国連 Nations
大 学 University
サ ス テ
イ ナ
ビ Advanced
リ テ ィ
高 of等
研 究 所
UnitedInstitutefor theStudy
Sustainability
Oparatingいし か Unit
わ・Ishikawa/Kanazawa
か な ざ わ オ ペ レ ー テ ィ ン グ・ ユ ニ ッ ト

OUIK NewsletterVol. 2

No. Vol.
4 2

No. 4

2014 年 2 月
10 日発行Feb.
10, 2014

Greetings from the Director
Tsunao Watanabe
Director
United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)I was appointed as Director of the Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK) in January 2014 andwould like to express my sincere gratefulness to all the people who have provided their support
to OUIK in a variety of different ways.
Until the summer of 2012, I was involved for 34 years at the Ministry of the Environment of Japan(MOEJ) with the conservation and management of the National Parks of Japan and its wildlife,
including the Japanese crested ibis and wild cat. I also have worked on the ground on issues incooperation with local people. In 2010, as Director of the Japan Secretariat, I contributed to the10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/
COP10).
Hakusan National Park, which is a symbol of Ishikawa Prefecture, just celebrated its 50th
anniversary, and the collaborative efforts by local communities surrounding Mt. Hakusan haveattracted international attention. In addition, the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture and Sado
Island in Niigata Prefecture were designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS) sites in 2011. Records exist of the Japanese crested ibis living in both Noto and Sado
after the Second World War, and one of the objectives of the Noto GIAHS site is to revitalize thesatoyama and satoumi areas, which provide a habitat for the Japanese crested ibis. Communitybased practices in Noto can provide a leading example to the whole country of Japan.
The global Aichi Biodiversity Targets were adopted in 2010 under the Convention on Biological
Diversity’s 2011-2020 Strategic Plan with a vision of “living in harmony with nature.” At that time,
the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), which was jointly initiated by theUnited Nations University (UNU) and MOEJ, was established with the aim of realizing a natureharmonious society. I believe that pioneering efforts in Ishikawa/Kanazawa have contributed toachieving such international outcomes. Participants of the Closing Event for the InternationalYear of Biodiversity in 2010 and the Global Launching of the United Nations Decade on
Biodiversity in 2011 may agree with me.
I believe that OUIK can play an important role in linking local efforts in Ishikawa/Kanazawa withthe rest of the world for a sustainable society that utilizes the diversity of nature, life, and culture
at the local level.

M r. Ts u n a o Wa t a n a b e w a s
appointed as Senior Programme
Coordinator of the United
Nations University Institute for
Sustainability and Peace (UNUISP) in November 2012. Prior tothis appointment, he served as
Director-General of the Nature
Conser vation Bureau f rom
January 2011, Councillor for
Nature Conservation, Director
for Biodiversity Policy Division,
Ministry of the Environment ofJapan.
He also played a pivotal role inthe success of the 10th meetingof the Conference of the Parties
to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD/COP10) in 2010.
He graduated from the Facultyof Agriculture of the University
o f To k y o w i t h a m a j o r i nlandscape architecture.

OUIK has focused on Satoyama and Satoumi (SAS), Sustainable Primary Industries (SPI), andCities and Biodiversity (CAB) as its focal research themes during the last two years. I would like tocontinue enhancing these research activities in collaboration with local stakeholders to create
new international trends from Ishikawa/Kanazawa.

OUIK’s Objectives:
1. To contribute to international research activities, in collaboration with local partners, towards
a sustainable society, and2. To develop communication and networks with local stakeholders through public outreach andcapacity building, while sharing information on international trends.
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OUIK Public Seminar“Outcomes of Satoyama-Satoumi Conferences and Further Perspectives from OUIK”
Seminar Report
Note: UNU organization names and speaker titles in the text are current as of 1 November 2013.

