Satoyama in Japan- For Nature-based Solutions-

Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau,
Ministry of the Environment Japan

Message from Director-General
Satoyama landscapes reportedly cover about 40% of the national land of Japan.
These vast and diverse landscapes have been created through interaction
between nature and people. Thus, handing them down to future generations requires
continuous interaction by all of us. Indeed there are lots of initiatives, including
but of so urban residents, private organizations, and businesses not only people
working in rural communities.
Many of them aim not just to conserve the biodiversity in the areas but also tosolve wider social and economic issues, such as improving livelihoods, revitalizing
local economies, and promoting exchange between cities and rural communities.
Hence, they provide good examples of “Nature-based Solutions” that have beengathering global attention.
Now it is proposed that 30% of the global land and sea
areas need to be conserved by 2030, “30 by 30” in short,
as areas with healthy natural ecosystems to safeguard ourlives and livelihoods. I believe that Satoyama ,that may
provide areas for OECM(Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures), have a huge potential to contribute toour efforts in achieving this target.
We hope this document will widely inform the worldof the values of sustainable production landscapes like
Satoyama in Japan, and enhance activities contributing tobiodiversity conservation with multiple benefits for thepeople.

Director-General Okuda

Table of Contents
Examples of Satoyama in Japan
What are SATOYAMA?

・・・・・ 2

Initiatives Focusing on Nature and Living Organisms

・・・・・ 3

Initiatives Focusing on Economic Use of Local Resources・・・・・ 5Initiatives Focusing on Exchanges Between Cities and Local Communities ・ 7

What are Satoyama?

Satoyama are usually located in the rural areas of Japan where agriculture,
forestry and fisheries are the main industries. They are known as socio ecologicalproduction landscapes and seascapes, SEPLS in short. They consist of production
ecosystems like secondary forests, farmlands, irrigation ponds, and grasslands
as well as human settlements.
They are created by human activities to produce food and fuels, but eventually
become irreplaceable habitats for a range of fauna and flora. Moreover, Satoyama
serve multidimensional functions, in a broader context, including national landconservation and headwater conservation, while providing places for healing or
leisure and inspiring the creation of art and literature.
Those ecosystem services from Satoyama, including necessary resources,
safety and comfort, are co-created by both nature and continued humaninterventions.
Therefore, it is crucial to conserve theirbiodiversity as they are inseparable fromhuman activities.

Areas and Types of Examples
Area

Initiatives Focusing

1 on Nature andLiving Organisms

Initiatives Focusing
2 on Economic Useof Local Resources

Initiatives Focusing
on Exchanges
3 Between Cities
and Local
Communities

Type

Content

Protection

Habitat improvement, monitoring survey, etc.

Control of wildlife

Control of alien species, boar countermeasure, etc.

Landscape

Solution for abandoned farmland, forest improvement,
conservation system, etc.

New resources

Food, energy, fertilizer, tourism resources, etc.

Promotion of economic activities

Corporate participation, development of a sustainablemechanism, etc.

Environmental education

Environmental learning, nature observation workshop, etc.

Traditional culture

Traditional event and festival, etc.

Exchange between cities and villages

Agriculture work experience, eco-tourism, etc.

NatureHabitat Restoration in Traditional Rice Cultivation System（Kubo River Ihatov Nature Restoration Council, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture)

Nature restoration project

Program Background

Rural landscape in Ihatov

The Ihatov area is one of the rare areas in Japan where semi-natural forests were notreplaced by commercial timber forests in the post war period and public works for big-scale
agricultural land improvement were not conducted. Thus, it maintained natural habitats forindigenous species depending on the agriculture. In recent years however, indigenous aquaticorganisms, primarily in irrigation ponds, have been decreasing in number due to changes inwater management methods for rice production, the use of chemical fertilizers andagrochemicals, and the impacts of invasive alien species. Adjacent forest floors now also havepoor vegetation since thinning and weeding are not carried out.
The Nature Restoration Council was established in Ichinoseki City and launched
restoration programs. The aim is to pass on the bountiful nature to the next generations.

