof dandelions but also in deepening un-derstandings of the natural environ-ment in general in the surveyed region. Oncethis network of study sites for biodiversityis established in the region, we can use this

network to study other species as well asto use this infrastructure to realize bio-diversity-centered regional planning.

(3) Wild animal distribution surveyCollecting and processing precise infor-mation on the distribution of wild ani-mals is essential when discussingregional biodiversity. In Japan, espe-cially in rural mountain areas, wildboars, deer, foxs and monkeys causevarious damages to agriculture and theconservation of wild animals tends tohave a trade-off relation with agricul-tural production. To find a solution,collaboration with professionals andcitizens is important while collectingprecise data.

HITOHAKU has launched the Wild LifeManagement Project to address thisissue. To understand current distribu-tion and behavior of wild animals,researchers conducted field surveysand other basic studies, such as distrib-ution estimation by computer simula-tion. They also collected witness casesby questionnaire survey among citi-zens. Collected data were entered inthe GIS and analyzed by comparing

45

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Table 1: List of plant species newly appeared after the implementation of satoyama management

them with agricultural damages data.On the basis of this result, local gov-ernments, citizens and researchers arelooking for ways to let wild animalscoexist with humans. (Figures 4 and 5)

3. Activities of natural historymuseums for promoting biodi-versity(1) Education and outreach activi-ties on biodiversityTo conserve biodiversity in the region, itis important to enhance knowledge and in-terest in nature of citizens in the re-gion. HITOHAKU has been conducting a re-gional activity called “HITOHAKU CaravanProgram” consisting of exhibitions,seminars and participatory researchprojects since five years ago. The most sig-nificant characteristic of this programis that it is implemented by an executivecommittee involving representativesfrom the community, the governmentand schools. They actually take part inpreparing exhibitions and seminars and cit-izens often provide exhibition items for theProject, such as butterflies and fossils col-lected in the region. When exhibitions areorganized in local centers for natureeducation, volunteers in those centers of-ten help us and thus acquire enoughknowledge and experience to provideinformation to visitors by themselves.

Another characteristic of this programis the participatory field survey by citizens.Whenever this program is implemented ina certain area, citizens, volunteers and gov-ernment officials in the area performfield surveys based on the instructions byresearchers at HITOHAKU and other localprofessionals. For example, when wecarried out a vegetation survey of anirrigation pond, volunteers at the partnerinstitution of the program implement-ed an aquatic plants survey with theassistance of professionals from HITO-HAKU and from an NPO specialized inlocal aquatic plants (cf. Photo 2). The col-lected plant samples and other datasuch as water quality and water tem-perature were summarized in a state of cur-rent vegetation map, which was thendisplayed at the exhibition. In another case,

a survey on river aquatic insects wascarried out in collaboration withschools in the region to create hugeencapsulated specimen. A measure-ment of water temperature of thoserivers was also carried out at the same time(cf. Photo 3, Figure 6). In each case,we work on this program in collaborationwith citizens by sharing know-how toinvestigate the local environment andprovide outcomes and results of these sur-veys to the region.

(2) Environmental education forchildren in the tropical rainforestin BorneoWhen we think of our local environ-ment, it is also important to thinkabout the global environment at thesame time. While climate change anddestruction of forests are happening as aconsequence of a globalized economy, itis quite meaningful, especially for children,to experience and feel diversity ofwildlife in the field and to learn thatthere are different natural environ-ments around the world, which arequite different from Japan.

To this end, HITOHAKU is running anenvironmental education program forchildren, called “Borneo Jungle ExperienceSchool”, every summer starting from1998 in cooperation with the Institutefor Tropical Biology and Conservationof the University Malaysia Sabah. Tropi-cal rainforest is an ideal field to study bio-diversity with its high diversity ofspecies. In this program, children from el-ementary, junior high and high schools spendabout one week in the jungle of Borneo inMalaysia trekking in tropical forestsand watching animals and plants. Com-municating with local children is alsoincluded in the program. This program isalso characterized by the fact thatchildren learn and understand aboutthe wildlife under the guidance of researchersfrom HITOHAKU and the University ofMalaysia. Another characteristic is that chil-dren learn from group and experienceresearch activities such as observingnature and classification of samples by them-selves through the guidance of experts (cf.

Photos 4 and 5). Each child is im-pressed by different things. Some childrenare impressed by animals like orang-utan or the view of trees and leavesfrom the canopy, while others worryabout the state of forest destruction.

The career developments of the partici-pants in this program is also an inter-esting aspect. In many cases, partici-pants choose biology, global environ-ment and life science and some ofthem further study to become re-searchers, which shows the importance ofenvironmental education for childrenin the field. When learning about envi-ronment issues, especially wildlife, it is im-portant to observe and put them in directcontact with nature. We wish that this ex-perience remains in their mind so that theywill approach global environment is-sues in different ways when they grow up.The natural environment of rainforests ismuch different from that in Japan.Yet, they are connected to each otherthrough global economy. There is awide variety of species and their diversityforms our globe. We believe that un-derstanding this fact is also useful forbiodiversity-centered regional plan-ning.

(3) Natural environment manage-ment in cooperation with the re-gionThere used to be a typical form of forestcalled “satoyama” nearby towns andvillages throughout Japan. Satoyama is asecondary forest managed mainly toproduce fuel wood on a regular basis.This also contributed to diversifyshrubs and undergrowth and to main-tain a good space in terms of landscape andbiodiversity. Satoyama has been maintainedfor several centuries and was an importantpart of our forest image in Japan. But ow-ing to various reasons - such as achange in lifestyle and the use of fossil fu-els instead of fuel wood, the decrease ofrural population and development ac-tivities in forests close to cities - many satoya-ma were lost in the last severaldecades.

46

HITOHAKU is proposing a uniquemethod for satoyama managementcalled “Mita Method” and is applying it tosatoyama in Mita City. Although actual man-agement methods differ from place to place,most of them aim to conserve and enrichthe environment, landscape and biodiversityrather than to promote fuel wood production.“Mita Method” is also characterized by anapproach enabling citizens withoutspecial knowledge and skills to managesatoyama effectively in a short period bycooperating with researchers (cf. Photo 6).

The outcome of applying Mita Methodon satoyama is remarkable. One to two years after starting this kind of man-agement based on Mita Method, thenumber of species in each surveyed regionincreased. There were thirty-eightspecies in average before management ac-tivity and now there are forty-fourspecies, including typical satoyamaspecies (Prunus verecunda Koehne,Padus grayana, Vitis saccharifera Makino,etc.) (cf. Table 1).

When applying participatory satoyamamanagement like the Mita Method, cooperation with governmental organizationsis also essential. Governmental organizationscall for citizens’ action and providefields whereas HITOHAKU offers professionalknowledge and know-how. This kind of collaboration cannot be achieved in ashort period of time but requires agood record of cooperation among HI-TOHAKU, citizens and governmental or-ganizations.

4. The role of natural historymuseum in the biodiversity-cen-tered regional planningA concept of eco-museum is emergingin natural history museum. Conventionalnatural history museums focused onstoring and displaying uncommon andvaluable collections and their activities were completed inside their buildings. The eco-museum approach is different asit respects the integration of the envi-ronment, buildings, life and culture in the region as a whole and regards the integration itself as an exhibition of

museum containing useful informationand values to be handed to the nextgeneration. Accordingly, eco-museumapproach can even provide a method-ological framework for conserving theregional environment and culture asthey exist. From the point of view ofbiodiversity, it is more important toconserve and exhibit them in the field ratherthan to collect and exhibit dead specimenin the museum building.

For example, the Natural Museum ofStorks planned in the northern part of Hyo-go Prefecture adopts this approach.Forests as habitat and the network ofstagnant water region as feedingground are necessary for storks to live. Sopaddy fields and adjacent forests arenecessary. Low-chemical agriculturemust be deployed in the paddy field so thatloaches that feed storks can live there. Allthese conditions become the basis forsecuring the region’s natural environ-ment. This approach also contributesto the region’s economical develop-ment, since rice produced in paddyfields where storks can live is markedwith added value. Storks can also at-tract many tourists to the area andthose tourists would then be attracted bythe beauty of the natural environment wherestorks live, resulting in so-called eco-tourism or green tourism development inthe region. Similar movements can beobserved for the fossils of dinosaursfound last year in Tanba City. Re-searchers at HITOHAKU excavate fossils joint-ly with residents in the region and try touse this resource for community devel-opment.

Recently, natural history museums,including HITOHAKU, began to applythe eco-museum approach, whichenables them to contribute to urbanand regional development with a focuson biodiversity. Museums are moreappreciated by the fact that there arealways experts dealing with the stor-age of materials related to the naturalenvironment in the form of books anddatabase freely available for citizensrather than just storing materials and

displaying them. Museums today arealso appreciated for their openness tocitizens and as centers for local peopleto communicate to each other on relat-ed matters. Citizens can participate inthe biodiversity-centered planning anddevelopment of the region by utilizingthe accumulated resources in museumsrelated to the natural environment.Natural history museums become thecore of such activities and serve as animportant infrastructure.

In order for natural history museums to actas intellectual infrastructures in theregion, there are two conditions to be met.First of all, as mentioned at the beginning,experts in natural science, such as biol-ogy and environmental sciences, should co-operate with experts in regional plan-ning, architecture, civil engineering,etc. by sharing their knowledge and set ofvalues to achieve a common goal. Al-though there are often differences inviews and approaches among experts in bi-ology and planners, we must learn and ap-preciate each other for the sake of bio-diversity-centered regional and com-munity planning. The second condition isto have both a regional point of viewas well as a global point of view. While glob-alization in terms of information, peopleand goods accelerates, global environmentalissues become more serious. Both aglobal perspective with local focus and lo-cal actions while thinking globally areneeded.

We believe that the function of natural his-tory museums with their new role as an in-frastructure connecting the world tothe region and the natural environment toour life, enabling collaboration of variousprofessionals and assisting transforma-tion of the whole region into eco-museumwill become more and more important inthe future.

AcknowledgementThe projects and programs presentedhere are result of the collaboration of theresearchers at HITOHAKU and local resi-dents. We sincerely thank those whoprovided us with relevant materials.