On 1 November 2013, UNU-IAS OUIK organized a public
seminar in order to discuss the outcomes and perspectivesof two international conferences on satoyama and satoumi:
the International Forum on Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS), which was held in Noto (Nanao
City) of Ishikawa Prefecture in May 2013, and the Fourth
Global Conference of the International Partnership for
the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI-4), which was held in Fukui
Prefecture in September 2013.

with a range of local stakeholders beyond just farmers andfishermen, and “creating new business models” by adding
value to agricultural products and the community itself
when traditional agricultural systems are revitalized inmodern society.
Prof. Takeuchi also introduced the background forestablishing IPSI and a summary of the past conferences.
The Fourth Global Conference of IPSI in Fukui (IPSI-4) was
unique among these, because many overseas participants
were able to join an excursion including a homestay in a
local satoyama area prior to the IPSI-4 General Assemblyand Public Forum. Due to these experiences, their common
understanding of satoyama was helpful for fur ther
discussion during the conference. At the Public Forum,
participants discussed how to strengthen collaboration andsynergies among IPSI members and other relevant initiatives
and programs, and how to encourage a participatory
approach. Prof. Takeuchi emphasized the importance ofpolitical leadership in such efforts and drew attention to anational network to promote the Satoyama Initiative thatwas launched under the leadership of Ishikawa Prefecture
and Fukui Prefecture.

Keynote Lecture
GIAHS and Satoyama Initiative – International Disseminationfrom Ishikawa/Kanazawa
Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Senior Vice-Rector of the United
Nations University (UNU), started by referring to theInternational Forum on GIAHS, which was organized by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO). It was the first time for FAO to hold the Forum in adesignated GIAHS site, and Prof. Takeuchi emphasized theleadership of Governor Tanimoto of Ishikawa Prefecture in
making the event a success.

At the end of his lecture, Prof. Takeuchi highlighted theimportance of (1) international recognition of satoyama andsatoumi in the Hokuriku region through activities relevant to
GIAHS and the Satoyama Initiative, (2) global disseminationand information gathering on best practices of GIAHS inother countries as well as study of GIAHS sites in Japan, (3)reporting achievements at international conferences, and (4)sharing feedback from the dissemination and international
discussion with local stakeholders.
Panel Discussion
Presentation 1: Outcomes from International Conferencesand Future Activities of Ishikawa Prefecture

Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi

At the beginning of the panel discussion, Mr. Tsutomu
Okumoto, Director of the Satoyama Creation Office,Environment Division, Ishikawa Prefecture, presented
Ishikawa Prefecture’s achievements and future initiatives for
GIAHS and IPSI-4.

GIAHS promotes and designates systems that stabilize
livelihoods by exploiting the local environment andagricultural bio diversit y through small - scale andenvironmentally friendly agriculture, while FAO has
encouraged increasing agricultural productivity andextending farmland to secure food security. As a result, it isdifficult to consider GIAHS as representing the mainstream
position of FAO. Prof. Takeuchi, however, stressed that theattendance of José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of
FAO, indicates that GIAHS is still important.

He referred to cooperation among OUIK , Kanazawa
University, and Ishikawa Prefecture to create lively satoyama
and introduced the “Ishikawa Biodiversity Strategic Vision”,
which was developed in March 2011 and the “Ishikawa
Satoyama Creation Fund” that was established in May 2011
as examples of outstanding initiatives.

At the International Forum on GIAHS in Noto, three Japanesesites were designated along with two Chinese sites and one
Indian site. Prof. Takeuchi said that the designation of Notoand Sado as the first GIAHS sites in a developed country inJune 2011 stimulated the three new Japanese sites to apply
for GIAHS designation. He emphasized the importanceof “enhancing resiliency”, “establishing a new commons”

Regarding the “Japan Network for Promoting the Satoyama
Initiative”, Mr. Okumoto explained that the organization
was launched with the aim of networking the private sector,
non-governmental and non-profit organizations, and local
governments that are interested in the Satoyama Initiative.
He said that Ishikawa Prefecture would contribute to the
Satoyama Initiative by promoting and taking the lead２

in satoyama creation from the standpoint of a local IPSI
member.