Activities Undertaken
Restored habitat of Hemerocllis esculentas-●Biota monitoring survey conducted every year.
●Eradication of invasive species such as Largemouth bass and American bullfrog fromsome of the irrigation ponds and continuous efforts to prevent them
●Exploring methods based on the results of research and control, including control ofinvasive alien species, taking care of abandoned farmlands, and biotope development

Biotope development with participantsfrom private companies●Outreach to locals and urban residents through environmental education

Biodiversity conservation promotion support project

Grassland Species Conservation by Forestry Operation（Northern Mt. Fuji Biodiversity Conservation Council, Narusawa Village and Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture)

Background
Grassland environments in Japan have shrunk dramatically to account presently forless than 5% of the national land, rapidly causing many grassland plants and animals to
become endangered.
Mt. Fuji is no exception to this trend. There is an area of semi-natural grassland
selected as Important Satoyama Area by the Ministry of the Environment but many
endangered plants and animals are only barely surviving. The Nature Restoration Council therefore surveys biota and its gradual changes on areas being clear-cut and newly
planted, which is more or less like grassland ecosystems, while comparing it to remaining
semi-natural grasslands. The purpose is to verify that afforested sites could serve as alternative habitats for endangered grassland species and that subsequent forestry operations
could play a role in biodiversity conservation.

Activities Undertaken

Paeonia obovata Maxom

Niphanda fusca● 2 Fixed monitoring sites were identified and 13 endangered plant and butterfly
species confirmed by the survey on fauna and flora● Climatic conditions and soil moisture monitored● Weeding and deer fence installation conducted by forestry workers and volunteers
on afforested monitoring sites to verify the positive effects on conservation of theendangered species
Weeding at an aﬀorested site

Current Status Survey and System Development forContinuous Conservation of Biodiversity in Satoyama in Suzu City

（Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture）

Biodiversity conservation promotion support project

Background
Suzu City has rich areas of Satoyama and Satoumi (seascape) and is home toa diverse range of living organisms. It is a leading habitat in Japan for two typesof Cybister chinensis. The municipal government therefore developed a conservation
plan for the species. Education for elementary school students, monitoring surveys,
maintenance of irrigation ponds and environment-friendly agriculture have beenpromoted in accordance with the plan.

Survey by citizens

However, as the situation of irrigation ponds and rice paddies continues toworsen, the city started more comprehensive surveys aiming at long-term
conservation going forward. The local residents are involved in the survey and theprocess of developing concrete methods to improve the current situation.

Activities Undertaken●167 different aquatic animals confirmed in 163 irrigation ponds, Cybister chinensis.
species confirmed at two of themCollected Cybister chinensis●Around 30% of the 218 irrigation ponds found to have been disappeared, or to
be unreachable due to lack of road management●Expert study meetings conducted●Training sessions provided for local residents on survey methods, aiming todeepen local understanding concerning living organisms that relyon irrigation ponds

Expert study meeting●Currently 18 citizen surveyors involved, which has been steadly increasing over theyears.
Biodiversity conservation promotion support project

Habitat Restoration of Polemonium kiushianum and other endemic plants in Aso Area
(NPO Aso Flower Field Association, Takamori Town, Kumamoto Prefecture)

Background
In Aso, Polemonium kiushianum grows naturally on grasslands that are managed byweeding and open burning. They cannot grow in places that have become overgrown asa result of their management having been discontinued. Due to the decreasing demandof grass materials, natural habitats are scaling down year by year.
Grassland with ﬂowering
Polemonium kiushianum

To tackle this situation, the Aso Flower Field Association has conducted survey tofind out former natural habitats covered by afforested timber trees but which could berestored. Then, the association carried out logging, weeding, and open burning as conservation actions to enhance germination from the seedbank. It also restores and conserves semi-natural grassland ecosystems that are home to other endemic species ofAso, such as Lychnis sieboldii and Ligularia fischeri var.takeyukii.

Activities Undertaken
Before weeding●Survey conducted to select sites where restoration is possible out of 56 sites where
Polemonium kiushianum has been recorded●Restoring Polemonium kiushianum habitats by logging the afforested woods●Weeding and open burning at sites where Polemonium kiushianum is currently growing
to conserve and restore a hospitable environment for the plant

After weeding and open burningEconomy
Sasa palmata Restoration Project for Local Culture and Small Industryin Northern Kyoto City

（Sasa palmata Restoration Committee, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)

Future Satoyama base creation support project

Background

Sasa palmata restored withinstallation of deer fence

Sasa palmata grows naturally in the mountainous area in the northern part of Kyoto City.
Used to wrap traditional confections or make a special good luck charm indispensable for theGion Festival, it has long been a part of the culture of Kyoto. The population is in decline due
to feeding damage caused by deer as well as a shortage of workers engaged in Satoyama
forest management. Local culture and industry are in a critical state on both the supply sideand the user side.
This project aims not only to restore population of Sasa palmata, but also to secure forest
workers, promote traditional techniques and distribution of Sasa palmata to revitalize local
culture and industry. The local residents are involved in the survey and the process ofdeveloping concrete methods to improve the current situation.

