United Nations University (UNU) Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (IAS)
Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK)OUIK Newsletter

March 2019

CONTENTS
2018 HIGHLIGHTS..........................................................................................................................2
・“SDGs Social Dialogue in Ishikawa/Kanazawa” event series gives Kanazawa major push toward 2030
・ OUIK 10th Anniversary Symposium “Achieving the SDGs from a Biocultural Diversity Perspective:
Ishikawa and Kanazawa’s Future”
・ Utilizing the Noto GIAHS site for international cooperation
ACTIVITY LOG.................................................................................................................................4
１. SDGs Social Dialogue in Ishikawa/Kanazawa
・ SDGs Dialogue #2: Movie screenings on “Leaving No One Behind”
・ SDGs Dialogue #3: SDGs workshop at Komatsu Summer School・ SDGs Dialogue #4: Symposium “How Local Companies Are Implementing the SDGs”
・ SDGs Dialogue #5: International symposium “Exploring the Concept of Green Infrastructure in
Urban Landscapes: Applications and Collaboration in Kanazawa”
・SDGs Dialogue #13: 2nd Kanazawa Forum on Education and LGBT “How local communities canensure no one is left behind”
２. Biocultural Diversity Initiatives
・Biocultural diversity walking workshop
・Urban Ecosystem Services for the Future Generations: A Workshop to Clean a Japanese Garden
・Farmer’s Market @UNU Talk: Tea and Garden for Peace
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES...........................................................................................................１０
・The 16th International Landscape Architectural Symposium of Japan, China, and Korea
・The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity
・2018 ICLEE 9th Conference
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................１１・Intern profile
NEW STAFF MEMBER......................................................................................................................１２
NEW PUBLICATIONS IN 2018.........................................................................................................１２

2018 Highlights“SDGs Social Dialogue in Ishikawa/Kanazawa” event series gives Kanazawa major push toward 2030
In 2018, its 10th anniversary year, OUIK held this event
series to promote the SDGs in Ishikawa Prefecture andKanazawa City.
To kick off the series, a roundtable conference was heldon June 4th at KKR Hotel Kanazawa, where 16 groupsof key figures presented their activities. While connecting with new people around the table, participants
found solidarity and new opportunities for collaboration,
strengthening their resolve to achieve the SDGs by
2030.
Organic partnerships between problem-solving entities
in various sectors, including economic, social and environmental are considered essential to achieving the
SDGs. The 15 events in this series linked the SDGs to various themes, including the environment, education,
regional economics, and LGBT and gender issues, providing opportunities to contemplate challenges andcurrent conditions on a local level with the public. Discussions on sustainable development, on a global level
and in Kanazawa from a global perspective, were also held, making 2018 a year of significant progress
toward 2030.
*See Activity Log (from page 4) for coverage of the events in this series, mainly those organized by OUIK.

OUIK 10th Anniversary Symposium “Achieving the SDGs from a Biocultural Diversity Perspective:
Ishikawa and Kanazawa’s Future” Kanazawa City, October 3, 2018
This symposium celebrated the 10th anniversary of OUIK and was positioned as the eighth event in the
SDGs Social Dialogue series. A lively discussion unfolded on how to preserve local culture and its uniquenatural heritage while also integrating such efforts with achievement of the SDGs by 2030.
Kazuhiko Takemoto (Director of UNU-IAS) opened the event with a review of OUIK’s activities to date. OUIK
was established in 2008, and in 2011 Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi became one of the first designated
GIAHS sites in Japan. In 2015, OUIK proposed to the international community “biocultural region” as aconcept for unraveling the connections between Kanazawa’s urban culture, nature, and surrounding agricultural villages. He also touched on 2016 Ishikawa Declaration adopted at the First Asian Conference on
Biocultural Diversity. As a locally rooted international organization, OUIK has also promoted efforts toachieve the SDGs since their adoption in 2015. Its focus has been on conserving and utilizing the uniquebiocultural wealth of Ishikawa and Kanazawa, while also establishing the region as a model of local sustainability. Takemoto concluded his talk by expressing OUIK’s continued commitment to region’s growth throughresearch and networking between the local and international communities.
The next speaker was special guest Masanori Tanimoto (Governor of
Ishikawa). Looking back, he reported on the events leading up to OUIK’s
establishment in April 2008, Ishikawa’s satoyama initiatives at the 9th
meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the Convention on
Biological Diversity, and the holding of the COP10 closing event in Ishikawa. He closed with the hope that “OUIK will continue to propose newideas and take actions that contribute to the region’s revitalization.”
Taizo Hosoda (Deputy Mayor of Kanazawa) read a celebratory letter fromMayor