47

In 2003, a joint project was launched by amanufacturing giant NEC and an NPOfocusing on Lake Kasumigaura called the“Asaza Fund”. NEC decided to supportthe Fund’s “Program for Water QualityRestoration through Rejuvenation of yatsuda(Valley-Bed Rice Fields)”, andlaunch a participatory awareness-raisingprogram for its employees and their fam-ilies. In creating a partnership with the Fund,NEC believed it was vital to keep them-selves as equal partners. It was not theconventional one-way involvement,whereby a big company merely makesdonations or outsources its awarenessraising programs to an NPO. The Fund and the company both wantedto make the most of each others' skillsand expertise in realizing the new initia-tive.

Decision to participate I heard that it all started when somepersonnel from EnvironmentalManagement Division attended a lec-ture by Mr. Iijima from the Asaza Fundand introduced them to him after-wards. Mr. Iijima proposed a collabora-tion, which seemed an extremely time-ly offer for NEC, who was seeking achance to improve company-wide envi-ronmental awareness.

In a word, the project was aimed at

restoring nature through growing ricewithout chemical fertilizers and pesti-cides at yatsuda (valley-bed rice fields)near Lake Kasumigaura. They felt thatthey needed something more to helpcreate a sustainable society, anddecided to get a local enterpriseinvolved to ensure their rice would beintroduced to the market. They cameup with the idea of having sake (ricewine) produced from their rice, andvisited us at the office of ShiragikuShuzo. I think they may have cited usbecause our sake cellars are right infront of Lake Kasumigaura.

They told us about their naturerestoration program to restore paddyfields that had been left uncultivatedand grow rice there, and that theywanted us to brew sake from theirrice. They said they were aiming toclarify the water of Lake Kasumigaurathrough their program, eventually cre-ating an environment that will serve ashabitats for Japanese crested ibis andwhite storks in 100 years time.

By the time I was born in the 70’s, thelake had already been totally polluted.The massive growth of water bloom inthe eutrophicated lake would some-

48

Rejuvenation of Valley-Bed Rice Fieldsand Restoration of Lake Water Quality

through Sake Brewery Business

Clean water is essential for the food industry, particularly for sake (rice wine) brewery business. The Asaza Fund, an NPO focusing

on Lake Kasumigaura, launched the “Rice Field Restoration Project” as part of their program to restore the water quality of Lake Kasum-

igaura and realize a sustainable social system. When NEC Corporation, one of the leading Japanese manufacturers, decided to sup-

port and participate in the project, a local sake brewer joined in to help them. The success of the concerted efforts made by the NPO,

the giant manufacturer and the local merchant attracted public attention. A young Executive Director of the local sake brewer talked

about the joy of witnessing his familiar environment becoming full of life day by day.

Interview

Keinosuke HiroseShiragiku Shuzo, Co., Ltd.

times emit a bad smell. As a young kid,I used to wonder how it would be likeif the lake had been cleaner. I felt itwould be wonderful if the future visionfor the lake described by the AsazaFund came true.

On the other hand, Shiragiku was notmaking any particular corporate effortsto improve the environment at thattime. In fact, I had never heard of theAsaza Fund before, and even did nothave a very positive impression ofNPO’s. That may tell how ignorant Iwas of environmental issues.

If our business is supposed tohelp, then why not?When the Fund talked about the pro-ject, I could not imagine how growing ricewould help restore the once beautifulLake Kasumigaura. When I asked them howit would work, they explained thatbecause the lake did not have anylarge river, it was served by countless springsnearby. It was how the lake was maintained,they said.

Until just a few decades ago, rice usedto be grown without chemical fertiliz-ers and pesticides in valley-bed fieldsknown as yatsuda with naturally com-

plex topography. The water of theserice fields, which flowed into LakeKasumigaura, used to be of very goodquality, and so was the water of thelake.

I heard that until the 1970’s, aquaticplants such as gorgon waterlilies andfringed water lilies used to be acervateto such an extent that they were saidto be among the greatest in Japan.Takahamairi Bay, which can be viewedfrom the top of our office building,used to have gorgon waterlilies growingin heaps. However, towards the 70’s,the bay started suffering from concen-trated pollution due to a combinationof multiple factors such as the inflow-ing of domestic waste water and theimpact of shore protection works. Aspollution increased, gorgon waterliliesdisappeared and have never revived todate, I heard.

Now, the countless yatsuda scatteredaround the lake have all been dried upand ruined, with weeds propagatingeverywhere. They added that theseyatsuda were not polluted - they hadsimply been left unattended.

The Fund then went on, “Let’s worktogether on these ruined fields andrestore them as paddy fields to growrice without pesticides and chemical

49

fertilizers. Water will be drawn to thefields and living creatures will comeback and be diversified and an ecosys-tem will be built up. We, humans, canthen just help the natural system torestore itself further with its ownpower.”

“The Japanese government is now tak-ing a rice acreage reduction policy, butif we claim the purpose of growing riceis sake production, we will be able toeasily satisfy various administrativerequirements. Why don't we worktogether to grow a breed of rice suitedto sake brewery?”

I found their proposal very attractive -to us as a sake brewer, it meant wecould help restore our local lake with-out having to do something special. Wecould just continue our business asusual! That was how we joined thisnature restoration project in 2003.

In November 2003 when NEC employeesfirst stepped into yatsuda that had beenleft unattended for several decades, theywere astonished to see weeds proliferat-ing all over, wondering, “Can we reallyrestore this ruined place to revive aspaddy fields?” They anyway got on with the work inFebruary 2004, cutting down thickets fora start. In March, waterways were creat-ed and ridges built. They flooded thepaddy fields in April and managed to seethe rice ears standing in golden waves inautumn the same year.Six NEC personnel are taking the lead inthis project - they are not doing it as cor-porate volunteers but as part of officialcorporate duties. Engaging in physicalactivities in satoyama full of living crea-tures, away from the stressful city envi-ronment, helps keep participants healthyboth physically and mentally. It alsoserves as a valuable welfare program forthem.

Kids grown, nature flourishedThis nature restoration project is ledby the Environmental ManagementDivision of NEC, with the aim to pro-

vide hands-on environmental educationfor its employees and their familiesand make a social contribution.

They were surely delighted to haverejuvenated yatsuda and to see LakeKasumigaura getting cleaner with itswater clarified thanks to rice growing.However, I thought it would be a pityfor their job to end when they tastedthe rice they had harvested. So I cameup with the idea of giving them someextra fun-to do the sake brewingprocesses themselves with the ricethey harvested!

When I told NEC and the Fund aboutthis idea, they said inclusion of brew-ery activities would make a perfectyear-round program. Rice plantingstarts in May, which is followed byweeding, harvesting and threshing.Then, a Shinto ritual will be performedbefore brewery. Afterwards, a newbrew comes out and a special sakedelivery event takes place. They willhave this sort of events almost every 2months, with a more effective andenjoyable annual plan.

When I asked NEC participants whatthey thought of these events, they allsaid they had much more chances tospend time with their children. Theyused to find it difficult to do somethingtogether with their kids in their sparetime, without a wide range of recre-ation options available, except forplaces like amusement parks. But nowthey see their children in high spirits,really enjoying themselves in satoyamahere, which is now richly endowed withnature.

Some of the children who had beennervous to get into the paddy field orrunning away from insects graduallygot used to the natural environment.They now volunteer to plant seedlingsand can run after insects, instead ofrunning away from them! Seeing theirchildren grow up in nature makes par-ents feel their everyday stress isreleased and spirits enriched.

After a year or so from the launchingof the program, I was astonished to seehow strikingly fast nature had beenrestored in yatsuda. As our office is

50

just a few minutes away from the site,I sometimes visit the place and alwaysfind that it keeps improving. The site isnow so abundantly blessed with naturethat I cannot actually believe my eyes. The Asaza Fund said some 10 or sothreatened species have revived there.Many Japanese rhinoceros beetles,golden ringed dragonflies and firefliesare around, and northern goshawks,which are at the top of the ecosystem,are building nests there.

You get a healing experience just stay-ing there. The environment is unbeliev-ably different from how it was when Ifirst saw the site. It makes me fullyaware of how effective it is not to usepesticides and chemical fertilizers.

However beneficial an activity would beto the environment, it is impossible to actif this means neglecting the feelings of thelocal communities. If done that way,nobody can escape criticism for beingtypical of city dwellers’ egoism. But localcommunities felt at ease and had sense oftrust when they just knew that ShiragikuShuzo, one of their local merchantsboasting 300 years of history and tradi-tion, was involved. Most of the members of local communi-ties have some connections to the brewer- for example, their grandmothers andgrandfathers have worked for the sakebottling factory or have been in charge offeeding boilers. As a matter of fact, thelocal communities often expressed theirsupport as soon as they saw the name ofShiragiku Shuzo was on the list. It issurely one of the great strengths of alocally-based enterprise distinct from bigcompanies.NEC, the Asaza Fund and ShiragikuShuzo-they represent an integrated col-laboration between a big company, anNPO and a local enterprise. The Ministryof the Environment also has an interest inand looks forward to the progressive ini-tiative of this project.

Significance of collaborationThe project is quite demanding, Imean, it requires lots of preparations.

Every piece of work such as rice planti-ng and harvesting is done manually.NEC employees and families had to doeverything, such as stranding ropes andcutting out bamboos. They also takepart in seasonal local customs and fes-tivals taking place around the yatsudathey are working on. We have a new-year rice-cake making event in a localsquare.

It is important to get local farmersinvolved in the activities. At first, the localcommunities were wondering, “Whatare these people doing?” Yet, theygradually got used to and joined ouractivities, even though slowly. Earlier on, about 20 people from theFund and NEC would stay overnight in prepa-ration for an event, but now that local farm-ing ladies are there to help, cookingtempuras for hundreds of participantsis as easy as anything!

This is how they produce sake. Thewrapping paper for the sake carry mes-sages from the participants, like, forexample, “Thanks to the gift of theland” and “Wish you feel the powerand blessing of nature as we all did.”

We were consulted by NEC regardingthe delicate work to wrap the bottleswith the paper. As part of efforts tomake a social welfare contribution, welooked for a vocational-training groupof people with disabilities and foundone nearby. Partly because they had a con-nection to Shiragiku Shuzo, we man-aged to outsource the job to them.

The workers showed astonishing effi-ciency, accuracy and concentration. It wasa pleasure having a chance to workwith them in this nature restorationproject. None of these would havebeen possible without the collaborativeefforts of the NPO, the manufacturergiant and the local enterprise.

Since the project was launched, paddiesand thickly wooded areas have continuedto revive because NEC employees kept onparticipating in various events through-

out the year. It seems to represent real-life CSR activity beyond an arm-chairtheory. The local communities also benefit fromit and so do many living creatures. Theproject seems to make everyone happy.

