A Review of Japan’s Environmental Policies for Satoyama and Satoumi Landscape Restoration

Abstract

The present paper reviews the current state and related issues of Japan’s satoyama and satoumi, and provides a summary of how relevant environmental policies have been established and changed throughout the years. An analysis of related case studies nurtures the discussion on how the topic may be dealt with in the future.

In recent years, Japan’s environmental policy-making has been strongly impacted by heightened public interest in the conservation of nature, and by the ongoing international discussion on biodiversity. During the last 50 years, Japan’s satoyama and satoumi landscapes have dwindled, and the tendency continues today. The paper analyzes the process of the gradual establishment of a legal framework in Japan for the conservation and restoration of satoyama and satoumi landscapes. We discuss results achieved up to now, and make proposals for the future. We conclude that in the future, a grand design for satoyama and satoumi landscapes must be established on the national level; the wisdom and traditional techniques of rural areas must be brought to good use; and “new value” of the satoyama and satoumi for today’s society must be created through a “new system” of co-management by various stakeholders.