Yukiyoshi

YamanoOUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

describing

howdeeplyrewardingthePage 2establishment of an UNU operating unit has been for Kanazawa, adding
new appeal to the city’s history, tradition, and culture as it seeks to become a center of international exchange.
The keynote lecturer Shiro Wakui (Distinguished Professor of Tokyo City
University) talked centered on how to pass down links between natureand culture to the next generation. The talk began with a recognition ofEarth’s limits and the need to revise present-day lifestyles from a backcasting approach: “We are called to pay more attention in our daily lives
to the fact that the planet’s future has reached a level of crisis and that
we must find a way to transform how we live and work.” He then suggested the possibility for developing countries to introduce community development approaches and systems inspired by the model set by Ishikawa and Kanazawa, which have developed into a Regional Circularand Ecological Sphere (Regional CES) where people live and work in harmony with nature.
The panel discussion in part 2 began with activity reports from the panelists in their respective fields:
Tomonobu Endo (General Director, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dept., Ishikawa Prefecture), Yuki
Hagino (Team Maruyama), Asami Kato (Rootive Co., Ltd.), Evonne Yiu (Research Associate, OUIK), Juan
Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate, OUIK), and Chao Jung-tai (the Society for Wildlife and Nature (SWAN)
International, Taiwan). Various initiatives and perspectives were presented, including an initiative drawing
on local industry and culture in Noto, forest-related environmental education assistance at Mii Elementary
School in Wajima, use of the SDGs based on the satoumi concept, a report on GIAHS, conservation of
ecosystem services in Kanazawa, and the biocultural diversity of tea in Taiwan.
At the end of the discussion, the panelists shared thoughts on
OUIK’s next 10 years, with Endo expressing a desire for moreglobal communication of the Japanese experience so that developing countries can make use of it, Kato asking for more
attention to be given to foresters, Hagino expressing an intention to create more opportunities for exchange and reciprocal
learning with touring visitors, and Jung-tai stating, “People
working on the ground/in the field/on the front lines have a
wealth of knowledge and yet are struggling to adapt to today’s
dizzying changes. We need to learn more from such people
and help them adapt.” Moderator Tsunao Watanabe (Director, OUIK) closed the discussion by saying, “Itseems the most fundamental and important thing we can do is to reassess the natural and cultural resourcesthat exist only in Ishikawa and Kanazawa. From there I think we can work toward the SDGs in a way thatis authentic to this region.”
Koji Nakamura (Director, Ishikawa Museum of Natural History; Visiting Professor, UNU-IAS) closed thesymposium with a farewell request, “We ask for your continued support so that OUIK can continue to do its
work sustainably.”

Utilizing the Noto GIAHS Site for international cooperation
From November 17 to 19, 2018, the Ishikawa International Cooperation Program for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
Systems (GIAHS) was held in the Noto region of Ishikawa. Eighteen foreign exchange students enrolled at United Nations University, Kanazawa University, and Ishikawa Prefectural University from 13 countries studied rural development initiatives thatmake use of the site, known as “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi.”
This was the first study tour jointly organized and hosted by Ishikawa Prefecture, UNU-IAS and OUIK using Noto as a research
OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

