Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216 DOI 10.1007/s11355-010-0116-1

SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL PAPER Natural and cultural characteristics as the cornerstone of the future of satoyama landscapes

Keep it alive, don’t freeze it: a conceptual perspective on the conservation of continuously evolving satoyama landscapes

Makoto Yokohari • Jay Bolthouse

Received: 9 April 2009 / Revised: 4 October 2009 / Accepted: 16 May 2010 / Published online: 16 June 2010 Ó International Consortium of Landscape and Ecological Engineering and Springer 2010

Abstract In recent years, efforts to conserve and restore Satoyama: an idyllic image of Japanese rural landscapes satoyama landscapes have become increasingly prevalent throughout Japan. These efforts have conserved threatened Among the many successful animated films of director landscapes, protected and engaged civil soci- Hayao Miyazaki, the 1988 hit My neighbor Totoro has ety in land-use planning and management. However, the possibly had the biggest impact. ‘‘Totoro’’ is set in the conservation of satoyama continues to present a paradox agricultural countryside of the Sayama Hills west of Tokyo familiar to landscape planners and ecologists: how can we proper in the late 1950s. Upon this idyllic rural stage, the conserve, but avoid freezing, landscapes of dynamic sibling protagonists Mei and Satsuki romp through the change? This article works through this paradox by well-forested countryside where they meet Totoro, a forest examining the dynamic and continually evolving history of spirit. While this animated film was perhaps intended for a satoyama woodlands. The history of satoyama presented younger audience, its depiction of the rural satoyama here demonstrates that these landscapes have been, and landscape of the 1950s enchanted the young at heart as continue to be, produced in tandem with the evolving needs well and extended the film’s impact far beyond the box of successive generations. Accordingly, it is imperative to office. Totoro has become not only a beloved animated consider how satoyama landscapes might mesh with character, but also a symbol for various campaigns to present day social needs and values. Faced with curbing conserve satoyama. Indeed, one satoyama conservation global climate change, we suggest that present day social group—the Totoro Hometown Fund Campaign—uses needs and values are well aligned with utilizing satoyama Totoro as its mascot in its campaign to preserve the woodlands as a source of renewable biomass energy to stage upon which Totoro, Mei, and Satsuki came to reduce carbon emissions and realize associated multifunc- animated-life: the Sayama Hills of western Tokyo tional woodland values. Thus, the conceptual perspective (Kobori and Primack 2003). advanced here is that resolution of the continuing conser- Propelled in part by the popularity of Totoro, satoyama vation paradox lies in taking the freeze off satoyama has become a keyword within environmental discourse in woodlands—and by extension other vernacular land- Japan. Although this term does not have a specific defini- scapes—and thereby letting them live. tion, ‘‘satoyama’’ closely resembles the concept of ‘‘coun- tryside’’ in that it conjures up idyllic images of rural Keywords Cultural landscape Á Continuing landscape Á agricultural landscapes. For non-Japanese speakers, a Woody biomass Á Working woodlands helpful explanation of this term comes from nature pho- tographer Mitsuhiko Imamori, who describes satoyama as ‘‘a traditional form of the agricultural environment where sato (village/people) and yama (mountain/nature) coexist side by side in harmony’’ (Imamori 1995, p. 153). His & M. Yokohari ( ) Á J. Bolthouse description of a traditional harmony between human com- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan munities (sato) and non-human nature (yama) illustrates e-mail: [email protected] how this compound term is commonly conceptualized. 123 208 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216