Familiar landscapes and natureare our true treasures We are currently planning to grow ricein the same way as the Fund and NECare doing, brew sake with it and sellthe product at local shops in IshiokaCity to serve the city residents. Iexpect this will help regeneratedeserted local shopping streets. I alsobelieve one of our challenges is to helplocal communities understand howsake is produced and what it means tothem and to the lake.

As a local resident who grew up just astone away from the lake, I must say Iwas largely motivated by my personalintention. I simply thought it would benice if I could play a part in rejuvenat-ing yatsuda and cleaning LakeKasumigaura through our main busi-ness.

Four years on, I must admit I am rathersurprised to find myself being quiteenvironmentally conscious now. As amatter of fact, our satoyama - whichconsists of thickly wooded areas andrivers - has now become extremely richin nature, just because we actuallytook actions and directly helped out onsite to restore the yatsuda.

This made me realize that the familiarlandscapes and nature - which I used totake for granted - were in fact valuableassets to us. They would have beenruined if we hadn’t actually taken careof them. I also realized that restoringour familiar natural environment canlead to the environmental restorationof a wider region. I am really glad I hadthe chance to take a role here andwould like to stay committed to mak-ing collaborative efforts to expand thislocal project with the ultimate goal ofhelping create a sustainable society.

51

Building sector and biodiversityThe building sector has a considerableimpact on the environment, for exam-ple, when building a huge building,changing the surface of land or makinga landfill in a costal area. Owing toworsening environmental problems, asreported by the media and knowledge-able people, many construction compa-nies are engaged in recycling, theeffective utilization of resources, thecontrol of hazardous materials and theprevention of global warming. On theother hand, the efforts for biodiversityconservation in Japan are lessadvanced if compared to those listedabove, because of the lack of scientificdata, a wide range of problems and lit-tle awareness of environmental andsocial benefits.

Under these circumstances, Kajimaestablished the Kajima EcosystemConservation Guidelines in August2005. This guideline, which is the firstone in the Japanese constructionindustry, shows a framework of ourbiodiversity conservation activities.

Background of biodiversity con-servationInterest in conservation of ecosystemsand biological diversity has grownaround the world following such devel-opments as the 1992 global summitwhere the Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD) was formulated. Yet,awareness of these issues in Japan hasremained low until now. Japan haslong had a deep relationship withnature, and harmony with nature forms acentral element of Japanese lifestyleand culture. This may explain whyawareness of the importance of theissue has been low. Kajima has consistently

incorporated measures for ecosystemconservation in many aspects of itsbusiness and made substantial contri-butions to the conservation and cre-ation of a rich natural environment.

Building on this considerable record, inMarch 2005 Kajima established aBiodiversity Conservation Committee tostudy the compatibility of the buildingsector with biodiversity conservation.After this study, we recognized theserisks and opportunities.

Risk management and businessopportunities about biodiversityAs a result of investigating various con-struction projects, Kajima understoodthe necessity for risk management andbusiness opportunities about biodiversi-ty. For example, some companies usedinappropriate invasive seeds for slopprotection work. They had to start overfrom first step and sow local seed.Hence delays in construction andincreased reclamation costs. Even ifthese cases are not our projects, wehave to take careful note of localecosystems and biodiversity in order tocontinue the construction business.

Another aspect is business opportuni-ties by using ecosystem services. Wetry to explain that healthy ecosystemsare a new value for landowners. Forinstance, the parks - which are rich inbiodiversity - raise real estate price by10% in Tokyo. The reclamation ofCheong Gye Cheon River in Seoul,which destroyed the existing highwayand revived the old river, has animpact on room rates of the riversidehotel. The forest, which is rich in bio-diversity, is known from recentresearch to get excellent health bene-

fits. Because of these cases, we realizehealthy ecosystems create added valueand we can produce high-valued pro-jects by using ecosystem services.

Kajima Ecosystem ConservationGuidelinesWithout healthy ecosystems, safe andcomfortable living environments forhuman society cannot exist. Kajimasees ecosystem conservation as a cru-cial issue in the establishment of a sus-tainable society. Kajima has become aleader in the efforts to realize the har-monious coexistence of healthy ecosys-tems and the construction business. InAugust 2005, Kajima established theKajima Ecosystem ConservationGuidelines as a framework for its activ-ities in this important sphere.

Kajima Corporation’s Promotion of BiodiversityEfforts for a Sustainable Society

52

Yoriyuki YamadaOffice of Global Environment, Kajima Corporation

Kajima Ecosystem ConservationGuidelines (Adopted in August 2005)

Fundamental PrinciplesKajima conducts its construction busi-ness with the aim of establishing high-quality infrastructure for the societythat supports human lifestyles andindustrial development, as a social mis-sion to realize a “truly comfortableenvironment for people”. In the 21stcentury, building a sustainable societyon the basis of the coexistence withnature is fast becoming the most press-ing issue for humanity. Japan formulat-ed its revised National BiodiversityStrategy in 2002 and the importance ofbiodiversity and ecosystem conserva-tion has now been widely acceptedthroughout society. In recognition ofthis, Kajima has placed high priority onthe social mission of conservation ofecosystems and based on the following

53

Relationship between Percentage of change of land price from 2003 to 2004 and Large Green Patch Coverage Ratio

Percentage of change of land price from 2003 to 2004 and Large Green Patch

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KAJIMACORPORATION

Position of Kajima Ecosystem Conservation Guidelines

guidelines is pursuing sustainabledevelopment for society, its clients andthe company through strategic mea-sures for ecosystem conservation

Guidelines1. Management SystemsKajima recognizes ecosystem conserva-tion as an important part of its environ-mental management and will give con-sideration to ecosystems in its businessactivities.

2. ComplianceKajima will comply with all laws andregulations concerning ecosystem con-servation and will make an effort tounderstand related policies and socialrequirements and reflect these in itsbusiness activities.

3. EducationKajima will conduct internal training toprovide its employees with informationon the basic knowledge necessary forecosystem conservation activities, aswell as information on laws, technolo-gies and successful examples and willraise awareness of the value of ecosys-tems.

4. Construction Business MeasuresKajima will utilize information andtechnology regarding ecosystems toincorporate environmental considera-tions into the proposals and workundertaken for its clients and will sup-port communication between itsclients, communities and society atlarge with the aim of creating and con-serving rich biodiversity through itsconstruction business activities.

5. R&DKajima will accumulate informationand technical expertise regardingecosystems and proactively pursuerelated research and technology devel-opment.

6. Social ContributionsKajima will support citizens’ initiativesand employee volunteer activities toenhance biodiversity and actively coop-erate with related organizations andassociations.

Achievements of biodiversityconservation activities

1) Analysis evaluation of the Ecologi-cal network in urban areas Kajima conducts analysis evaluations ofecological networks in urban areas inorder to create urban environmentsbalanced with nature. This technologyuses high resolution satellite data, adigital surface model (DSM) and geog-raphy information system to recognizefeatures that are normally difficult tobe fully assessed, such as the numberof trees in residential areas and alongroadsides. We proposed evaluation offuture scenarios such as decrease ofgreen space with the purpose of study-ing effective green space planning byusing the habitat evaluation method ofJapanese Pygmy Woodpecker, aspecies indicator of the ecological net-work.

2) Habitat evaluation and forecasting technologies for wetlands

Kajima and Taisei Corporation havejointly developed technologies for therestoration of wetlands since 2000,creating a habitat evaluation model forclams, crabs, eelgrass and other repre-sentative wetland organisms.Environmental factors such as terrain,water quality, sediment and waves areentered into the model, allowing theevaluation and forecasting as a numeri-cal value of the population of the livingorganisms in that environment.

3) Cooperation with the local naturalscience program offered by the NaturalHistory Museum and Institute, Chiba

Kajima has developed a Wildlife SoundsRecognition System that uses a voicerecognition engine to automaticallydistinguish the calls of birds and otheranimals, part of the expansion of itsenvironmental monitoring and educa-tion businesses.

Since 2004, we have provided handheldterminals(called Kikimimi Zukin )incorporating this sound recognitionsystem in an education program con-

ducted by the Natural History Museumand Institute - Chiba with the supportof the Japan Science and TechnologyAgency that encourages children to usetheir sense of hearing to explore thelocal natural environment. Childrenobserve birds by listening to their calls,recording the identification and placeof discovery on maps, fueling theircuriosity about the natural worldaround them.

4) Ecosystem Information Management System

It is important to understand the scien-tific data and best practices for biodi-versity conservation. To fully under-stand the current situation, Kajimacarried out surveys of all its civil engi-neering project sites among local com-munities and customers regarding theirexpectations and needs in the area ofecosystem conservation. The surveysalso covered how each project site wasresponding to these ecosystem conser-vation needs. On the basis of theresults of these surveys, we are includ-

ing key matters relating to ecosystemconservation in each project site’senvironmental management plan. As aresult, we created an ecosystem infor-mation management system in 2006which is a database of laws, regula-tions, technologies, case studies andliterature relating to ecosystem con-servation and biodiversity. All employ-ees can access this system on theInternet.

5) Hualalai resort project

In 2005, the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) conferred toHualalai Resort in Hawaii developed byKajima its annual award for environ-mental responsibility. The awardspecifically cited the Punawai Pondwithin the resort. The award citationcommented on the pond’s beauty andenergy efficiency and highly evaluatedsome features, like the resort’s restau-rants serving fish, shrimps and oystersbred in the pond. The Punawai Ponduses floating islands of plants as wellas microorganisms and pebbles as a

54

Scenario B: Conserve parks and street trees

Scenario A: Conserve all trees

Scenario C: No conservation plan

Analysis of the ecological network on Suginami City inTokyo

natural water filter to remove pollu-tants and excess nutrients. As a result,the electricity needed to maintain thepond’s water quality is only 1/25th ofthe amount that would be normallyrequired. In recent years, many ofHawaii’s canals have faced a worseningsituation with pollution. It is hopedthat the ecologically based water fil-tering technology used at HualalaiResort will be applied to solving thisenvironmental problem.