Activities to be Undertaken●Expansion of the existing fenced area to improve and restore the habitatof Sasa palmata,by installing new deer fences

Sasa palmata with feeding damage●Support for securing young forest workers and resurrecting traditional
techniques by holding workshops●Creating new demand for Sasa palmata, adding high value, etc.
ℲKyoto-style sweets ℳGood luck charm ℴCraft gin

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ℵNew uses˂⅚ૼ↎↙ဇᡦ

●Raising public awareness for a sustainable mechanism to support thecontinuation of activities by involving the business sector and urban residents⇕∏⇻⇮⇞∙'LVWULEXWLRQRISasa palmata

Paddy Field Fish Nursery Project

Fourth Ministry of the Environment
Good Life Award (Excellence Award)（Seseraginosato Group, Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture)

Background
Rice paddies in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, were connected to Lake
Biwa through irrigation canals, providing spawning grounds for endemic
fish species of the lake. But public work to improve paddy fields created adifference in water levels between canals and rice paddies. Fish can nolonger move freely.
Paddy Field Fish Nursery Project was launched in 2001 by a local
farmers’ group named Seseraginosato (meaning Village of small streams). Fishway that allows ﬁsh
They installed stair-like fishways in the canals to enable fish to go
to swim upstream
upstream over the water level gaps. Drainage ditches of the paddy fields
were also improved. The project aims to restore the familiar local
landscape while ensuring ecosystem conservation through environmentfriendly rice cultivation.

Activities to be Undertaken

Signboard introducing the initiativ

Ticket for agriculture experience●Developing fishways in canals and at drainage ditches making over 180 ha ofrice fields accessible for fish in FY2021●Rice cultivation using an environment-friendly method(agrochemical-free, chemical fertilizer-free)●Introducing the rice paddy owner system●Branding and promotion of products such as high-end rice and Japanese sake (rice wine)“Rice from Fish Nursery” and“Moonlit Cradle” sakeBuilding a sustainable brand: GREENable HIRUZEN(Maniwa City and Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture)
Regional CES platform project to revitalize local community with environmental approach

Background
Maniwa City operates a power generation plant using forest biomass such as unused
byproducts and waste. The municipality covers headwater area and uses fertilizer madefrom oyster shells to produce Maniwa Satoumi (seascape) Rice. These oyster shells are fromdownstream coastal areas, and since they are otherwise hard to consume in the origin , these
initiatives establish a watershed circular economy, making the region self-sustaining.

Kazenoha CLT pavilion

As part of the initiatives, a visitors’ facility named “GREENable HIRUZEN” was openedin 2021 in the National Park area. It helps visitors learn about the sustainability initiatives,
tourist’s destinations and cultural attractions in Maniwa. The city cooperates with Hankyu
Hanshin Department Stores to promote GREENable-branded products and services. Visitors
can get a taste of sustainable life while enjoying the “Kazenoha” CLT pavilion along with themuseum, shops, and activities.

Activities to be Undertaken

Hiruzen Museum●Building a facility that provides tourist information about Hiruzen within a national park
●Developing products under the original sustainability-conscious “GREENable” brand●Providing activities in nature, including cycling and picnicking, and art at the museum●Establishing the Nature Restoration Council to develop a mechanism to use and conserve
the natural ecosystems of Hiruzen

Grasslands of Hiruzen Highlands

Rabbit-friendly Citrus production, Coexisting with Pentalagus furnessi(Tokunoshima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture)

Regional CES platform project to revitalize local community with environmental approach

Background
Tokunoshima is an island forming part of a World Natural Heritage registered in 2021.
It offers natural habitats for an endemic rabbit species called Pentalagus furnessi. The
animalʼs population is said to be around 200 on the island. This endangered species is an
icon of Tokunoshima.
Countermeasures against feeding damage
by Pentalagus furnessi

One of the main industries is agriculture and includes local citrus, called “tankan,”
production. Feeding damage caused by the rabbits on trunks of the citrus trees has been
an issue. Wisely utilizing the situation, local farmers started branding citrus productswith the rabbit. This project is not only providing countermeasures against feedingdamage but also making the local industry more sustainable.

