Photo 3-1-3 Scenic Landscape at the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park Unchanged after the Earthquake Disaster

Left: Anadoriiso (Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture. Photograph taken April 15, 2011, by the Ministry of the Environment)

Right: Kita-Yamazaki (Tanohata Village, Iwate Prefecture. Photograph taken September 8, 2011, by the Ministry of the Environment)

## (2) Basic Policy of the Reconstruction about Natural Environments

Backed by the present conditions of such a stricken area, Sanriku Fukko (reconstruction) National Park and the matters in conjunction with natural environments are placed in “Basic guidelines for reconstruction in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake” that Reconstruction Headquarters in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake devised on July 29, 2011.

Basic guidelines for reconstruction in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (extracts)

• Establish new styles of tourism that are only possible in Tohoku bringing out rich local tourism resources including natural landscapes, rich local culture, foods, national parks and World Heritage sites, through human resource development and formation of local platforms that include a wide range of related people.

• Consider the reorganization of existing national parks such as Rikuchu Kaigan National Park and establishment of Sanriku Reconstruction National Park (tentative name), including redevelopment of disaster-affected park facilities and new construction of long-distance coastal trail, with due consideration to disaster prevention. Implement various projects including promotion of ecotourism in collaboration with agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries.

• Society in harmony with nature will be realized through nature restoration for recovering the linkages between the ecosystems of forests, Sato (countryside) and sea.

• Conduct studies on the current situations of natural environments affected by the tsunami as well as monitoring of the following changes over the years.

## (3) Action to the Reconstruction Utilizing the Natural Resource of the Tohoku District

Various efforts aimed at protecting and utilizing the natural environment have been in practice on the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region since before the earthquake disaster. Some representative examples of these efforts will be discussed below.

Tanohata Taiken-Mura Village, run by the Tanohata Network NPO' has actively promoted eco-tours. A large number of appealing nature programs are offered which employ fishermen as guides in small fishing boats, known as "Sappa boats." Fishermen demonstrate skilled boating techniques, point out coastal flora and fauna, talk about fisheries, and allow visitors to enjoy tremendous coastal scenery that can only be reached by boat. Roughly 8,000 people per year took advantage of these programs (as of 2009).

These Sappa boat eco-tours were restarted on July 29, 2011. Every effort is being made to get these and other eco-tours back up and running. In Tanohata Village and elsewhere, efforts are being made to organize guides and others who can lead eco-tours and talk about the earthquake.

Photo 3-1-4 Eco-Tour from Tanohata Village Using Japanese “Sappa Boats” (pre-earthquake disaster)

Photo: Provided by Tanohata Village

disaster.

Iwate Prefecture is the site of the Kitakami Mountains, which date back 500 million years and are Japan's oldest geological formation. Numerous fossils are found in Iwate's coastal areas. Beautiful underground caverns, which provided the minerals and ore that supported Japan's modernization, are found throughout the prefecture. Efforts are underway to gain recognition for this area as a Global Geopark, while making the best use of its resources and conveying the history of Iwate's battle with tsunami damage as it maintains an ocean-centered way of life.

(3) Policy for Sanriku Area Natural Parks in the Reconstruction Project

The Nature Conservation Committee of the Central Environment Council was consulted about incorporating Sanriku area natural parks in the reconstruction effort. After taking into consideration the results of opinion exchange meetings held by the Ministry of the Environment in various regions, the committee submitted a report on March 9, 2012, entitled Green Reconstruction at the Heart of National Park Creation – Harmonizing Reconstruction Efforts with the Nature of Forests, Satoyama, Rivers, and Sea. The basic principle for future reconstruction put forward by the report was to use the creation of a Sanriku Fukko (reconstruction) National Park and other diverse initiatives to convey to future generations how the forests, satoyama, rivers, and sea are interconnected as well as intertwined with the local way of life, and to use these in the context of reconstruction to teach people about the blessing and threats of nature. Specifically, the seven specific Green Reconstruction Projects outlined below will be implemented with the help and cooperation of various stakeholders, including international promotion.

(1) Creation of the Sanriku Fukko (reconstruction) National Park (natural parks restructuring). A single national park will be created, which will contribute to local area promotion and reconstruction through appropriate utilization as a nature park; it will be centered on the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park, and will include the area from Kabu Island off the coast of Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture to the Oshika Peninsula of Onagawa Town, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, and including the surrounding natural parks.

(2) Satoyama and Satoumi Field Museum and Facilities Improvement: Damaged facilities in the reorganized national park will be restored and redeveloped, and facilities will be developed for teaching about the blessing of nature and the local community's distinctive way of life, as well as venues for learning about the threats of nature. Also, a defined local area, centered on the national park and including surrounding satoyama, satoumi, and settlement areas, shall be established as a field museum where various resources are utilized and the local community is revitalized.

(3) Fun Nature Tours Incorporating Local Treasures (Fukko (reconstruction) eco-tourism): In collaboration with the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries, in order to encourage tourists to stay for extended periods in the region, eco-tourism combined with guided tours of areas affected by the disaster, geo-tours, and so on, will be promoted.

(4) A Trail to Deepen Exchange Between North and South (Tohoku Coastal Trail): A long-distance nature trail will be established, connecting various elements, such as the local natural environment and the local way of life, the traces of the earthquake disaster, the trail walkers and the local residents, and so on; depending upon the pace of visitors' walk along the trail, a profound nature experience and new discoveries will be available. The trail is intended to encourage tourists to stay for extended periods in the region.

(5) Restoration between Forest, Satoyama, River, and Sea Connections. This initiative will seek to conserve rich ecosystems by recognizing them as protected areas, and will seek to impart a well understanding about the importance of forest, satoyama, river, and sea connections to a great many people via direct experience. Also, by recognizing where the local environment has turned into tidal flats as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, and by understanding the impact of the earthquake and tsunami on tidal flat and eelgrass bed ecosystems, this initiative will help facilitate the natural restoration of the region.

(6) Promotion of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): ESD will be promoted, focusing on: the history and mechanisms of the natural environment; forest, satoyama, river, and sea connections; the local way of life; the threats of nature; and disaster prevention and reduction.

(7) Monitoring the Effects of the Earthquake and Tsunami on the Natural Environment: This initiative will focus on those areas that are important from the standpoint of preserving biodiversity: surveys will be conducted on the impact of the earthquake and Tsunami on the natural environment; ongoing changes in the natural environment will be monitored; data will be collected, including data gathered by researchers; the data will be consolidated and announced; and an overall assessment of the impact of the earthquake and Tsunami on the natural environment will be provided.

## Section 2 Towards Achieving Sustainable Local Communities

The experience gained from the process of reconstruction in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, reviewed in the previous section, can provide valuable knowledge applicable to realizing a sustainable society. This section