Page 3field as part of a prefectural GIAHS international cooperation program. It was held as a class in the Transdisciplinary and Graduate Research Seminar (TGRS), part of a UNU-IAS academic program, in which students conducted interdisciplinary research in one of three fields: disaster resilience, environmental education,or eco-tourism. During the program they visited Wajima, Anamizu, Nanao, Suzu, and other municipalities
to observe and gain first-hand experience in, for example, tourism development utilizing local resources,
efforts to utilize and pass down traditional knowledge and farming and fishing methods, and community
archiving of traditional knowledge.
The presentation session on the final day became a brainstorming session
as the students exchanged many ideas on ways to address the challenges
facing rural communities from an international perspective. For rural Japan, which lacks human resources due to population aging and decline,
such challenges share many parallels with those in other countries, andmany of the students expressed a desire to make use of Noto’s approachin their home countries.
2018 saw a rise in the use of Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi as a field for international education activities,
which in one case involved hosting a delegation from Ifugao in the Philippines. OUIK plans to continue
promoting the site as a center of research for sustainable development.

Activity Log １. SDGs Social Dialogue in Ishikawa/Kanazawa
SDGs Dialogue #2: Movie screenings on “Leaving No One Behind”
Suzu City, July 22, 2018,

Kanazawa City, July 29, 2018

The SDGs principle of “Leaving No One Behind” aims, on a
global level, to leave no one behind from economic and social
development. But the SDGs are also focused on something
more fundamental: the individual. When the problems closest to home are solved, and solutions scaled outward, thisultimately leads to problems being resolved on a global level.
The first movie screening was of the documentary “Schoolfor Everyone,” which covers student life at Ozora Elementary, an actual school in Osaka City. Students can’t hide theirdiscomfort when a new transfer student starts causing trouble. But both teachers and students come to find that, while spending time with the new student may be
hard, they grow together as a result. At Ozora Elementary, children with developmental disabilities andchildren who have difficulty managing their emotions study in the same classroom. These students understand intuitively the importance of leaving no one behind and that a society that leaves no one behind isbetter than one that does. This is true not just of schools but also the adult world. In creating a sustainable
society, by making the world a place where everyone is respected and valued and “leaving no one behind” is the more natural action, we too will findthe world an easier place to live.
The screening was followed by an exchange of ideas on the movie between
Tatsuki Kimbara (Head, Hokuriku Branch, NPO World Theater Project) and
Mikiko Nagai (Office Manager, OUIK). Many viewers were surprised andmoved by the existence of such a school, but expressed doubt about whether
it could be replicated elsewhere, since the principal was a vital part of Ozora’s success. Nonetheless, theyleft with a conviction that, while leaving no one behind may be difficult, it’s not impossible.
A second screening was held on July 29th featuring the movie “School of Babel.”OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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SDGs Dialogue #3: SDGs workshop at Komatsu Summer School

Komatsu City, August 5, 2018OUIK and Komatsu Summer School (KSS) jointly held an SDGs workshop
for high school students. KSS is a week-long Japanese-English bilingual
summer school held annually in Komatsu, Ishikawa. Now in its fifth year,
60 students from across Japan shared meals and sleeping quarters withJapanese and international undergraduate students. KSS offers opportunities for making new self-discoveries and contemplating one’s future.
In the workshop, SDG Goal 10 “Reduce inequality within and among
countries” was used as a vehicle for the students to think about the issues of discrimination and inequality
in Japan and what equality looks like.
Two public figures were invited to speak: Natsuko Izena, a columnist who lives in a wheelchair due to a congenital disease
that causes fragile bones, and Soshi Matsuoka, who has publicly
come out as gay and writes articles on legal and political issues
faced by LGBT people. To delve deep into their respective stories, people had a Q&A sessions: “How did you develop yourself-identity?” “What values due you currently uphold?” and“What can we all do to ensure that everyone is valued as anindividual?”
The high school students seemed deeply moved by the experiences and perspectives of the two speakers,
offering an ideal opportunity to come to know the true meaning of helping others and respecting everyone
as an individual. They also gained an understanding that dialogue is crucial for solving all manner of challenges. Lastly, the position that “making the world a kinder place serves you too” expressed by both speakers seemed to begin the process of softening the hearts of the students, who expressed feeling constrictedby a sense of duty and responsibility.