However, while satoyama landscapes may be traditional, groups emerged before the release of ‘‘Totoro,’’ the debut the term itself only came into common usage after being of this film is undoubtedly linked with what Nakagawa coined by forest ecologist Tsunahide Shidei sometime in the (2004) refers to as a ‘‘satoyama renaissance.’’ 1960s. The process whereby the term satoyama was coined and eventually popularized is not well documented, but Shidei (2006) recounts that he originally envisioned sa- Continually evolving satoyama toyama as a socio-culturally resonant term that would draw attention to the spatial and relational proximity between ‘‘Totoro’’ presents a relatively accurate depiction of the village life and woodlands. Shidei certainly succeeded in satoyama landscape of the Sayama Hills in the late 1950s. creating a highly resonant term. However, the ambiguity of From the woodlands and rice paddies to the irrigation pond satoyama can be problematic. Within academia, this where Mei and Satsuki encounter Totoro, this film brings ambiguity has been somewhat dispelled by establishing the postwar landscape back to animated life. For many some basic conventions. In general, ‘‘satoyama landscape’’ viewers, the countryside landscape depicted in this film is is used to reference agricultural landscapes as a holistic set probably assumed to have existed, until the advent of of interlinked units: settlements, rice paddies, agricultural postwar economic growth and the transformation of for- fields, forests, woodlands, and grasslands (Fig. 1). estry and agriculture, since time immemorial. Partly based In contrast, ‘‘satoyama’’ is normally used in a more on this assumption, but also owing to the socio-economic restrictive sense to refer to the secondary woodland portion of limitations confronting many current satoyama restoration these landscapes (Fukamachi et al. 2001; Takeuchi 2003). initiatives, efforts to conserve and manage satoyama are Satoyama woodlands were historically an essential often confined to recreating examples of this idyllic land- component of agricultural landscapes that provided a vital scape by clearing overgrown bamboo grasses and illegally supply of fuelwood and organic materials. How- discarded waste. Together, these conceptual and practical ever, in the 1950–1960s, satoyama were devalued as a limitations often result in a situation where the final aim of result of the ‘‘fuel revolution’’ (nenryou kakumei), a phrase satoyama conservation is a stabilized woodland landscape. which refers to the process through which fossil fuels and However, the historical record demonstrates that satoy- chemical replaced fuelwood and green fertilizer ama landscapes are not static but dynamic, and continually in Japanese farms and markets. In recent years, in response evolve in tandem with the changing resource needs and to widespread development and abandonment, a large values of successive generations. An analysis of the history number of volunteer groups have formed to conserve, of the Hiki Hills, which are located 30 km north of the manage, and restore satoyama woodlands. While many Sayama Hills and are a quite similar landscape,

Fig. 1 Diagram of satoyama landscape and satoyama woodlands (from Takeuchi et al. 2003) 123 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216 209 demonstrates the continually evolving nature of satoyama dedicated to grassland and were con- landscapes and provides insight into the factors driving verted to coppice woodlands. These coppice woodlands their transformation. Utilizing historical records and pic- were intensively managed on short rotations to produce torial maps, Tamura (1998) reconstructs the satoyama fuel and that could be sold into expanding landscape of the Hiki Hills during the Edo period (1603– markets in Tokyo. The expansion of intensive coppice 1867), revealing a satoyama landscape that is radically production systems was replicated around the Kanto area different from the well-forested landscape of the 1950s as land was increasingly devoted to supplying the fuel (Fig. 2). At the outset of the Edo period, the hills behind needs of the growing metropolis. Thus, in the Meiji period, villages were covered by extensive grasslands, while for- rising demand for tea, silk, and woodfuel led to the pro- ests were confined to steep slopes and limited to a rela- duction of a quite different landscape (Yokohari and Kurita tively small extent. The extensive grasslands of this era 2003). provided a source of thatch for roofing material and fodder Since the end of the war, satoyama landscapes have been, for domestic animals (Tamura 1998). The existence of and continue to be, shaped and transformed by shifting these extensive grasslands illustrates the fact that large social values and resource needs as well. Following the war, areas of the well-forested satoyama landscape were for- demand for thatch and straw rapidly plummeted. Grasslands merly maintained as grassland by agricultural villagers to were abandoned and allowed to return to forest, a develop- meet an essential resource need of that era. ment which greatly expanded the amount of forest cover During the Meiji period (1868–1912), the former in the region. Next, following the fuel revolution of the satoyama landscape of extensive grasslands was trans- 1950s, broad-leaved woodlands which had formerly been formed according to new resource needs. Following the coppiced to produce fuel wood were abandoned. Therefore, Meiji Restoration of 1868, the newly formed Meiji gov- these woodlands were transformed from open, shrubby ernment pursued policies of acquiring foreign capital woodlands into dense forest (Yokohari and Kurita 2003). through the export of tea and silk. In the belt of hills which This well-forested satoyama landscape—a landscape in rings the western edge of the Kanto Plain and includes the dynamic transition—is the landscape often frozen into the Sayama and Hiki Hills, these policies resulted in the rapid present-day imagination. However, this landscape is only a expansion of land devoted to tea bound for the international snapshot of continually evolving satoyama. Furthermore, market and mulberry for lucrative silk production. While landscape transformation did not stop in the 1950s, but has mulberry and tea had been cultivated in this area for cen- continued to be driven by changing socio-economic needs turies, they had previously occupied a relatively small and values. portion of the agricultural landscape. In addition to mul- During the period of rapid economic growth (1955– berry and tea, many areas which had been previously 1973) following postwar recovery, satoyama were first

