prevent damages from typhoons, but also to achieve high energy efficiency.

Our traditional life style reflects the geographical and climate background, which is unique in region to region. People achieve the traditional wisdom in this regional background. The modern lifestyle of mass production, mass distribution, and mass consumption that was rapidly achieved after World War II is not necessarily suited to the geographical and climate conditions of each region, and it cannot be denied that this modern lifestyle impacts on the environment and causes the loss of traditional uniqueness. There is probably a great possibility that wisdom in traditional life style will be of use in order to reconsider our modern lifestyle and achieve the sustainable society.

### 2. Wisdom Within Regional Communities

## (1) Life style in Satoyama Communities and Biodiversity

In Japan, over many years there has been a spread of secondary nature areas, which people in many ways maintain through agriculture and fisheries, such as farming land, plantation forests and secondary forests, irrigation ponds and canals, grasslands, and settlements. Those kinds of nature areas are referred to as satochi-satoyama, and since long ago we have been using the natural resources around us as the resources necessary for everyday life.

While living in satochi-satoyama, Japanese people have not consumed all of natural resources, but have instead continued to use them sustainably. For example, cultivation of rice (wet-paddy rice), which is Japan’s most important crop, is suited to Japan’s climate, which has a lot of rain throughout the year. It can be considered a sustainable and highly productive farming method, since it has withstood over 1,000 years of continuous cultivation. In addition, secondary forests including Sawtooth Oak, Quercus, and Japanese Red Pine are managed by logging in a cycle of approximately 10 to 20 years. Satochi-satoyama varied across Japan. They form ecosystems and scenery that are unique to each region.

## (2) Sustainable Use of Hunting Resources and Traditional Wisdom

The wisdom in everyday life reflects the interaction between people and nature, and thought to be rooted in regional communities as culture and traditional techniques. Life in the Matagi community, which is group of traditional hunters with techniques and an organization for capturing large animals, can be given as an example of people who have sustainably used natural resources within the capacity of the natural environment and nature's ability to restore it. They have taken passes on the traditions and culture of their region.

Records of the history of use of game resources in Japan date back a long time. The Nihon Shoki, which was written in the year 600s, has descriptions of deer hunting in which deer were shot down from atop a horse, as well as descriptions of restriction of dangerous hunting methods such as pitfalls and fall traps. In the 1500s, records can be seen that indicate that Matagi communities had formed, mainly in areas between mountains in the Tohoku region.

People who lived in Matagi communities did not hunt all year round. They led their everyday lives by dividing activities into agriculture in the summer and hunting in the winter (Figure 2-3-3). The best game for the Matagi were large animals such as Asiatic black bears and it was life-risking work in the winter. So they abstained from hunting any more than they needed by strict command-

Satoyama and various forms of wildlife that inhabit satoyama

Living organismsfrom all four seasons can be seen near satoyama.

Source: Ministry of the Environment