SDGs Dialogue #4: Symposium “How Local Companies Are Implementing the SDGs”
Kanazawa City, August 7, 2018
The fourth event in the series was a two-part symposium on how the SDGs are being utilized in business.
Part 1 began with a keynote speech from Taikan Oki (Senior Vice-Rector, UNU) on international trends andthe significance of the SDGs for companies. According to Prof. Oki, while still too few people and companies
are implementing the SDGs, certain trends are emerging in the world, such as retailers refusing to carryproducts from companies that aren’t addressing gender issues, suggesting that a failure to implement theSDGs could impact business. Working toward the SDGs presents a major business opportunity, said Prof.
Oki, as it builds better relationships with stakeholders and opens doors to new partnerships. He closed byurging businesses to “think about what you can do to make the world a better place and participate in the2030 Agenda as an active player.”In the subsequent panel discussion, the panelists, pioneers of SDGs action, presented case studies anddiscussed what it takes to turn global and local issues into business opportunities. Moderator Tokutaro
Hiramoto (Director, SDGs Promotion Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology) closed the panel discussionin Part 1 with the comment, “We welcome new initiatives in Kanazawa thatwill enhance our sustainability in terms of the SDGs and allow engaged
companies to grow sustainably. I think this discussion has given us someclues.”OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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In Part 2, Kae Ishikawa (Director of the UN Women Japan Liaison Office)spoke on the opportunities of incorporating gender equality into businesspractice and discussed with the panelists observations made when advancing equality and the true meaning of women’s empowerment. Examplesof Ishikawa companies that are taking steps toward workstyle reform andsocial responsibility were introduced and a passionate discussion unfoldedaround topics such as the commitment required from executives and senior managers and the importance of awareness changes among men andwomen alike. Another point made was the fact that promoting women in the workplace is advantageous forbusiness and that gender-diverse companies perform better than their peers, as evident in the recent spreadof ESG investment, in which investors prioritize companies committed to ecology, society, and governance.
Ishikawa closed by saying, “Empowering women was previously something companies felt they had to do.
I hope to see companies approach it from a different mindset, that empowering women makes the businessstronger and more competitive.”

