Under-use problem of iriai commons and scale mismatch

Abstract

This paper examines the issue of underutilization of iriai forests and grasslands from the perspective of commons research. As the term “commons” has become widely known along with the “tragedy of the commons” theory, commons studies have historically focused on problems of resource overuse. However, in recent years, there have been reports of under-use of resources in commons around the world, and Japanese iriai forests and grasslands are no exception. This situation prompts critical questions: Why does resources under-use occur? Moreover, why is underutilization considered problematic? Addressing these questions is essential for contemplating the ideal future of iriai forests and grasslands. While prominent Japanese researchers have already proposed the anti-commons hypothesis to explain factors contributing to Japanese under-use problem, this paper introduces the scale mismatch hypothesis as an alternative viewpoint, aiming to stimulate further discussion.