Prefecture, and showed his enthusiasm for disseminating
the concept of GIAHS to other countries in Asia, Africa, andLatin America as well as other developed nations on thebasis of ERAHS.

Presentation 2: How can Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi
Contribute to Community Revitalization in Noto of
Ishikawa: Efforts by OUIK and Kanazawa University(2) Future Direction of Satoyama and Satoumi Research

Prof. Koji Nakamura, specially appointed professor of
Kanazawa University, who also holds the position ofvisiting professor with UNU-IAS, gave a presentation about
international trends and local activities on satoyama andsatoumi. He explained how some of the outcomes of theJapan Satoyama Satoumi Assessment (JSSA), which was
carried out between 2007 and 2010, led to the Satoyama
Initiative, and referred to the important role of OUIK and
Kanazawa University in conducting the JSSA. At the sametime, he pointed out that the results of the JSSA have not yet
been fully utilized and that the current local situation should
be analyzed in more detail.

Mr. Wataru Suzuki, Deputy Director of IPSI, raised threepoints regarding the future direction of satoyama andsatoumi research after IPSI-4. Firstly, OUIK is unique among
other UNU programmes because it has kept focusing on
Noto as its research field. He stressed the significanceof dissemination activities by OUIK as well as providing
feedback to local communities. Secondly, research should
be developed on satoyama and satoumi. Mr. Suzuki
explained how the JSSA rephrased satoyama as Socioecological Production Landscapes (SEPLs) and that this was
the turning point at which the Satoyama Initiative became
an international programme. At the same time, he proposedcarrying out further research on Noto’s satoyama andsatoumi because it is not clear how satoyama and satoumi
contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Thirdly,
Mr. Suzuki stressed the importance of OUIK organizing
international workshops and expressed his expectationof an upcoming event as an opportunity to examine
differences between satoyama and satoumi in Japan andother countries through lectures by researchers from otherdeveloped countries.
(3) Background of GIAHS designation of Noto and otherproposed sites
Mr. Nagata emphasized that the Noto region not only
meets the five criteria of GIAHS designation, but has also
maintained its traditions across large areas. He addedthat OUIK has contributed to Noto’s designation with the
Hokuriku Regional Agricultural Administration Office ofthe Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan(MAFF), which worked diligently toward the designation.
According to Mr. Nagata, some areas in Japan have prepared
applications for GIAHS designation. Based on the current
situation, he indicated the possibility of changing theprocess of national selection due to the increase of regional
interest in GIAHS. In addition, he explained that the levelof review for the GIAHS sites designated in May 2013 washigher than before and that reviewing standards could risein the future.

Prof. Nakamura indicated that utilization of satoyama would
be an issue for the society, which is faced with depopulation,
population aging, and global environmental change, andemphasized that OUIK and local universities should work
together to validate the efficiency of corresponding policies.
He also expressed interest in updating the satoyama andsatoumi assessment with the aim of revitalization of local
communities as well as contributing to the international
community, because more than three years have passed
since the end of the JSSA. As he closed his presentation, Prof.
Nakamura said that OUIK’s satoyama and satoumi research
could be the next step for the JSSA.
Discussion(1) Collaborative Research by OUIK and UNU-ISP
Mr. Akira Nagata, Senior Progamme Coordinator of the UNU
Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) introduced
how OUIK’s research on Sustainable Primary Industries(SPI) has focused on GIAHS in collaboration with UNUISP. He explained that the International GIAHS Workshop,
which OUIK organized in May 2013, was successful andwas followed by another international workshop in the
Republic of Korea in August. These workshops led to theestablishment of the East Asia Research Association for
Agricultural Heritage Systems (ERAHS), which is a working
group including researchers from China, the Republic ofKorea, and Japan.