SDGs Dialogue #5: International symposium “Exploring the Concept of Green Infrastructure in
Urban Landscapes: Applications and Collaboration in Kanazawa” Kanazawa City, August 31, 2018
An international symposium exploring the concept of green infrastructurein urban landscapes was held in Kanazawa, which in 2018 marked 50
years since its Ordinance on the Preservation of the Traditional Environment (Currently Ordinance on urban planning with beautiful landscape inKanazawa) entered into force. Green infrastructure refers to land use
planning that aims to achieve sustainable development by reassessing
nature from a multifunctionality perspective. Because of this ordinance,
the vegetated slopes, canals, riverfronts, temples, traditional gardensand other unique elements integrated with the city’s landscape and scenery have been conserved andrestored. This symposium invited experts from various fields in and outside Japan to participate in a discourse on whether Kanazawa’s urban landscape could be redefined as green infrastructure.
In Part 1, titled “Understanding Green Infrastructure”, examples of green infrastructure around the world
were introduced. Various viewpoints were presented — for example, that utilizing existing canals, parking
lots, and other infrastructure is an important part of building livable cities, and that green infrastructure
should be defined by each region.
In Part 2, research and initiatives related to green infrastructure, mainly in Kanazawa, were presented on the
symposium’s theme. In a report from the perspectives ofdisaster risk reduction, the environment, and economy,
the unique potential of green infrastructure in Kanazawa
was discussed, with unusual benefits connected to crime
deterrence and education being described. In a presentation on the need for sustainable conservation efforts
and collaborative management, it was proposed thatsustainable conservation could be realized in conjunction
with Goals 11, 15, and 17 of the SDGs.
Part 3 was held as a roundtable in which attendees discussed the use of urban landscapes as green infrastructure. Lots of views were expressed, including comparisons between green and gray infrastructure, theadvantages of substituting the words “nature protection/conservation” with green infrastructure, and thatvisualizing the multifunctional benefits of green infrastructure is critical to deepening our understanding of
it. As ideas were shared, we at OUIK felt that this symposium was a tangible first step in disseminating from
Kanazawa a theoretical framework on urban planning and green infrastructure that will allow communities
worldwide to advance sustainable development in a unified way.
OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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SDGs Dialogue #13: 2nd Kanazawa Forum on Education and LGBT “How local communities canensure no one is left behind” Kanazawa City, December 9, 2018
In this year’s forum, the second on the topic of sexual and gender minorities, we touched on issues happening in schools while
exploring what we all can do within our respective spheres ofinfluence. Discussions were held, in Session 1 on the intersection of LGBT issues and education as viewed from the SDGs, andin Session 2 on what it means to create safe spaces for LGBT
individuals in schools and communities.
The forum began with an explanation of LGBT and SOGI, a more
recent term, from Bourbonne (drag queen and essayist), who
served as moderator. SOGI stands for sexual orientation andgender identity. According to Bourbonne, since it encourages us to engage in self-reflection, this term iseasy to understand and has the advantage of helping everyone to connect personally to these issues.
Mikiko Nagai (Office Manager, OUIK) began the sessions by describing thecircumstances that led to the creation of Goal 5, gender equality, of theSDGs, and the fact that LGBT and SOGI issues are not articulated in theGoal. She also emphasized that sexual and gender minority issues are
mentioned frequently in Goal 10, reduced inequalities, and that, becauseof the SDGs, there is a definite consensus not to leave sexual and genderminorities behind. Next, Yuji Niimura (member, Kanazawa City Board of
Education) explained that the junior high school curriculum for moral education in fiscal 2019 states four dimensions of sex/gender — physiological sex, gender identity, sexual
attraction, and gender expression — and that he intends to teach the students that the important thing isthat everyone can be their authentic selves. Hiroshi Hase (member of the House of Representatives) statedthat a multipartisan group has created a coalition of cabinet members who care about SOGI issues and plan
to craft new legislation.
Several compelling messages based on life experience were delivered byother speakers on the slowly growing LGBT movement: “I’m convincedthat if we find even just a few allies in schools, the number will steadily
grow from there. And it’s important that we keep them in connection andsend them the right information.” (Shinji Hoshino, Representative, NPO
SHIP), “It’s been hard, but one thing I’ve learned deep down is that there
really are people in the world who will help me. I’ve gotten to a place
where I think, if I could be reborn, I would still live this life again.” (Midori
Saito, high school teacher in Ishikawa), “I want to help somehow to reduce the number of LGBT individuals
who leave the Hokuriku area for Tokyo or Osaka because they don’t feel like they fit in. I also want this tobecome a place where they feel good to return.” (Gon Matsunaka, President, NPO good aging yells). Between Sessions 1 and 2, the multi-award winning LGBT-themed movie Kalanchoe no Hana was screened.
The high turnout for the event, with speakers and listeners together numbering 104, reconfirmed the strong
interest in this topic.

OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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Activity Log 2. Biocultural Diversity Initiatives