Activities to be Undertaken
Burrow of Pentalagus furnessi●Night tour and eco-tour for residents of the island(observing Pentalagus furnessi, installing fences to reduce feeding damage at farms)●Adding high value to Citrus tankan harvested at farms that coexist with
Pentalagus furnessi (storybook, new package)

Citrus tankan

Exchange

Fostering Forest for Youth at Lake Sagami(NPO Midorinodam Kitasagami, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Fourth Ministry of the Environment Good Life Award (Excellence Award)

Program Background
In Sagamihara City, as forestry workers gradually decreased, volunteer
activities for forest conservation emerged. In 2002, an NPO called Midorinodam
Kitasagami was established. It started a program for youth education involving
afforestation and forest management such as thinning, pruning, and weeding.
Members gathering for a regular activity

The NPO now collaborates with Tokyo Gakugei University to develop a wider
use of timber from forest thinning by using joints fabricated by 3D printers.
The program provides learning opportunities for the youth through practicalhands-on activities.

Activities Undertaken
Using a rope to control the direction of the tree being cut down

●Fostering Forest for Youth: STEAM education program including thinning,pruning, ecosystem surveys using a drone and GIS, use of products fromforest thinning●Forest experience workshops (planned and operated by junior high and highschool students for local elementary school students)

Using a saw for thick-trunked trees

Education Program Accelerating New Satoyama Use for Next-Generation(Nitobe Bunka Gakuen, Hinohara Village, Tokyo)

Seventh Ministry of the Environment Good Life Award (School Category)

Program Background
Nitobe Bunka Gakuen organizes an education program in Hinohara Village,
Tokyo. It helps participants understand the history, culture, and ecosystems of
Satoyama, and take action to create a sustainable society. Ideas from the participants have come to realize as concrete activities such as: production of a local
potato variety and organic cotton using abandoned farm-lands,
inter-generational workshops of high school and elementary students with theirparents on sustainable forestry, etc.

Harvesting potatoes

The program targets two generations: students and their parents, with a longterm vision of future Satoyama.

Activities Undertaken●Cultivaton of organic cotton in abandoned farmlands and development of products
such as T-shirts from the cotton

Visiting a pruning site

●Production of traditional-typed confectionary: buns with sweet filling made from thelocal potato variety branded as “Hinojaga”●Planting species that produce edible fruit, shoots or leaves and promotion of the processed food
●Project in which high school students who have learned the value of Satoyama andforestry hold workshops for elementary school students and their parents
WorkshopKamikatsu Kayabuki School(Kamikatsu Kayabuki School, Yaeji Community, Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima Prefecture)
Regional CES platform project to revitalize local community with environmental approac

Program Background
Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima, is famous for the beautiful Satoyama
landscape with traditional houses of thatched roofs. The roofs have been
maintained by the residents for many years. Now the population is bothshrinking and aging, the knowledge and techniques of thatching need tobe passed to the next generation.
In 2019, Kamikatsu Kayabuki School was established for that purpose.
A private traditional house with a thatched roof was converted into theschool. Various activities are conducted and strengthen the bonds of people
within and from outside of the community.
The school, which was formerly the residence of the Hanano family

Activities Undertaken●Zero-waste tour program conducted where participants experience life in
the old days to learn the value of traditions and sustainable life styles

Zero-waste program

Grinding coﬀee beans with a millstone(sustainable tour)●Maintaining the landscape of terraced rice paddies by visualizing agricultural tasks to be conducted and gathering supporters from outside thecommunity to help
Terraced rice paddies cultivatedby a corporate sponsor (weeding)

Yaeji supporters

Haiko School SATODUKURI BASE

(Environment Animated Yao, Yao City, Osaka Prefecture)
Regional CES platform project to revitalize local community with environmental approach

Program Background
The Satoyama area, namely Takayasu in Yao City, Osaka, is home to endangered
freshwater fish species Rhodeus ocellatus kurumeus (locally called “kintai”). The area is at thefoot of Mt. Takayasu and provides nature-rich living space, which is rare in an urbanizedarea. Environment Animated Yao, a multi-stakeholder platform, was established to promote
people moving into the area by utilizing the natural environment as an attraction.
Rhodeus ocellatus kurumeus (“kintai”)

In 2020, it started a project using a closed school building as a new community space
where people could experience the bountiful nature of the area.