ConclusionIn its activities the construction com-pany Kajima intends to provide a “trulycomfortable environment for people.”It supports the goals of Japan’s nation-al biodiversity strategy, biodiversityand ecosystem conservation and placeshigh priority on the social mission ofconservation of ecosystems. Kajimaconsiders biodiversity from both thepoint of view of business risk andopportunities, in order to sophisticateits efforts towards biodiversity. We tryto improve our business and service to

contribute to biodiversity and ecosys-tem conservation because we have acritical role to play in conserving biodi-versity. Biodiversity and ecosystemconservation is becoming one of themost important issues of Kajima aslong-term sustainability in companymanagement.

ReferencesKumagai and Yamada (2008) : “Green

space relations with residential valuesin downtown Tokyo- Implications forurban biodiversity conservation-” LocalEnvironment, Vol 14, 21 Apl 2008 issueschedule .Taylor & Francis. Yamada and Shimada (2007):”A studyon the evaluation method of ecologicalnetwork in urban area by RS and GIS”journal of the City Planning Institute ofJapan, No.42-3.

55

Receives an Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

A revetment was included as a habitat for crabs as part of a canal construction project

Children enjoy bird watching by using Kikimimi Zukin

Protect the habitat ofeelgrass

Nippon Keidanren Committee onNature ConservationIn the last decade, the Japanese pri-vate sector has been working very hardon environmental issues especially onwaste management and climatechange. Recently, companies have alsostarted paying more attention on biodi-versity. This was mainly led by theJapanese government’s decision tohost CBD COP10 in Nagoya 2010, aswell as the decision adopted in CBDCOP8 on private sector engagement.This was also influenced by the forth-coming biodiversity guidelines for pri-vate sector stipulated in the Third

National Biodiversity Strategy ofJapan(see page60).

It was early 1990s when the Japanesebusiness sector as a whole started tocommit to the conservation of biodi-versity. Nippon Keidanren, theJapanese largest business federation -comprised 1,343 companies, 130 indus-trial associations and 47 regional eco-nomic organizations - adopted its“Keidanren Global EnvironmentalCharter” in 1991, in which taking careof ecosystems was stipulated as one ofthe basic principles for their all busi-ness operations. Following that, Nippon

Keidanren Committee on NatureConservation and Keidanren NatureConservation Fund (KNCF) were creat-ed in 1992. Since then, some 2.4 billionJapanese Yen were invested into morethan 800 conservation projects carriedout by NGOs around the world. In 2003,Nippon Keidanren took a step forwardby adopting “Keidanren NatureConservation Declaration” with theidea of realizing “an economic societyco-prosper with natural world” throughreconsidering relationship betweennature and business activities.

Apart from these initiatives taken by

Initiatives on Biodiversity by Nippon KeidanrenCommittee on Nature Conservation

and Its Member Companies

56

One of the most popular activities of the Japanese private sector is environmental education related to forestation and forest management

Nippon Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation

business sector as a whole, each com-pany has been taking its own initiativesand approaches for biodiversity. Somecompanies like Richo Company, Ltd.and Mitsubishi Corporation are activelyworking on conserving and regenerat-ing rainforest and coral reefs outside ofJapan whereas there are also manyvarious activities underway in Japanreflecting each company’s own tech-nology, resources and policies. But oneof the most popular activities by theJapanese private sector is environmen-tal education activities related toforestation and forest management.

Company’s action on biodiversityAsahi Breweries Ltd. identified forestmanagement to maintain quality ofwater as one of the most importantbiodiversity agenda for their business.In this respect, they have created aspecial option for their shareholders tomake donations to their environmentalfund called “Planet Water” so thatenvironmentally-conscious sharehold-ers can assist forest conservation activ-ities using their benefit as shareholdersinstead of just receiving conventionalshareholders’ special benefit. AsahiBreweries is also carrying out forest

management activities in collaborationwith local NPOs and municipalities tomaintain their own nine forest landslocated in water source areas through-out Japan. Mr. Kouichi Ikeda, chairmanof the Board and CEO of AsahiBreweries, pointed out that “it isimportant to implement conservationactivities in which our main businessactivities are closely related.”

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. maintains 73 forestlands with 44,000 ha throughout Japan. Theseforest lands were originally obtainedabout 100 years ago for the timber pro-duction business. But the timber pro-duction business is in a very difficultsituation since several decades ago owingto a plenty of cheap imported timbers. Re-gardless of this difficult situation as a busi-ness, Mitsui & Co. reaffirmed to ownand maintain these forests in 2006.Mitsui & Co. estimates these forestscapture 180,000 tons of CO2 annuallyand create 120 billion JPY in terms of itsenvironmental and other non-marketbenefits. Mitsui & Co. also use theseforests as a place for environmentaleducation for their employees and ele-mentary school children.

Toshiba Corporation and its group com-panies started a 1.5 million tree plan-tation program since 2006 in order tocontribute to climate change mitiga-tion and biodiversity conservation. Thegoal of this program is to plant 1.5 mil-lion of trees throughout the world incollaboration with various NGOs tocommemorate Toshiba’s 150-yearsanniversary. In addition, many otherJapanese blue-chip companies, such asOji Paper, Kyushu Electric, Tokyo Gas,Toyota Motors, Nippon Life InsuranceCompany,Fuji Xerox,Hokkaido Electric,Matsushita Electric and MitsubishiElectric are implementing various kindsof environmental education programswith forestation or forest managementactivities through participation of theirvolunteer employees.

Another area of activities recently at-tracting many Japanese private companies

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Environmental education activity in rice field is becoming popular in Japan

Animal pathway jointly developed by private companyand NPO

Eco-tour in Cambodia participated by KNCF members

is participatory environmental educa-tion through volunteer activities in rice fields.Sekisui Chemical Co, Ltd., in collaborationwith an NPO called Tanbo - a Japanese wordof rice field - is actively implementing par-ticipatory environmental educationprogram through rice planting in paddy fieldand restoring abandoned rice terraces. NECCorporation is also implementing a par-ticipatory environmental educationprogram for their employees in collabo-ration with an NGO (see page 48). Asthis kind of environmental educationactivities related to rice fields isspreading, the first international sym-posium on environmental educationand rice fields was organized last year byNippon Keidanren Committee on Na-ture Conservation and NPOs with the

support from many other relevant or-ganizations, including the World Bank. Theobjective of the symposium was tosend a message from Asia, includingJapan, that rice field with its natural, cul-tural, social and economic functions is animportant element for biodiversity con-servation in this region and an idealplace for environmental education ac-tivities as a symbol of sustainable society.

Using own technology and prod-ucts for conservationIn the meantime, some other compa-nies started to implement conservation ac-tivities using their own technologiesand products. Typical examples can be seenin the construction industry since their busi-ness activities cannot be separated

from nature and natural conditions.Taisei Corporation and Shimizu Corpo-ration, two Japanese construction gi-ants, established a study group togetherwith an NPO called KEEP foundation in 2003to create animal pathways for smalltree animals like Japanese dormouse(Glirulus japonicus) so that they cansafely cross roads in the forests. They havebeen working together to develop aprototype product and to implement,monitor and evaluate it. Another con-struction giant, Kajima Corporation, is al-so actively working on biodiversity bydeveloping corporate guidelines onecosystem conservation. (see page 52)Electric appliance manufacturers arealso supporting conservation activitiesthrough their products and technolo-

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Since its creation in 1992, KNCF invested some 2.4 billion JPY into more than 800 conservation projects

gies. Canon Inc., for example, is sup-porting conservation activities of Tokyometropolitan government by providingdigital cameras and binoculars. NECCorporation together with Wild BirdSociety of Japan carried out a study onthe migration of Steller's Sea Eagle(Haliaeetus pelagicus) using NEC’ssmall transmitter technology and com-puter simulation technology. Panasonic(Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd.) also provides imaging productsand technical assistance to high schoolchildren for nature watching andrecording activities.

What could nature teach us?Japan is one of the most advancedmanufacturing countries in the world.

While many companies are supportingand implementing various kinds of con-servation programs, we have anotherkind of approach to biodiversity whichis designing products and technologiesby learning from nature. Some peoplecall this approach Biomimicry. It stud-ies nature’s best ideas and then imi-tates these designs and processes tosolve human problems. In Japan, Dr.Hideki Ishida, a professor of TohokuUniversity, called this approach NatureTechnology and some companies havestarted to study and develop new prod-ucts according to this principle.

INAX Corporation, a sanitary ware man-ufacturer, was struck by the fact thatno snail in the world lives in a dirtyshell. They studied snail shell structurein detail, as well as its mechanisms toprevent dirt and then imitated thismechanism to develop new tile andsanitary ware products which are moreresistant to dirt and easy to clean withwater. The surface of snail shell is notsmooth if analyzed by microscope.There are many fine ditches on its sur-face. INAX discovered this structure onthe snail shell surface and found outthat this is key to prevent dirt on itsshell.

Sekisui Chemical succeeded in develop-ing a new engineered timber productby using natural tannin to bind woodchips. With this successful new tech-nology, Sekisui Chemical has created anew grant program to assist academicresearch projects which exploit wisdomgained through nature. These are someof the examples which indicate thatJapanese companies have started toexplore new manufacturing horizons byusing nature technology thus contribut-ing to create a sustainable society.

Towards a sustainable societyVarious activities have already startedand are underway in Japan towardsCBD COP10 which will be held in 2010.Initiatives on biodiversity by theJapanese business sector are likely tobe further accelerated and diversifiedin the near future. At the same time,we can say there is no unique answeror solution regarding the private sectorengagement for biodiversity. Variousapproaches are being used by compa-nies depending on their own technolo-gies, business activities and environ-ment. The positive side of this trend isthat this diversity of activities carriedout by the private sector - which has ahuge social and economic impact ontoday’s world - could spread beyondtheir boundaries through employees,customers, local communities and theirbusiness partners resulting in increasedsupport for biodiversity not only inJapan but also in the rest of the world.

ReferencesKeidanren Nature Conservation Fund andNippon Keidanren Committee on NatureConservation, Beyond the Border, (2007)(inJapanese).

Nippon Keidanren Committee on NatureConservation, KNCF News No.42, (2007)(inJapanese).

Nippon Keidanren Committee on NatureConservation, KNCF News No.43, (2007)(inJapanese).

Nippon Keidanren, Keizai Trend, (March2008)(in Japanese).