Biocultural diversity walking workshop

Kanazawa City and Noto region, April 4 and 5, 2018OUIK held a biocultural diversity walking workshop in partnership with the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) and the
University of Tokyo Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S). Participants consisted of researchers
studying human-nature connections in places such as South
Africa, South America, Sweden, and Hawaii. While engaging
in full-sensory experiences, they discussed the role, state,
and conservation of biocultural diversity resources as they relate to various external changes in urban and rural environments.
On the first day, participants ventured to the Noto region and studied life and community activities in asatoyama from the programs of Kukunochi, an NPO working in sustainable development. The region is thecenter of primarily youth-led efforts in economic and social development through tourism and agriculturethat draw on local strengths. Participants said they were impressed with how local residents tackled population aging and decline, issues shared by rural communities, proactively without falling into despair.
On the second day, held in Kanazawa, they started the walking tourat Oyama Shrine and proceeded to Gyokusen'inmaru Garden, Kanazawa Castle, and the Kazuemachi and Higashi Chaya districts, wheretraditional townscapes have been preserved. They then visited an
Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, anational designation, in the foothills of Mt. Utatsu, where the percentage of empty houses and lots is on the rise. There, they studied population aging and distribution changes and the impacts of rising tourism on urban areas. At Shinrensha Garden, their final destination,
they learned about the garden cleaning workshop described on page 9.
At the international symposium held that afternoon, “A New Future for Cities: Culture, Biodiversity, andLandscape Exchange,” three keynote speeches were given and a panel discussion held on biocultural diversity in Kanazawa from a global perspective and overseas initiatives.
Keynote speech 1: “Creating a Sustainable, Resilient Society in Harmony with Nature and Culture,” Kazuhiko
Takeuchi (Director, IR3S and Chair, Board of Directors, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Keynote speech 2: “The Movement of People and the Biocultural Perspective for Sustainable Development
and Peace,” Thomas Elmqvist (Professor, Stockholm Resilience Centre)
Keynote speech 3: “Biocultural Diversity around Kanazawa: The
Nature, History and Culture of Its Rivers and Canals,” Seiji Yanai(Professor, Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University)
This symposium was funded by the Joint Japan-Sweden Research Collaboration program between the Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Swedish Foundation forInternational Cooperation in Research and Higher Education(STINT) in celebration of 150 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Sweden. OUIK is committed to pursuing a sustainable future for Ishikawa and Kanazawa through a biocultural diversity framework.

OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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Urban Ecosystem Services for Future Generations: A Workshop to Clean a Japanese Garden
Kanazawa City, June 24, 2018
We held a workshop “Spiritual Road Walking and Garden
Cleaning at Shinrensha Temple” in the Utatsuyama Temple Area of Kanazawa. Proposed by Juan Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate, OUIK), this workshop was part of a

project to build a system by which the many existing
traditional Japanese gardens in Kanazawa can be maintained and managed for a long time to come. Participants help clean the gardens and in return can attend atea ceremony with a beautiful view of the garden or
learn about gardens from various experts. Participation
is growing and the system is having a tangible impact
on garden management in the city.
This workshop began with a talk about the history of the garden by the chief priest of the temple and a lecture on garden
management from a landscape architect. Then, the cleaning
activity started. Although the garden looked clean at first, alarge amount of fallen leaves had piled up at the bottom of
the pond and was turning into sludge. Taking out fallen leaves
from a pond is hard work and requires many hands. Cleaning
the artificial hills and the graveyard behind them was also a
hard task as they were extensive. Several species of moss,
such as haircap moss, were growing thickly in front of thepond and gave the garden a very beautiful atmosphere. However, when some parts of the moss were carefully taken off, exquisite paving stones of Tomuro-ishi appeared. This kind of work requires caution and should not be carried out without knowledge of landscapearchitecture. For this workshop, we did not have to worry about this as we had several notable landscapearchitects. After the cleaning activity, everyone relaxed with Japanese sweets and drinks while gazing at
the garden, experienced a Japanese tea ceremony, and looked back on the day.
Participants included Japanese and international students from universities in Ishikawa, and local and overseas residents within the prefecture. One participant said that he became interested because it would
allow him to come closer to a precious garden. He says he feels astronger bond with the garden after taking part in the workshop. PastorIvars is hoping to develop this workshop as a form of “ecotourism” open
to tourists and people with disabilities and that it will gradually take root
as a new garden management system.
The garden cleaning workshop was held five times in 2018, at Shinrensha Temple Garden as well as the
Senda Family Garden in Nagamachi. OUIK plans to continue promoting the workshop, which was madepossible through a partnership of Kanazawa City, the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture Ishikawa
Liaison Committee, and Takahiro Tsuba (Professor, Kanazawa College of Art), in collaboration with garden
owners, local government, the public, and tourists.