Clockwise from top left: Mr. Okumoto, Prof. Nakamura, Mr.
Nagata, and Mr. Suzuki

Mr. Nagata stressed the importance of communicating
research results to local people in Noto and Ishikawa
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(4) Satoyama Initiative activities in Japan and abroad(6) International contribution of Japanese GIAHS sites

Mr. Suzuki stressed the significance of international
dissemination, and his appreciation that Ishikawa Prefecture
had hosted international events including the Closing Eventfor the International Year of Biodiversity and the Global
Launching of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity as
well as the launch of the Japan Network for Promoting theSatoyama Initiative. He also introduced a few best practicesof the Satoyama Initiative such as cooperation with a paper
manufacturing company in Japan that uses bamboo woodtips as a material for making paper, the Nepali Government’s
efforts to draw on the Satoyama Initiative to develop its
national strategy, and collaborative research ideas proposedby a German university.

There was a question from the floor regarding what
discussants think about the international contribution ofJapanese GIAHS sites. The idea was that through GIAHS,
Noto’s approach could be a model of both community
development and the inheritance of traditional culture
within the context of modern Japanese society, which is
faced with a decreasing birthrate and aging population. Mr.
Nagata agreed with this opinion and added that GIAHS sites
in Japan could even act as a global model by providing a
direction for both developed and developing countries.
Prof. Nakamura introduced that quite a few overseas
researchers have gotten interested in depopulation andpopulation aging in Japan following his presentations atinternational conferences and workshops. He also stressed
the impor tance of active interchange among thoseresearchers who are interested in the practices in Noto byusing OUIK’s network.

(5) Future research and collaboration
Prof. Nak amura said that there should b e careful
examination of what is needed for further research,based on the experiences of collaboration by OUIK,Kanazawa University, the Hokuriku Regional Agricultural
Administration Office of MAFF, and Ishikawa Prefecture
through Noto’s GIAHS designation. He also shared his ideathat Noto’s satoyama and satoumi have many possibilities
for collaborative research together with OUIK and local
universities.

At the end of the seminar, all discussants expressed theirdetermination to engage in future research and activities
based on the panel discussion. Before closing the event,Dr. Kazu Takemoto, Director of OUIK, emphasized thatthe seminar had provided an opportunity to share future
directions for a variety of different activities.

Event Announcement
Cities and Biodiversity (CAB) Research Project Public Symposium
Food and Biodiversity of Kanazawa under Globalization – Can Kanazawa’s Food Culture Bear the Future?
Date: Saturday, 1 March 2014, 13:30 - 16:30
Venue: Large Meeting Room, Kanazawa Bunka Hall, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Keynote Lecture: “Blessings of Nature – Food Culture of Kanazawa”
by Etsuko Aoki (Principal, Aoki Cooking School)
Discussants:
Etsuko Aoki
Toshiki Enomoto (Professor, Division of Food Science, Dept. of Bioresources andEnvironmental Sciences, Ishikawa Prefectural University)
Shinjiro Imura (President, Kanazawa Daichi Co. Ltd.)Asuka (Food Analyst)
Many people have been attracted to “Kaga vegetables”, and consumption of these locally grown vegetables has increased.
This is not only because Kaga vegetables remind people of Kanazawa, a place rich in nature and culture, but also because thelocal food culture has encouraged consumption of Kaga vegetables. The local natural environment and linkages between
agriculture and Kanazawa’s food culture, however, have rarely been discussed until recently.
The Cities and Biodiversity (CAB) research project has studied “bio-cultural diversity” as the interrelation between the naturalenvironment and culture. Based on the research outcomes, this symposium focuses on bio-cultural diversity by discussing
agricultural production and the natural environment of the producing district, the richness of Kanazawa’s food culture, andfuture challenges.
For further information and registration, please contact UNU-IAS OUIK.
Issued byUnited Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)Siinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture 3F, 2-1-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, JAPAN 920-0962
Tel: 076-224-2266
Fax: 076-224-2271
E-mail: unu-iasouik@ias.unu.edu
http://www.ias.unu.edu
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