Under the present social and natural circumstances of Japan, the "mangrove", which grows in saline water of tropical and sub-tropical seashore, will play the various important roles for the near future. What had been already explained for their characteristics, and what have to be solved for the future, are sorted out with the practical evidences. The reason why Japanese have to put emphases on them and the sustainable processes of mangrove utilization are also discussed.

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Mangrove distributes at mouth of river and coastline of tropical and sub-tropical of the world. Mangrove plants are typical one of the halophytes and mangrove plant can adapt very wide salt concentration (Fresh water to sea water). Mangrove area is rich bio-diversity ecosystem and moreover importance of mangrove is recognized as exceedingly high bioproductivity ecosystem for food supply of global scale. Mangrove plants are paid attention as gene resource of salt tolerant for new crop development. At present time, mangrove forest of South-East Asia and the world is continuously decreasing. Total area of mangrove forest is only approximately 18 million ha. Cause of mangrove forest decrease of Thailand is mentioned over cutting for fuel as energy resource, convert to shrimp farming, develop to agricultural land, convert to industrial land and tin mining. Mangrove forest of Thailand in this 30 years decreased about 50%. At present time, mangrove forest area of Thailand is only 170, 000 ha and main distribution area is Southern Thailand. In recent years, importance of mangrove ecosystem is gradually recognized in Thailand and Thailand government is starting preservation and protection program of mangrove forest. This report is provided that by large scale planting mangrove to abandoned shrimp ponds and coastline protection from strong erosion of Nakhon Si Thammarat of Southern Thailand and enforcement of project. This project is rehabilitation of mangrove forest as a model and final objective of this project is technology transfer of mangrove forest rehabilitation from Thailand to Asia countries and the world.

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Mangrove Rehabilitation Program in Southern Thailand was started from 1994 with Thai local people and Japanese volunteers. During past 5 years, 457 Japanese volunteers and 5, 500 Thai students and villagers attended this program. This action has many aims, especially to revive an ecosystem and biology diversity, and to contribute to the protection of global warming using mangrove's lively carbon dioxide assimilation. The effects of mangrove re-forestation will drew out not only natural scientific sides, but also socio-economical sides too.

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There is forest of Kandelia candel, a species of mangroves, at Minami-Izu-Tyo Sizuoka prefecture. The forest is far from north limit of original distribution. A part of the forest had to be transplanted for river improvement work. This try is paid attention as compatibility of nature and construction work, when it is desired recently to plan construction project that is gentry to nature. After transplantation, the Kandelia candel was cared for maintenance, but declined gradually and at last upper 40% of existence. In case of natural forest style, trees support each other and maintain stable condition. How careful the transplantation construction was done, the transplanted trees will be able to damage by severe environmental pressures till stable forest style established.

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We have held a seminar on the mangrove and its environment on Okinawa's Iriomote island once a year since 1994. Iriomote island is the most suitable place in Japan for observing mangrove, because all the kinds of mangrove observable in Japan cab be seen there. This seminar's original goal was to lecture on the mangrove and its environment for participants who have attended mangrove rehabilitation programs held by the members of SDGF in Thailand or who are simply interested in mangroves. We expect, however, the participants to think and experience together with native island people about their life, culture and history on this island far from the main island of Okinawa. This seminar is deserving of'Eco tourism'.

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Participants of a symposium on "What is the Moon?" which was held by "Economy of Space" study committee of the Japan Macro-Engineers Society gave answers to the question of the symposium title, while another group of answers were obtained from graduate students majoring in engineering. This paper includes typical answers of the both groups as historical records of people's minds for space development, and then, motivations of the past moon projects like the Apollo program and the recent moon projects were analyzed in terms of this question. As a result, the basic idea governing the moon projects in the Apollo era was that the moon would be a new territory, while the recent moon projects seem to be intended to solve directly the scientific questions about substance of the moon.

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