Farmer’s Market @UNU Talk: Tea and Garden for Peace

Tokyo, November 11, 2018

The talk event “Tea and Garden for Peace: The potential of Japanese gardens and tea to connect people
with nature” was held at the farmers market held every weekend outside UNU-IAS in Tokyo.

OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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With Mikiko Nagai (Office Manager, OUIK) moderating, Juan
Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate, OUIK) spoke on biocultural
diversity initiatives in Ishikawa and Kanazawa and introduced
the above-mentioned garden cleaning workshop. A discussion
was then held over Spanish herbal tea and sweets.
Born and raised in Spain, Pastor-Ivars originally specialized inarchitecture. Studying abroad in Kyoto inspired an interest in
traditional Japanese gardens, their design and ecology. “Japanese gardens and tea ceremony have a power to build peace,” he says. Pastor-Ivars ends each of thegarden cleaning workshops he hosts in Kanazawa with a Japanese tea ceremony. Time passes slowly as
participants talk to their neighbors about biocultural diversity and garden conservation in Kanazawa whilelooking at the garden they cleaned.
Nagai closed the event by inviting everyone to visit Kanazawa and participate in the workshop. “We think
this research project will become a new model for ecotourism in which tourists don’t just tour the sites but
also enjoy traditional Japanese gardens and tea while playing an active role in conserving the natural environment and biodiversity,” she said.

International Activities
The 16th International Landscape Architectural Symposium of Japan, China, and Korea
Seoul, Korea, October 4 and 5, 2018
The symposium was held in Seoul, Korea, with the central
theme “Urban Regeneration and Landscape Architecture,”
with three sub-themes: 1) Parks and public spaces, 2) Gardens and Cities, 3) Governance and citizen participation.
Representing OUIK was Juan Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate), who spoke on maintaining urban ecosystem services
through ecotourism and the sustainable conservation of traditional Japanese gardens in Kanazawa. When he introduced
the garden cleaning workshop, some expressed interest in
popularizing a similar project in their region. Pastor-Ivars also
expressed a desire to promote development that incorporates
green infrastructure in Kanazawa and to advertise Kanazawa’s traditional gardens and townscapes globallyfor achieving SDGs Goal 11 “Sustainable cities and communities.”

The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November 17-29, 2018
Continuing from COP13, OUIK reported at a high-level session of the Nature andCulture Summit on the progress in implementing the Ishikawa Declaration
adopted at the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity.
The Nature and Culture Summit program was framed around the Joint Programme on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity, jointly promotedby the CBD Secretariat and UNESCO. Discussions were held with the goal of comprehensively protecting the knowledge, culture, and rights of indigenous peoples
in relation to nature use.
Representing OUIK, Tsunao Watanabe (Director) spoke on the use of GIAHS sites
for developing the capacity of practitioners from developing countries in an

OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

Page 10international cooperation program by Ishikawa Prefecture, FAO, and other entities; the holding of a symposium series celebrating 1 year since the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity; and a new way ofmanaging traditional Japanese gardens that came out of the biocultural diversity initiative in Kanazawa.

2018 ICLEE 9th Conference

Taicung, Taiwan, November 26-28, 2018

The International Consortium of Landscape and Ecological Engineering (ICLEE) is a consortium of East Asian academic societies focusedon conservation, management, and restoration of the natural environment.
More than 100 researchers attended the 9th ICLEE Conference inTaichung, Taiwan, to give oral and poster presentations on thetheme “A Promising Future for Rural Areas.” Representing OUIK was
Juan Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate), who presented research on
the sustainable conservation of urban ecosystem services throughecotourism. Attendees showed interest in the richness of biocultural diversity in Kanazawa and the traditional and historical connections between its canals and gardens. After the conference, he joined otherattendees in visiting a local black tea farm and touring local community and satoyama activities. Ecologicalsystems in rural and urban areas often face problems that appear different at first glance but are actuallyquite similar. A discussion unfolded on the need for shared awareness and consensus for protecting them.