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KNCF members visiting a project site in Borneo

Tropical rainforest conservation project in Borneo sup-ported by KNCF

Developments at national andinternational level after theapproval of the 2nd NationalBiodiversity StrategyIn April 2002, after the 2nd NationalBiodiversity Strategy of Japan wasestablished in March of that year, the“2010 Biodiversity Target” which“commits Parties to achieve a signifi-cant reduction of the current rate ofbiodiversity loss by 2010” was present-ed at the 6th meeting of theConference of the Parties (COP6) tothe Convention on Biological Diversity.Biodiversity assessment includingMillennium Ecosystem Assessment(MA), the first comprehensive assess-ment of global ecosystem announcedby the United Nations in 2005 andGlobal Biodiversity Outlook 2 (GBO2)announced by the secretariat ofConvention on Biological Diversityrevealed that the 2010 target was diffi-cult to attain.

With respect to global warming, theKyoto Protocol came into force (2005)and actions are already under way athome and abroad with scientific knowl-edge as to the global warming accumu-lated. The Fourth Assessment Report ofIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) (2007) revealed thatbiodiversity has been affected by glob-al warming and will be more signifi-

cantly affected by warming in thefuture.

After the 2nd National BiodiversityStrategy of Japan was adopted, variousefforts were undertaken within thecountry. These are institutional actionsconcerning biodiversity such as theenactment of the Law for thePromotion of Nature Restoration(2002), the Law Concerning theConservation and Sustainable Use ofBiological Diversity through Regulationson the Use of Living ModifiedOrganisms (Cartagena Law, 2003), theLandscape Law (2004), the InvasiveAlien Species Act (2004) and theNational Spatial Planning Act (drasticrevision of the Comprehensive NationalLand Development Act, 2005) and revi-sion of the Natural Parks Law (2002),Wildlife Protection and AppropriateHunting Law (2002, 2006) and the Lawfor Protection of Cultural Properties(2004).

Every year since the adoption of the2nd National Biodiversity Strategy, theInter-Ministerial Committee on theNational Biodiversity Strategy of Japanhas checked the implementation ofgovernment measures to announce theresults, that is the status of the imple-mentation of the measures of the min-istries concerned, as well as of the

actions taken by local governments,corporations and private entities as toconservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity. In the comments on aseries of check results, the CentralEnvironmental Council highly evaluatedthe progress of the measures at thevarious levels, but often suggested fur-ther promotion of biodiversity educa-tion and popularization activities, aswell as encouragement of efforts atregional level.

In January 2007, Nagoya City’s (AichiPrefecture) bid to host the 10th meet-ing of Conference of the Parties of theConvention on Biological Diversity(2010) was approved at a Cabinetmeeting. Now that the main agenda ofthe G8 Environment Ministers’ Meetingheld in Germany in March of this yearincluded biodiversity, as well as cli-mate change, and the declaration byleaders at the G8 Summit containedthe critical importance of biodiversity,as well as the intensification of effortsto achieve the 2010 target, biodiversitydraws the highest degree of attentionever from all over the world.

Current status of biodiversity inJapanThe number of known species in Japanis estimated to be over 90,000 and itexceeds 300,000 when unclassified

Formulation of the Third National BiodiversityStrategy of Japan

60

The Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan was decided by the cabinet in November 2007. The National Bio-diversity Strategy is the plan that puts together the principles and government’s measures and policies concerning con-servation and sustainable use of biodiversity in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).Japan became a party to the CBD in 1993 and formulated the first National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan in 1995.The 2nd National Biodiversity, the full-fledged revision of the first strategy, was formulated in 2002. The ThirdNational Biodiversity Strategy, the current revision, aims at “Building a Sustainable Society Coexisting with FlourishingBiodiversity” where rich biodiversity is nurtured through harmonious coexistence of man and nature and bysecured better balance between man and nature.

Global Biodiversity Strategy OfficeMinistry of the Environment of Japan

species are included. Japan with asmall land area has rich biota and alsofeatures a high rate of endemicspecies.Furthermore Japan – with 67% of thetotal land area being covered byforests – is rich in natural environmentwhere wild monkeys (only among

developed countries) and many othermedium and large wildlives such asbears and deer live.However, morethan 30% of reptiles, amphibians andbrackish/freshwater fishes, more than20% of mammals and vascular plantsand more than 10% of birds living inJapan are threatened species.

Although rapid development during thepostwar economic growth has nowslowed down, the area of agriculturaland forestry lands converted to urbanuse and the area of reclaimed lands inthe coastal areas have increased at asteady rate, continuing to affect biodi-versity. The population of our country

61

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that decreased in 2002 currentlyremains at the same level, but it isprojected to significantly decrease inthe future. A change in the relationbetween man and nature – typified byincreased serious conflicts betweenman and wildlife causing damage toagriculture and forestry or causingother troubles – the reduced number ofpeople engaged in agriculture orforestry, accelerated demographicaging and other situations around bio-diversity of our country, are reaching aturning point. With an increased glob-alization of economy, the increase ofcross-border distribution of goods ortransnational movement of people wasfollowed by the invasion of Japan byalien species or other phenomena thataffected the biodiversity of our coun-try. The increase of the world popula-tion and the high economic growth inIndia and China may possibly changethe circumstances surrounding ourcountry that has long been dependingon overseas natural resources.

To cope with such changing situationsat home and abroad, the ThirdNational Biodiversity Strategy of Japanwas formulated through an open waysuch as the Central EnvironmentCouncil and public comments etc.

Third National BiodiversityStrategy of Japan

The outline of the Third NationalBiodiversity Strategy of JapanThe Strategy consists of 2 parts, “Part1: Strategy for Conservation andSustainable Use of Biodiversity” and“Part 2: Action Plan on Conservationand Sustainable Use of Biodiversity”.Part 1 gave a new description of theimportance of biodiversity that sup-ports life and livelihood and biodiversi-ty’s relationship with global warmingthat may significantly affect biodiversi-ty; 5 fundamental frames of referenceincluding performance of a comprehen-sive assessment of biodiversity in ourcountry, grand design as a future visionof the national land from the point of

view of biodiversity, “ScientificRecognition and Preventive andAdaptive Attitude” and so forth; fourbasic strategies including mainstream-ing biodiversity in our daily life; andorientation for the period of the forth-coming 5 years of activities to promoteconservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity in the light of the situationat home and abroad. Part 2 systemati-cally described all our measures andpolicies on biodiversity as practicalaction plans and itemized particularmeasures and policies to show the pathtowards their implementation.

Importance of biodiversity and itsrationalesWhat is biodiversity? Why is it impor-tant? These questions are seeminglynot easily understood, thus biodiversity hasnot been mainstreamed into society.Therefore, Part 1 of the Third National Strat-egy describes firstly that it was noneother than innumerable lives thatformed the environment of the earthand also that lives that have been nurturedover the long history of the earth areirreplaceable, then it explains the“Importance of Biodiversity” with thefollowing four rationales, using theterm “Biodiversity that supports lifeand livelihood” in a comprehensibleway.

1 “basis for existence of all life onearth”

Living organisms on the earth areclosely related to each other thanksto a link: the ecosystem. They livelinked one to the other. Basicrequirements for the existence ofthe entire life at present and in thefuture are prepared through func-tioning including oxygen release andCO2 absorption by plants or forests,climate control or circulation ofatmosphere through transpiration,creation of soil by decomposition ofdead animals and leaves and others.

2 “use value including culture”We, human beings, rely on food, tim-ber, medicines or diverse organisms

for our daily life. Biodiversity allowsus to apply the functions and mor-phology of living things to industry’suse and to indirect or potential uti-lization including breeding of farmproducts in the future. These valueslead to a good life at present and inthe future.

3 “basis for enriching culture”Since ancient times, Japanese havehad an attitude towards nature thatmaintained that all living beings areinterconnected and mutually sup-portive. We have thought highly ofand co-existed with nature to culti-vate enriched sensitivity, as well asbeauty sense which has led to thecreation of diverse culture in Japan.Biodiversity has built up a basis ofsuch spirit. Moreover it provides asource for these cultures as shouldbe called indigenous assets such asfoods, crafts, festivals and so forthfostered by the local natural envi-ronment.

4 “security of livelihood” Proper forest conservation to creatediverse and sound forests andabstention from inappropriate con-version of landscape contribute tothe prevention of sediment dischargeand disruption and to ensuring safedrinking water. From a long-termperspective, this leads to efficientlyensuring life safety over generations.

Biodiversity crisisBiodiversity is important, as describedabove. However, although a widerange of efforts have been madethroughout the nation, biodiversity isstill declining. The current status ofbiodiversity loss in Japan is organizedinto the following three crises: Crisis 1: Decrease/extinction of species

that is directly brought aboutby human activities or devel-opment, or reduction/loss ofhabitats through destruction,fragmentation and deteriora-tion of ecosystems

Crisis 2: Changes in environmental

62

quality in Satochi-Satoyamaareas (rural landscapes formedby sustainable use of naturalresources),decrease in speciesand habitat status change dueto reduced or discontinuedhuman approaches to nature,changes in society and econo-my, like changes in lifestyleand industrial structure anddecrease in population

Crisis 3: Disturbance of ecosystemscaused by artificially-intro-duced factors including alienspecies

In addition to these three crises, theprogress of global warming is seriouslyaffecting global biodiversity, which ispredicted to cause various problems,including extinction of many speciesand disruption of vulnerable ecosys-tems. With this background, the rela-tion between global warming and bio-diversity is described as “the crisisbrought about by global warming” indi-cated as an inevitable and seriousproblem for biodiversity.

Grand design targeting the next 100years and four basic strategiesIn the light of the current situationdescribed above, the targets aiming atthe next 100 years of the grand designin each of the following seven areasare presented from the perspective ofbiodiversity: Natural mountain area;Satochi-Satoyama (Rural area/country-side); Urban area; River/wetland area;Coastal area; Oceanic area; Islandarea. These images are elaborated onthe basis of the understanding that therestoration of natural ecosystemsrequires long time and efforts devel-oped in a long term perspective areneeded for the realization of a“Society in Harmony with Nature”.

Then the main direction of the nationalpolicies on which to focus on in theforthcoming five years or so towardsconservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity is described with the fol-lowing four basic strategies: 1. Mainstreaming Biodiversity in our

daily life2. Rebuilding a sound relationship

between man and nature3. Securing linkage among forests,

countryside and sea4. Taking action with a global perspec-

tive

“Mainstreaming Biodiversity in ourdaily life” includes:- Developing guidance for local govern-

ments to develop local strategieswith a view to lead the national strat-egy to local actions and guidelines forprivate companies to promote conser-vation and sustainable use of biodi-versity in their business activities,

- Citizen participatory monitoring withlocal experts and NGOs taking thelead,

- Creation of places for hands-on expe-riences through children’s interactionwith indigenous nature of the regionafter school and for primary fivesenses experiences, and

- Proposals for a change in lifestyleincluding purchase of biodiversity-friendly food and timbers.