Fig. 2 Illustration of the Hiki Hills during the Edo period (from Tamura 1998)

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Fig. 3 Factors driving landscape change in the Hiki Hills (adapted from Yokohari and Kurita 2003) revalued as sites for suburban growth. Throughout the landscape of mulberry groves, tea fields and coppice woods Kanto area, hills were leveled to make space for residential which covered the area in the Meiji period; or should we areas. In particular, a number of large new towns were choose instead the well-forested landscape that followed constructed on former satoyama landscapes. In addition, postwar recovery? Second, selecting one ideal target large areas of the Hiki Hills and other areas were trans- landscape presents a more perplexing problem. Since each formed into golf courses (Yokohari and Kurita 2003). It is of these past landscapes was formed in tandem with peo- only in recent years, in recognition of the widespread ples’ livelihoods, it is not feasible to simply select a past development and abandonment of satoyama, that people target landscape and attempt to resuscitate it in the here and have begun to reconsider the diverse social and ecologic now. Moreover, if we set our sights on one target land- values of these woodlands. Amidst this most recent social scape, we risk erasing the identity of the satoyama land- revaluation, numerous efforts to conserve and manage the scape: disturbance and change. Thus, rather than restore a remaining satoyama have appeared. Volunteers have come past landscape, it seems the more important task is to forward to conserve satoyama threatened by development redevelop a contemporary relationship between communi- and to restore the open conditions of formerly managed ties and woodlands that meshes with socially defined needs woodlands. Thus, even today, the driving force behind the of today and tomorrow. transformation of satoyama continues to be changing The importance of sustaining the relationships that resource needs and values (Fig. 3). produce cultural landscapes is increasingly recognized in World Heritage conservation. In 1992, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee introduced the category of A paradox in the conservation of satoyama ‘‘cultural landscape’’ to protect ‘‘combined works of nature and man’’ of ‘‘outstanding universal value’’ (UNESCO What the historical outline provided above illustrates is that 2008, p. 14). The Committee’s Operational Guidelines satoyama have constantly evolved in tandem with the define several different types of cultural landscape. Among changing resource needs and values of successive genera- these categories, the vast majority of cultural landscape tions. For conservationists and planners, this history of designations have been listed under the category of incessant change presents a paradox: how can we effec- ‘‘continuing landscapes.’’ The introduction of the concept tively plan for the conservation of continually evolving of ‘‘continuing’’ seems to signal a shift away from static landscapes? When attempting to conserve landscapes such heritage conservation towards attempts to sustain the as satoyama, we are first confronted with the task of dynamic socio-ecological relationships which continue to selecting a target landscape. Should our target be the actively shape landscapes (see Pannell 2006). This shift in extensive grassland landscape of the Edo period; the World Heritage conservation approach is not only