Human Resources Development
Intern profile
Akane Matsuo
Junior at master course, Kyoto University Graduate School of Global
Environmental Studies (Internship: Sep. to Dec. 2018)
Through internship training, I was able to visit many field sites in Ishikawa, mainly Noto, and interact with various entities, thus achieving thethree goals I set at the program’s start: 1. Conduct primary research formy master’s thesis, tentatively titled, “Sustainable local tourism development using satoyama and satoumi: Noto’s GIAHS site as subject,” 2. Understand OUIK’s activities, and 3. Gain real-world experience for career building after graduation.
I was especially focused on the Ishikawa International Cooperation Program for GIAHS. The experience ofstudying in Noto alongside JICA trainees from Ifugao, Philippines, and UNU study abroad students who took
part in the study tour through UNU’s academic program will serve me the rest of my life.
I also had the opportunity to take part in a workshop where we made educational materials for Noto’s
GIAHS using the picture book Let’s Make a Harvest Feast!, which reaffirmed the importance, and difficulty,of transmitting the value of satoyama and satoumi to the next generation.
In Kanazawa alone, I learned a great deal about gardens and tea ceremonies and other beautiful aspectsof Japanese traditional culture with which I was previously unfamiliar, having grown up in Tokyo. There wasa memorable moment when, participating in a tea ceremony using charcoal made in Noto, I realized theintimate connection between Kanazawa culture and the nature of Noto, and the concept of biocultural diversity advocated by OUIK hit me on a gut level. I hope to take all of my heartfelt appreciation for thepeople of Ishikawa who have helped me during the internship and channel it into my research.

OUIK Newsletter (March 2019)

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New Staff Member
Yoko Tomita
Program Associate, UNU-IAS OUIKI grew up in Kaga, Ishikawa. After university, I moved to the UK where I worked at a
brewing company and gained experience in introducing foreign products and cultures
to Japanese people and Asian markets. When I returned to Japan after many years, I
saw the local landscape, dietary culture, and traditions very differently than in mychildhood years and felt inspired to contribute to my community in the opposite direction: communicating Japanese culture and traditions to the world.
From then until last November when I joined OUIK, I worked as an international relations coordinator at
Hakusan Tedorigawa Geopark. My job was to tell international stakeholders about initiatives at the geopark
and promote tourism-related projects. I’ve also worked on capacity development programs for the AsiaPacific region in partnership with UNESCO and the Japanese Geoparks Network (JGN). As an undergraduate
student I studied international relations and had the experience of working at a small NGO in Kerala, India,
so my interests include international cooperation, regional partnerships, and grassroots-level community
development. At OUIK, I work in public relations as a program associate and also work on SDGs and GIAHSrelated projects.

New Publications in 2018
●The Road to Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) -- United Nations
University’s Journey with Local Communities
Authors and Editors: Evonne Yiu, Akira Nagata

Published by UNU-IAS OUIK (January 23, 2018)●Let’s Make a Harvest Feast! Created by Noto GIAHS Promotion Council, Edited and published by
UNU-IAS OUIK, Editorial supervisors: Koji Ito, Yuki Hagino, Illustration designed by Yukiko Honda,
Writer: Sayako Koyama (March 2018)●Learning About the Satoyama and Satoumi of Hokuriku Region from Maps（Biocultural Diversity Series 4）Author and Editor: Yoshihiko Iida

Published by UNU-IAS OUIK (June 1, 2018)●Official report of the International Forum Series to Commemorate One-Year Anniversary of
the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity
Edited and published by UNU-IAS OUIK (December 2018)
You can view and download these and other publications via the website or QR code shown here.
http://ouik.unu.edu/publication

Published in March 2019
United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)
Shiinoki Cultural Complex Ishikawa Prefecture 3F, 2-1-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, JAPAN 920-0962
Tel: +81-76-224-2266 Fax: +81-76-224-2271 Email: unu-iasouik@unu.edu URL: www.ouik.unu.edu/en/

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/OUIK.UNU.IASOUIK Newsletter (March 2019)@unu_ias_ouik

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