“Rebuilding a sound relationshipbetween man and nature” includes:Selecting important Satochi-Satoyamaareas which should be bequeathed tothe future,- Developing a system where Satochi-

Satoyama areas are maintained ascommon resources by a wide range ofactors including urban residents andcorporations,

- Developing communities coexistencewith wildlife through separating habi-tat and capacity building,

- Promoting primary industry whichcontributes to conservation of biodi-versity,

- Managing habitats for rare wild faunaand flora including storks and ibis,and

- Further promoting preventive mea-sures against alien species includingthose unintentionally introduced asadhering to other living organisms ormaterials, or introduced by domesticmigration.

“Securing linkage among forests, coun-tryside, rivers and sea” includes:- Developing conditions towards the

formulation of ecological networkplans at various levels and mapping ofecological networks at country level,

- Conducting a comprehensive reviewof National and Quasi-National Parks,the core of the ecological network atcountry level and actively conductingassessments on laurel forests,Satochi-Satoyama areas and seaareas,

- Reviewing nature restoration from awide-area perspective and system ofsupporting nature restoration activi-ties taken in privately-owned lands,

- Creating diversified forests and net-working of water and green in urbanareas as well as networking of waterareas including rivers, wetland areasand paddy fields,

- Collecting more data on marine biodi-versity and increasing designation ofprotected areas in neritic areas, and

Reviewing self-imposed resource man-agement consistent with various usesincluding fisheries and MarineProtected Areas to promote conserva-tion of biodiversity.

“Taking action with a global perspec-tive” includes:- Proposing the “SATOYAMA Initiative”

to the world as a model for harmo-nious coexistence with nature,

- Technical support to the Asia Pacificcountries based on the country-widecomprehensive ecosystem assessmentof Japan,

- Developing a comprehensive ecosys-tem monitoring system includingeffects of global warming, and

- Promoting mitigation measuresagainst global warming from theviewpoint of biodiversity and review-ing adaptation measures such as eco-logical networks highly adaptive toglobal warming.

Concrete measuresPart 2 describes, systematically andexhaustively, specific measures and

63

polices aimed at ensuring conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity in theform of government action plans forthe next five years. Since the measures andpolices cover a wide range of areas,they are categorized and compiled for thefollowing two areas; Measures and Policies

for National Land Area and Cross-Sec-toral and Fundamental Measures andpolicies.

Chapter 1 “Measures and Policies forNational Land Area” consists of twobodies. The first body specifies nation-

wide and other wide-area measuresunder the title of Measures and PoliciesBased on Wide-Area Coordination,which is divided into four sections:Ecological networks; Conservation ofPriority Areas; Nature Restoration;Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The

64

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second body describes measures in linewith the characteristics of individualregions under the title of Measures andPolicies for Local Areas, which is divid-ed into five sections: Forests;Countryside and Satochi-SatoyamaAreas; Urban Areas; Rivers andWetland Areas; Coastal Areas andOceanic Areas. Chapter 2 “Cross-Sectoral and Fundamental Measuresand Policies” has seven sections:Conservation and Management ofWildlife; Sustainable Use of GeneticResources; Communication andI m p l e m e n t a t i o n ; I n t e r n a t i o n a lApproach; Information Managementand Technology Development; Effortsagainst Global Warming; EnvironmentalImpact Assessment. In total, Part 2 has16 sections.

Specific measures and policies areitemized with clear indications of thecontents of the measures and policiesto be implemented and the ministriesand agencies in charge of implementa-tion. Numerical targets are also set ifpossible so as to make descriptionsmore concrete.

Part 2 shows about 660 specific mea-sures and policies in total, for 34 ofwhich numerical targets are included.The below are examples of those tar-gets: - Add ten more inscribed wetlands

under the Ramsar Convention to thecurrent 33 sites (Ministry of theEnvironment)

- Increase to 170 Specified WildlifeManagement plans based on Wildlife

Protection and Appropriate HuntingLaw from 90 plans as of November2007 (Ministry of the Environment)

- Increase the number of certified“ecofarmers” to 200,000 by the endof 2009 from 110,000 as of September2006 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries)

- Increase the awareness rate of theterm “biodiversity” to 50% and morefrom 30% as of 2004 (Ministry of theEnvironment)

- Promote hands-on activities for ele-mentary school children to stay inrural villages for about a week anddevelop conditions of acceptance,aiming at participation of 23,000schools (1.2 million students pergrade) in five years (Ministry ofInternal Affairs and Communication,Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology andMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries)

The Third National BiodiversityStrategy of Japan has the followingfeatures:1. It was set up as an action plan that

included as many targets and indica-tors of individual efforts as possibleso as to represent a clear pathtowards the implementation of theStrategy

2. It lists the tasks of individual min-istries as clearly as possible, theStrategy arranged them in groupsunder the categories such as coastalarea, oceanic area according to therespective roles of ministries

3. It describes biodiversity in relation

to human life to help the public eas-ily understand the concept

4. It provides the image of a long-termtarget for ecological management ofnational land under the so called“Centennial Plan”, in particularreferring to its relation to globalbiodiversity

5. It suggests that local governments,private enterprises, NGOs and thepeople should be encouraged to par-ticipate in the activities

Towards the futureAwareness of biodiversity is increasinginternationally as biodiversity includeseffects of global warming and our lifelargely depends on natural resources.Japan needs to further increase effortsbased on the Third NationalBiodiversity Strategy.

Although the National Strategy is aplan of the government, active efforts bya wide rage of actors are essential torealize conservation and sustainableuse of biodiversity. We, the govern-ment, are determined to enhance thecooperation between ministries con-cerned and implement steadily themeasures and policies responding tothe Third National Biodiversity Strate-gy, while increasing various parties’(including citizens and private compa-nies) awareness of “biodiversity” topromote proactive actions.

Japan is also offering to hostCBD/COP10 in 2010 and will continueto contribute to global conservationand sustainable use of biodiversity.

65

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Background of the strategyChiba, one of 47 Japanese prefectures,consists of 5,157Km2 of land, formingthe Boso Peninsula that sticks out fromthe middle of Honshu Island into thePacific Ocean. Surrounded by the seaon three sides, and possessing mild cli-mate and fertile soil, this land has longsupported rich biodiversity. For exam-ple, its some 2,700 species of vascularflora rival that of the whole ofGermany.

Being located at an Eastern fringe ofthe Asian continent that is washed byboth warm and cold ocean currents,this area received biota of various ori-gins from tropical to boreal. The north-ernmost spawning river for chumsalmon on the western Pacific coast isin Chiba.

Such rich biodiversity has supportedlocal human life for a very long time.As a matter of fact, Chiba has the high-est density of Neolithic shell mounds inthe world. Rice cultivation that datesfrom around the first century has grad-ually shaped a sustainable farmlandlandscape that has come to be reof-fered to in the form of satoyama.Similarly, wisely and sustainably usedseashore and lakes are known as sato-umi and satonuma respectively.

Industrialization and urbanization,however, caused considerable deterio-ration of the biodiversity and land-scapes of Chiba in the last century. Adecreasing population in the primaryindustry resulted in the abandonment

and consequent devastation of sato-yama, satonuma and satoumi.Accordingly, the traditional culture –rooted in the natural environment – alsostarted disappearing. In addition tothese, global warming presents anotherunignorable threat to biodiversity.

Considering that every single organism on earth is a consequence of4,000,000,000 years of evolution oflife, the current biodiversity crisis can-not be overlooked. With a populationof more than six millions, roughlyequivalent to that of Israel, ChibaPrefecture cannot ignore its responsi-bility towards biodiversity conserva-tion. To address this issue, The FirstPrefectural Biodiversity Strategy of

Chiba was drawn up, followed by twoyear of thorough discussions amongexperts and people of diverse lifestylesand livelihoods.

Overview of the strategyThe strategy employs three majorviewpoints or approaches which consist of:- A comprehensive approach to address

both climate change and biodiversity;- Taking into account people’s various

lifestyles and livelihoods; and- Integrating biodiversity into every

policy development and implementa-tion.

The strategy is also characterized byits participatory development process.The strategy was elaborated by citi-

The First Prefectural Biodiversity Strategy ofChiba

66

Chiba is located in the middle of Honshu Island and forms a peninsula with mild climate and fertile soil

The first prefecture government biodiversity strategy in Japan was adopted at 26th of March 2008 in Chiba Prefecture,with the overarching philosophy of “Handing down the riches of biodiversity to our children” in order to conserve biodi-versity through close cooperation and collaboration with citizens, NPOs, experts, as well as government.

Environmental and Community Affairs Department ,Nature Conservation DivisionChiba Prefectural Government

zens during dozens of meetings withmore than 2,800 participants from itsvery beginning. This participatory plan-ning process of the strategy was namedChiba method.

The strategy’s overarching philosophyis “Handing down the riches of biodi-versity to our children” and with threespecific goals namely:- A society which embraces the diversi-

ty and interconnectedness of life;- A sustainable society that recycles

biological resources; and- A society where humans and nature

live together in harmony.

The strategy also specifies policy direc-tions to be implemented by the prefec-tural government:- Conservation and restoration of biodiversity

through the promotion of counter-measures against global warming,conservation and restoration of vari-ous type of ecosystems, management ofwildlife, and control of alien speciesand genetically modified organisms;

- Sustainable use through promotingsustainable use of biologicalresources by primary industries,improvement of regulation and stabi-lization functions of ecosystems, pre-serving culture and health of mindand body cultivated by biodiversity,and development and use of bio-indi-cators;

- Research and education through promotionof research and monitoring activitiesconcerning biodiversity and popular-ization of biodiversity education; and

- Institutional development throughestablishing Chiba BiodiversityCenter, collaboration with variousstakeholders, and enactment of regu-lations.

Chiba prefecture government will tryto implement this strategy in collabo-ration and cooperation with variousstakeholders including national govern-ment, municipalities, private sectors,schools and other educational institu-tions, experts, citizens and NPOs in theregion.