123 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216 211 applicable to landscapes of ‘‘outstanding universal value,’’ A new incentive to manage and sustain satoyama but is even more important for ‘‘ordinary’’ agricultural and woodlands is generated by the need to curb global climate woodland landscapes such as satoyama. In contrast to change (Yokohari et al. 2006). Under the terms of the landscapes of universal value, which may be conserved for Protocol, signatory industrialized nations agreed to their exceptional qualities, less-outstanding agricultural reduce their overall emissions by 5.2% by 2010 based on and woodland landscapes cannot be sustained without 1990 levels. For Japan, this means that the nation is incentives to continue the dynamic and evolving relation- required to reduce overall emissions by 6%. To meet this ships which produce them. Thus, satoyama woodland national level goal, the Japanese government has given conservation, and cultural landscape conservation in gen- each economic sector emission reduction targets (Ministry eral, should perhaps begin by questioning which human– of the Environment 2008b). Carbon reduction requirements nature relationships can and should be sustained into the will likely result in strategies to reforest areas overseas and foreseeable future. investments in emission trading schemes and Clean Development Mechanisms. In addition, since the carbon sequestration function provided by forest management can, Seeing the future in today’s needs: satoyama under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto agreement, be counted and lower-carbon communities towards each nation’s reduction requirements, management is also being pursued as a means of meeting As detailed by Nakagawa (2004), more than 2,000 citizen reduction goals. However, while carbon offsets and for- organizations are currently managing satoyama woodlands estry management may potentially curb climate change, we on a volunteer basis throughout Japan. While these vol- argue that there is a fundamental need to pursue locally unteer efforts have successfully conserved and restored based solutions to climate change as well. In these local woodlands and directed attention to the importance of sa- endeavors, satoyama woodland management can play an toyama, volunteer-based management remains highly lim- important role in reducing carbon in the atmosphere. ited in scope. The Ministry of the Environment estimates Satoyama woodlands naturally serve to fix carbon, and that roughly 20% of the Japanese land base can be classi- conservation and management to promote forest growth fied as satoyama (Tsunekawa 2003a). Based on this area, can further reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Tsunekawa (2003b) estimates that volunteers are only Yet, at the same time, satoyama woodlands can also be capable of managing 0.03% of the entire satoyama area in used as a source of woody biomass, a carbon-lean alter- Japan. Thus, while citizens’ groups have rallied to conserve native energy resource, to further reduce carbon emissions. and manage satoyama, and numerous studies have revealed In recent years, a number of studies have examined various the social and ecological benefits of woodland management aspects of utilizing satoyama as a biomass resource (Takeuchi et al. 2003), the vast majority of satoyama will (Nakagawa 2003; Yokohari et al. 2006). However, while remain unmanaged without the introduction of new the carbon fixation and carbon emission reduction func- incentives to extend the scope of management. If we hope tions of satoyama are normally examined in isolation, it is to sustain these landscapes, we should begin by considering imperative to consider them in tandem (Terada et al. 2009). the ways in which these woodlands are currently valued Moreover, woody biomass from satoyama woodlands and the social needs they might meet today. In recent should not be seen as an isolated biomass resource, but as a decades, amidst changing relationships between satoyama part of a broader supply of potential biomass, including and people, these woodlands have been recognized as biomass procured from other open spaces and waste. having diverse socio-ecological values. For example, Expanding the potential supply of biomass resources research by the Ministry of the Environment (2008a) beyond satoyama would make the establishment of bio- indicates that over half of the wildlife species in Japan are mass utilization systems more economical. The develop- accommodated in satoyama, and that human disturbances ment of these systems would not only serve to (i.e., management) are essential to maintain this biodiver- simultaneously fix carbon and lower carbon emissions by sity. At the same time, satoyama woodlands are increas- substituting carbon-neutral biomass for fossil fuels, but ingly valued for the important social functions they offer. also provide an incentive for management that could help In particular, people have become increasingly interested realize a number of multifunctional values. Thus, it seems in the recreational opportunities inherent in the woodland that reviving biomass utilization—the historical incentive management process as well as the social, ecological, for managing these woodlands—represents an important cultural and aesthetic values that stem from management incentive to sustain the relationships between people and (Takeuchi et al. 2003). These social and ecological func- satoyama woodlands into the future. tions are all highly important; however, they only offer A recently completed case study of Kashiwa, a suburban limited incentive to manage satoyama. community 30 km from central Tokyo that covers 115 km2 123 212 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216