Activities Undertaken
Forest maintenance●Exhibition space in the closed school where visitors can observe familiar living organisms●Workshops to experience the processing of lumber from forest thinning at Mt. Takayasu●Café where visitors can experience processing “Kawachi momen” (cotton from Kawachi),which used to be a local industry in Yao Cit●Community market to sell local vegetables, gourmet food, and handmade goods

Learning ecosystem at Kintai Haiko MuseumReference: Introduction of Satoyama-related programs by the Ministry of the Environment○ Financial support program for biodiversity conservation activities

The program provides financial support for the promotion of biodiversity
conservation activities carried out across Japan.
The target includes conservation activities in Satoyama:
1.Measures to control invasive alien species,
2.conservation and restoration of important biodiversity areas,
3.building regional ecosystem networks,
4.promotion of multi-stakeholder cooperation,
5.ex situ conservation of rare wild species in Japan,
6.conservation of endangered species in Japan,
7.formulation of plans for early control of invasive alien species, and8.support for socio-economic activities utilizing and conserving natural resources in Satoyama.

○ Financial support
for socio-economic activities utilizing and conserving natural resources in Satoyama
This program aims to financially support various types of activities that utilize
natural resources such as wood or grass while contributing to biodiversity conservation in Satoyama.
Taking into account the changes in people’ s lifestyles, it supports advanced andeffective activities simultaneously addressing socio-economic and biodiversity challenges, such as creating small businesses using Satoyama resources.
The program can cover not only nationally designated areas and species but

also locally important ones at the prefectural level.

○ Program to support regional multi-stakeholder platforms to enhance nature-based
low-carbon circular economy
This program aims to build sustainable regions embodying a nature-based, lowcarbon circular economy. It does so by supporting the development of the comprehensive vision of economically rational and sustainable regions, formulating business plans based on the vision, studying indicators to measure details of progress,and establishing multi-stakeholder platforms at local levels that can be strong entities to move forward in the direction.

○ Act on the Promotion of Nature Restoration
The act is enacted in 2002 to promote restoration ecosystems and natural environments that have been damaged in the past. Based on the act, regional stakeholders may establish councils with the participation of diverse players including
related national and municipal government agencies, local residents, NPOs, and experts. The councils may develop a basic plan to be confirmed by the Minister of theEnvironment. The Ministry of the Environment provides experts’ advice to those
activities to further enhance them.

○ Good Life Award
Every year, the Ministry of the Environment invites good examples of activities
and initiatives to build an environment-friendly society conducted across Japan.
The ministry provides them with publicity and recognition. It also supports
information exchange in general.

○ Important Satoyama Areas
The Ministry of the Environment selected 500 sites of Important Satoyama Areasfor biodiversity conservation. It has done this in order to publicize Satoyama as richenvironments that have been conserved through daily activities undertaken in local
communities, conservation activities, and so on. The selection of sites may also helpin establishing brands for local agricultural products and as tourism resources.

Location map of examples
List of areas

Area nameNature自然
Economy経済
Exchange
交流
08Municipality

River Ihatov
01 KuboNature Restoration Council

Ichinoseki City,
Iwate Prefecture

Species Conservation by
02 Grassland
Forestry Operation

Northern Mt. Fuji Biodiversity
Conservation Council,
Narusawa Village andFujikawaguchiko Town,
Yamanashi Prefecture

Current Status Survey and System

for Continuous
03 Development
Conservation of Biodiversity in

Suzu City,
Ishikawa Prefecture

Restoration of Polemonium
04 Habitat
kiushianum and other endemic

NPO Aso Flower Field
Association, Takamori
Town, Kumamoto
Prefecture

Satoyama in Suzu City

01
03

0
7
04

0
6

0
5
1
1

2

0
0 9
2 1
0

plants in Aso Area

Local Culture and Small Industry
05 forin Northern Kyoto City

Sasa palmata Restoration Project

Sasa palmata Restoration
Committee, Kyoto City,
Kyoto Prefecture

06 Paddy Field Fish Nursery Project

Seseraginosato Group,
Yasu City, Shiga
Prefecture

07 GREENable HIRUZEN

Maniwa City and Hankyu
Hanshin Department Stores,
Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture

Citrus production,
08 Rabbit-friendly
Coexisting with Pentalagus furnessi

Tokunoshima Town,
Kagoshima Prefecture

Program Accelerating
09 Education
New Satoyama Use for

Nitobe Bunka Gakuen,
Hinohara Village,
Tokyo

10

NPO Midorinodam
Kitasagami,
Sagamihara City,
Kanagawa Prefecture
Kamikatsu Kayabuki School,
Yaeji Community, Kamikatsu
Town, Tokushima Prefecture

Next-Generation

Fostering Forest for Youthat Lake Sagami

11 Kamikatsu Kayabuki School
School SATODUKURI
12 Haiko
BASE

Environment Animated Yao,
Yao City, Osaka PrefectureJapan