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Chiba is surrounded by the sea on three sides and its coastal environment is very rich in biodiversity

Satoyama in summer in Chiba

Satoyama in autumn in Chiba

PhilosophyFew people seem to know Tokyo hasforests or the fact that about one thirdof its land area consists of forests. Inparticular, the Nishitama region haslong engaged in vigorous forestry oper-ations. Traditional Japanese housesused to be built by local artisans usinglocal wood. The use of locally pro-duced timbers would help renew localmountain forests and protect the urban

environment downstream as a result.However, this cycle has ceased func-tioning due to the rise of cheap export-ed timbers and new construction meth-ods. With forestry going into a steadydecline, the mountain forests of thiscountry have been ruined, and those inthe Nishitama region in particular areabout to disappear.

It all started when Tokyo was struck byheavy snow and the mountains sufferedsevere snow damage about 20 yearsago. Teams of weekend volunteersstarted working on the mountains andthrough these activities they developedcollaborative relationships with forestproducers and gradually became com-pletely attracted by the mountains.Among these volunteers, thoseinvolved in the building industry set upthe Association of Creative TokyoHouse for the Future ("ACTHF") in April1996. The objective was to build hous-

es with timbers produced in Nishitama,Tokyo, to help regenerate forests andmountain forests and conserve theurban environment. The ACTHF is notmerely driven by the desire to increasethe demand for wood – it also seeksways to make home building moretransparent by promoting vigorouscooperation between forest producers,timber merchants, architects, buildersand home owners. It was incorporatedas a cooperative in September 2001.

The ACTHF set forth the followingcooperative philosophy:1. We aim to promote the building of

environmentally-friendly housesusing living wood and the skills ofartisans that give life to the materi-al;

2. We aim to promote the mutualunderstanding between those livingat the foot of mountains and urbanresidents downstream to build hous-

Home Building with Artisans: Helping Rebuild Forests

68

Kiyotaka Suzuki Director, Head Office of the Association of Creative Tokyo House for the Future

Members joining in the cutting down of a Japanese cedar Building a house with Tokyo timbers - the framework completed

Planting a ceremonial tree in a mountain in Tokyo

es with a renewable material – wood– to help bring the blessings ofnature to the urban environment,regenerate mountain forests andthus conserve the natural environ-ment in Tokyo; and

3. We aim to promote coordinatedhome building efforts through directcommunications between forest pro-ducers, timber merchants, builders,architects and home owners.

This philosophy has not changed sinceestablishment in 1996, and will remaineffective in the future.

Sharing the philosophyThe ACTHF links the mountains withcities, consisting of members fromupstream (forestry producers and tim-ber merchants) and those from down-stream (builders, architects and homeowners). Its Head Office receives vari-ous inquiries, from those keen on

building their houses with naturalmaterials to those who need healthierhouses for their atopic children. Wealways ask home owners what theywant from their house to give them achance to stop to think about whatthey really want from their house.Once the design process has started,they may be too involved in details tokeep the whole picture. We know forexperience that taking time to letthem do this before starting the designprocess makes the whole process muchsmoother.

People in the building industry andhome owners might have certainknowledge about wood as a buildingmaterial, but may not be very familiarwith how trees are grown and becometimbers. We invite them to visit themountains to see how Japanese cedarsugi and cypress hinoki are grown andtaken care of before becoming tim-

bers. Looking at the bark and shapes ofbranches, observing how trees aremaintained, harvested and sawed,experiencing thinning and planting – allthese activities help them understandthe simple and precious fact that treesare grown for decades with the help ofhumans before they are turned intotimbers. Through these experiences,people gradually come to understandthat wood has a life of its own as a

69

Wooden frames under the roof

A house built with Tokyo timbers

material. We also introduce forest pro-ducers and timber merchants to archi-tects and home owners to ensure theyare motivated by the positive feed-backs from home owners - a hugechange from the conventional modernpractice.

Home building system and saleschannelWe have built about 100 houses sincethe establishment. On average, it takesabout 6 months from the beginning tothe completion of work. We ask homeowners to spare enough time for us toprepare wood before starting the work.We invite them to the mountains andto the timber merchant to deepentheir understanding and in the spring,after the completion of their houses,we invite them to the mountains againto plant commemorative trees bythemselves.

We have not made any particular PRefforts. People come to us becausethey learn about our activities from themedia, such as magazines, books andthe Internet. While we are aware thatwe may need to make ourselves knowna little more, we also believe peoplewho really need us can somehow reachus – we will continue to be this way.

Public educationWe adopt a membership systemthrough which members are invited to

join on-going site tours, visit newlycompleted houses, have hands-onmountain work experiences and partic-ipate in various other events.Interested non-members are also invit-ed to these events which may be avail-able at the time of inquiry. We alsoissue a bimonthly newsletter “Fudoki”and provide bimonthly lecture sessionscalled “Home and Forests.” All theseevents and publications are aimed atpromoting communication betweenmembers and further developing theirunderstanding towards mountainforests and home building. The ownersof newly completed houses activelyparticipate and collaborate in theseactivities – they are a precious asset ofthe ACTHF and represent the successof our activities, as they always think,give advice and take actions regardinghow sustainable and recyclable moun-tain work and home building should be.

Ongoing initiativesOne of the initiatives we have taken isa joint research on LCA (life cycleassessment) for wooden houses. Wehave been engaged it for the past 5years as part of an industry-govern-ment-academia collaboration withTokyo Norinsuisan Shinkozaidan (TokyoAgriculture, Forestry and FisheryPromotion Foundation) and TokyoUniversity of Agriculture andTechnology. In this research, we focuson environmental loads induced during

the whole home building process (i.e.from production to disposal).

As a project to revive Tokyo forests,we have launched the “TAMAKI” brand,which represents a novel concept ofcreating a sustainable recycling soci-ety. The brand color is hunter green,and the word “TAMAKI” means a ring,circulation or cycle in Japanese, whichrhymes with “Tama no ki” meaning“trees in the Tama region”. Variousproducts made of wood and othermaterials produced from forests inTokyo will be designated under thisbrand. Purchasing the products of thisbrand is expected to help protectforests, as well as our lives, supportthe forests and ultimately contributeto the prevention of global warming.

Fundamental issuesWhen the ACTHF was founded about 10years ago, the building industryexpected wood to be one of thosehomogeneous and dimensionally pre-cise member materials that should bedelivered straightaway at cheap prices.The real challenge for the ACTHF didnot lie only in winning customers but inchoosing either to accept this industri-al attitude as it was and get on with itor to seek ways to change the attitude,however hard it would be. We chosethe latter path. It seems that manyother wood promotion initiatives havetaken the former, and as a result, the

70

Interior view of a house made with Tokyo timbers Japanese style tatami room

71

sales of wood products have increased.On the other hand, what happened toour forests and local economy, buildersand artisans? The ACTHF has beenstruggling to a certain extent, butnever changed the original course ofaction. Aiming to supply wood in a sus-

tainable way, we are still in theprocess of establishing a system thatwill allow deeper understanding byhome owners, effective utilization bycarpenters, efficient processing by tim-ber merchants and sustainable produc-tion by forest producers. Fortunately,

we are winning customers, even thoughnot many. We will stay committed tothe promotion of wood utilization withnew perspectives and home building byartisans.

A Home Owner Talks about Being Part of the ACTHF

I heard about the Association of Creative Tokyo House for the Future (ACTHF) from my sister, who learnt about theiractivities while listening to the radio. At that time, I was planning to have my 60-year-old house rebuilt with domes-tic wood and wondering how I could go about it. As a matter of fact, I did not know that forestry existed in Tokyo. Iof course knew we had forestry in Japan, but did not care that much about it to be honest – I had this vague imageof mountains naturally growing forests on their own or something.

Having become a member of the ACTHF, I started visiting mountains and participating in various programs. I gradual-ly came to know that mountains and forests needed our care and realized their conditions were closely linked withcities downstream. After I decided to commission the rebuilding of our house to the ACTHF, I was very excited abouthaving a new house and, at the same time, felt that I was assuming some sort of a social role in my small way. I grewinterested in mountains and forests.

They say “wooden houses are forests in town.” I found it true after seeing for myself the process of using woodeverywhere in the house, from structural frames to the interior finish. I was also amazed to see how alive wood real-ly was even after incorporated it into the building – the cracking sound of pillars and beams during dry winter andthe disappearance of gaps between floor boards in the rainy season at the beginning of summer all made us realizewood was still breathing, shrinking and expanding. The house consists of wood that is alive – it is indeed a “forest inthe town.”

It’s been about 18 months now since we moved into the new house. The colors of pillars and floor boards are alreadydifferent from they were at the time of completion. We seem to be accustomed to the scent of wood at home, butour guests always mention how nice it is. I’d like to take care of my house and keep this “forest in the town” healthyfor as many years as possible.

I also appreciate the efforts of the architect and artisans, who revived some of the items used in the old house – likeold balustrades and shoji screens. The old pine tree in the garden was also reborn as a material for the new house.All these would have not been possible if I had not joined the ACTHF.

I did not imagine my personal experience of having my house rebuilt would help save forests, rivers, cities and thesea, even though in a very small way. I will keep enjoying being part of the ACTHF activities.

The Association of Creative TokyoHouse for the Future Head Office: 9-1-7-102 Kabemachi, Oume City, Tokyo. 198-0036Phone: +81-428-20-1088Fax: +81-428-20-1099www.forest.gr.jp office@forest.gr.jp

31 Professional members(10 forest producers; 1 timber merchant;10 builders and 10 architects)

IntroductionBuildings are the closest constituentsof the environment surrounding us.They are doubtlessly materials but atthe same time parts of our mentalenvironment. Conservation of buildings con-tributes to the conservation of the culturallandscape, thus leading to the conserva-tion of our environment. Based on suchviews, the Kozai Bunka No Kai is takingactions with the following three objectives:1. Promoting the preservation and utilization

of old buildings and used timber aspart of the Japanese architecturalculture;

2. Promoting succession and develop-ment of traditional culture of woodenarchitecture and architectural techniques;and

3. Aiming at a sustainable society that canpreserve natural resources.

We have been working on how to uti-

lize architectural waste materialsincluding old timbers and plasters and howto preserve and utilize old buildings so thatthey do not become waste. Our ulti-mate goal is to achieve a sustainablesociety through these activities.

