## 3 Results
### Ecological Aspect of Forestland Grabbing
#### 3.4.2 Water Resources  
Water resources management in the Hokkaido area has been considered one of the important issues for the Japan forestry agency and the provincial government. According to the content analysis \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{56.9 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Types** & **Purpose/Issues** & **Details** & **Activities** \\ \hline Private Forests: (other than national and protection forests) & If the forestland is more than 1 h in area & Need permission from local government city/town/village office. & Development of hotel, resort, golf course, ski resort, amusement park, factories, road, soil dump, solar and wind power, etc. & Development of hotel, resort, golf course, ski resort, amusement park, factories, roads, soil dump, solar and wind power, etc. \\ \hline Development works in private forests & 1. For making road/path & Permission is needed for 3 m wide and over 1 h and for making road. & Even making the way or path for the construction materials. \\ \cline{2-3} Development works in private forests & 2. Joint development & Permission is needed even if each owner has less than 1 ha land but all owners together have over 1 ha in land area. & A common plan is needed. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 3. Step by step development of the land & Permission is needed even if the owner developed the land step by step (each step less than 1 ha land but totally over 1 ha, it needs a common plan as over 1 ha. & In each step, if the development process consists less than 1 ha land but totally over 1 ha, it needs a common plan for approval. \\ \hline General criteria (forest should not any damage) for permission in the private forests & 1. Prevent landslides & Through development there is no damage of sediment discharge, collapse, or other discharges occurring around. & Measures should be taken in such a way that the highest degree to prevent disasters and declines are ensured. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 2. Flood prevention & Through development there is no risk of flood in in the watershed area. & Securing and adjusting facilities for the flood prevention would be necessary. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 3. Water sources & The further development activities may not affect the water sources or water quality in the area. & Measures should be taken to secure the water sources and maintain the quality of the water. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 4. Protection Environment & Any dimension of environment and landscape of the area. & Prevention measures should be necessary through the plan. \\ \hline Protection or keeping forests area & 1. For making contages, ski resorts. & Keep 60\% or more forested area. & Maintain tree cover of at least 60\%. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 2. For making a golf course, and leisure activities. & Keep 50\% or more forested area. & Maintain tree cover of at least 50\%. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 3. For making factories and offices. & Keep 25\% or more forested area. & Maintain tree cover of at least 25\%. \\ \cline{2-3}  & 4. For making a residential complex, apartment, etc. & Keep 20\% or more forested area. & Maintain tree cover of at least 20\%. \\ \hline Violation of rules and regulations & Everybody has to receive supervisory dispositions (immediate cancelation/stop) and penalties according to the existing forest laws. & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 5: Permission systems for the development of forestland in Japan (<1 ha land). and interviews with experts, the study found that the major critiques and concerns on Japanese forestland grabbing are related to water resources because the forestland owner acquired the rights to water resources through law. In Japan, the water laws are inadequate and do not have any clear information on forest water resources [28]. That means the foreign companies/people do not have any restriction to use the water sources in their purchased forestland. On the other hand, Japan is one of the countries in the world having good water resources [17], therefore, the issue of foreign land ownership and its water resources has created lot of debate.