Wooden architectural culture inJapanJapan has wide forest areas occupyingsome seventy percent of the country.Japanese people have fostered woodenarchitectural culture utilizing rich for-est resources and natural materialsincluding plants for thatching. TheJapanese climate is generally charac-terized by relatively high-temperatureand high-humidity with a large amountof precipitation, so wooden architec-ture based on a framework of linearparts (column, beam, etc.) andinclined roof have been developed.The main parts of the spatial construc-

tion are the roof, columns and beams.Eaves are long and the wooden floor isbuilt with a veranda, resulting in anopen structure that connects the build-ing softly with the outside world. Theability to control humidity of the nat-ural materials used in the woodenarchitecture (timber, plaster, etc.)contributes to improving the housingenvironment characterized by highhumidity in Japan.

Shrines and temples in Japan are verymuch affected by the Chinese architec-ture which was introduced in Japan ini-tially with Buddhist architecture amongothers. In addition to foreign influ-ence, simple and elegant designs, care-fully selected materials for each partand detailed fine techniques have beendeveloped to form an architecturalstyle specific to Japan. Characteristicsof Japanese traditional architectureare the harmony with nature, focusingon horizontal lines rather on verticalones and occasional deviation fromsymmetry.

On the other hand, folk dwellings - res-idence of ordinary people - are influ-enced by various factors includingregional nature, history, society andlifestyle. They show distinct regionalcharacteristics and contribute to therichness of architectural styles andspatial constructions. Folk dwellingswere basically built by local workersusing local materials and techniques,so they show regional characteristicswith planes, structures, exteriors,designs, materials and facilities adjust-ed to the regional climate andlifestyle. Similar tendencies can beobserved in town houses that are theresidences of merchants and crafts-men.

Targeting Sustainable Society by Utilizing Used Timber and Old Buildings

72

Kozai Bunka No Kai (Association for the Preparation of the Bank of Reusing Timber)

Beautiful design of a Kyoto machiya, the traditional tradesman's house style preserved in Kyoto

In Japan’s traditional architecture,people changed the details of theirhouses adjusting them according to the fourseasons to make space rich and com-fortable. In the summer, removabledoors and windows were replaced bythose with good ventilation characteris-tics. The interior space of housesbecame thus open to outside andadjusted to summer. The architectural stylemade life comfortable and life insideimproved the appearance of the architecture.Such good relationship between archi-tecture and residents is the basis ofthe architectural culture of Japan.

Folk dwellings and town houses used to bebuilt on the assumption that they will behanded to the following generations.Everyday life, annual events and ceremoniesin life (wedding, funeral, etc.) arehanded to the following generationsalong with related equipments. Theworkers who built and maintained thebuildings lived in the same region.Generally, families used to live in the samehouses for a long time with occasional exten-sion and repair even after somechanges in their lifestyle. It was alsocommon to rebuild old houses and toreuse timbers for various purposes. Life andsociety were really based on recycling andsuccession.

Not only old shrines like Horyuji templein Nara that was built more than 1500years ago, but also old folk dwellingsand town houses prove that they canbe used for more than one hundredyears if they are built and maintainedproperly.

Current status related to wood-en architecture and changes incultural valuesOriginally, Japanese wooden architec-ture was supposed to require onlyoccasional maintenance. Builders andworkers, who built the house, main-tained it afterwards. The human net-work in the region contributed to thelongevity of housing. There was asocial system that did not allow to dis-pose of buildings easily.

But after World War II, simple housingincreased rapidly in order to solve theproblem of insufficient housing. In theera of rapid economic growth, over-population in urban area and depopula-tion in rural area accelerated andnuclear families and single householdsincreased rapidly. The society changedfrom one that uses things carefully intoone of mass production/mass consump-tion/mass disposal. The lifestyle andset of values changed enormously.

The style of housing changed accordingto the social and economic changesmentioned above. Building companieswho regard housing as a commoditygained power. Housing that was creat-ed by the techniques of workers in theregion changed to a consumer productprovided by the economic systemcalled the “housing industry”. As aresult, the average age of demolished

houses in Japan is thirty, which is lowwhen compared to the USA and UK.

In recent decades, architecture andliving environment in Japan havebecome comfortable. Rational func-tionalities and physical comfortable-ness have been adjusted to improveddesign technologies and mechanicalequipments like air conditioners. Butmental comfortableness and culturalrichness are lacking. The depth andwarmth that houses get after peoplehave lived in them for long and care-fully are lost. Current houses only showtemporary characteristics.

Nowadays, people do not pay attentionto careful maintenance of houses,including daily cleaning. This is one ofthe reasons why buildings need to berebuilt more often. It is necessary forthe whole society to generate people’s

73

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A traditional house style called Gassho-zukuri with steep thatched rafter roof

Figure 1 : Japan: Statistical survey on housing and land (1998-2003)USA: American Housing Survey (2001-2005)UK: Housing and Construction Statistics (1996-2001)

interest in saving housing and theresources constituting them.

Buildings, including houses, are basicelements of the regional landscape andculture and are important also from aneducational point of view. As housing isa big social property, it is important topromote the utilization of existinghigh-quality housing to protectJapanese architectural culture and towork on the social issue of accomplish-ing longevity of buildings. Protectingexisting buildings is not enough. Wemust also improve the longevity ofnewly constructed buildings in order tosustainably use domestic naturalresources, including forests.

Reduction of the environmentalload by rebuilding old folkdwellings and utilizing used timberConserving traditional architecture andhistorical cityscape can also contributeto preventing global warming. As men-tioned before, timber was used inJapan in numerous phases. Buildingswere used with occasional repair andimprovement. Constructional materialswere reused as secondhand materialsand then used to make fittings and fur-niture. Such long-term usage of tim-bers enabled a recycling system thatallows trees to grow up meanwhile. Butbecause many buildings with a short

life were built by using resources fromoverseas, forestry in Japan declinedand many villages in the mountain areathat produced recyclable resource oftimber were destroyed.

Living in a traditional building might beuncomfortable, even dangerous insome cases. Traditional buildings thatbecame inadequate for living can berecycled to a comfortable housing ofgood quality by using the originalframework. Elements of old folkdwellings can be used as constructionalmaterial if removed carefully. Usedtimbers that are damaged and cannotbe used as constructional material canbe reused as raw material for furni-ture.

Reusing timber contributes to thedirect effect on the environment,including reduction of disposal. But italso reduces energy consumption andthe amount of CO2 generated in theprocess of producing new materials.This is an indirect environment conser-vation effect.

Figure 2 shows the results of a surveyconducted by a researcher at our asso-ciation on the reduction effect of thereutilization of timbers in recyclingconstruction. It shows that higherreuse rates result in a bigger reductionof timber consumption, CO2 (biological)

emissions, waste and landfill utiliza-tion. The amount of CO2 (biological)emissions is the amount of CO2 emis-sions mainly generated by the incinera-tion of waste timber. Additionally, wecan reduce the consumption of energyresources (crude oil, natural gas, coal,etc.).

The results of the survey on the costcomparison between rebuilding of folkdwellings and demolition/new con-struction are shown in Figure 3.Rebuilding utilizes more than twentypercent of the used timber of old folkdwellings and thus it is more economi-cal than constructing a new building ofthe same size from the scratch.

Rebuilding old folk dwellings and utiliz-ing used timber contributes to thereduction of environmental loads and isalso rational from an economic point ofview. We hope that our activities ofutilizing architectural waste materialsincluding old timber and plaster con-tribute to the creation of a sustainablesociety. We cannot hand a dirty globalenvironment to future generations. Wecontinue our activities with a strongwill to solve current environmentalissues responsibly. As for the activitiesof our association, please visit ourwebsite:http://www.wood.jp/kbank/index-e.htm.

74

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Figure 2 : Kozai Bank No Kai: Effect of rebuilding folk dwellings on reduction of environ-mental loads and costs

Figure 3 : Kozai Bank No Kai: Effect of rebuilding folk dwellings onreduction of environmental loads and costs

About the Cover

“山川草木悉皆成仏”reads “San-sen-sou-moku-shikkai-joubutsu” and describes a traditional view of nature inJapan. It means "the mountains, rivers, grasses and treesall have Buddha Nature". In other words, Buddha Nature(the enlightened consciousness of the Buddha) is immanentin all nature elements. This view is also deeply influencedby ancient Japanese religion, Shintoism. (see page 32)

Biodiversity is closely related to cultural diversity and it cannot be discussed in a vacuum. One of the ambitions of this publication is to profile these cultural, historical, and even religious aspects of biodiversitywhich, we believe, have hitherto not been sufficiently illustrated or discussed in Japan.

We don't intend to present that the views and actions presented in this publication are the best or the only way, but werather want to put them on the table to stimulate further discussion from a wider audience.

We sincerely hope that this publication will contribute to exploring more creative and innovative approaches to conservingbiodiversity globally.

Naoya Furuta

Member of Editorial CommitteeBiodiversity Network Japan

Afterword

ABOUT BIODIVERSITY NETWORK JAPANBiodiversity Network Japan was established in 1991 by biologists, politicians, attorneys, jour-

nalists and citizens to disseminate and facilitate biodiversity conservation. Its mission is to

conserve biodiversity through scientific research, policy advocacy, training, and dissemination

of scientific knowledge. As a member of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Biodiversity

Network Japan works in close collaboration with experts and institutions around the world.

Some of its achievements include organizing a series of symposia on global warming and inva-

sive species, convening expert meetings, dispatching research missions, coordinating eco-

tours and producing publications.

http://www.bdnj.org

ABOUT COUNTDOWN 2010Countdown 2010 is a powerful network of active partners working together towards the 2010

biodiversity target. Each partner commits additional efforts to tackle the causes of biodiversi-

ty loss. The secretariat - hosted by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) - facilitates and

encourages action, promotes the importance of the 2010 biodiversity target and assesses

progress towards 2010. An Assembly of all partners meets annually to review the overall direc-

tion of Countdown 2010. In its implementation, Countdown 2010 is guided by a core Advisory

Board.

http://www.countdown2010.net

ABOUT KEIDANREN NATURE CONSRVATION FUND (KNCF)The Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF) was established in 1992 and authorized as a

public trust by Japanese Government in April 2000. The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.

was selected as the Trustee of the Fund. After its establishment, a lot of corporations (mainly

Nippon Keidanren member corporations) and the general people have been contributing dona-

tion to the Fund on the approval of substance of KNCF. The KNCF has continuously supported

the nature conservation projects every year with about the total amount of ¥200 million

(JPY). The KNCF raises applicants for the Fund on this Web Page every fiscal year, and Project

Selection Committee has assumed the rigid responsibility of appraising and selecting support-

ed projects among submitted applications.

http://www.keidanren.or.jp/kncf/en/