Fig. 4 Satoyama woodlands and urban green spaces in Kashiwa City (adapted from Terada et al. 2009)

and contains a population of 390,219, demonstrates that sa- The case study of Kashiwa outlined above illustrates that toyama woodland management and utilization can contribute management and utilization of satoyama can serve as means to carbon reduction goals. Terada et al. (2009)estimatethe of meeting carbon reduction requirements and contribute to carbon fixation and carbon emission reduction potential of the development of a lower-carbon society. It is therefore various biomass utilization schemes for satoyama and other important not to focus solely on the sequestration function green spaces throughout the suburban city (Fig. 4). To eval- of woodlands, but to simultaneously examine and pursue uate carbon fixation and emission reductions, three different the development of biomass utilization systems based on biomass utilization scenarios based on intensity of manage- satoyama woodlands and other local bioresources. Rede- ment are analyzed: (a) carbon fixation, (b) biomass utilization veloping ‘‘working’’ woodlands as suppliers of wood and carbon fixation, and (c) intensive biomass utilization. The energy has the potential to reduce carbon in the atmosphere results of this analysis reveal that, while there is negligible and to realize other multifunctional values stemming from variance between the different schemes, a total of 6,000– management. Utilizing satoyama as a wood and energy

6,500 CO2-t/yr could be sequestered and reduced. In total, resource would give these woodlands value in the present 2,500–3,900 dry-t/yr of woody biomass could be collected day, and thus presents a highly important direction for and transformed into energy to meet the needs of 1,800–3,300 conserving continually evolving satoyama landscapes. households. The implementation of a comprehensive biomass However, while the redevelopment of working satoyama management and utilization system would allow the city woodlands may be vital to their continued conservation, this of Kashiwa to surpass its recently set carbon reduction goals will not materialize without the establishment of stronger for the categories of ‘‘energy introduction’’ and ‘‘forest support for local woodland management and utilization. management’’ (City of Kashiwa 2008). Management and uti- lization of biomass resources in Kashiwa would achieve 240– 430% of the goal for new energy introduction and exceed the Cross-cultural collaborations: community forestry forest management goal by 130–150% (Terada et al. 2009). networks and working woodlands Thus, this case study reveals that management and utilization of satoyama, even in a highly developed environment such as The redevelopment of working woodlands cannot be suburban Tokyo, can help reduce carbon in the atmosphere. accomplished by any one person or group in isolation. It Moreover, previous research indicates that even further carbon requires the simultaneous management and production of a reduction potential can be found in well-forested, outer-ring supply of woody biomass and the development of demand suburban environments (Yokohari et al. 2006). for these resources. Satoyama woodlands contain an

123 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216 213 abundant supply of woody biomass. However, this supply is England has a rich history of woodland management, undermanaged, stretched across a patchwork of public and exemplified by numerous remaining ‘‘ancient woodlands’’ private land ownership and fragmented into small plots. (Rackham 1980). However, similar to trends in Japan, Although citizen-based volunteer efforts to manage satoy- forestry and woodland management have greatly declined ama have increased, these small-scale, ad hoc arrangements in recent years, becoming largely post-productive. The are limited by a lack of woodland access, labor power, accuracy and utility of the concept of post-productivism are equipment, funding, and forestry skills (Tsunekawa 2003b). disputed; however, this term seems to accurately describe a Thus, there is a need to establish new policies to coordinate, shift experienced in many advanced industrial nations promote and expand the scope of woodland management as away from strict productivist forest management towards well as to develop locally based forums for mitigating multifunctional forests where consumptive benefits are potential conflict. At the same time, there is a need to prioritized (Mather 2001). In many ways, this shift is stimulate demand for local biomass resources. Increased exemplified by England’s Community Forests. In 1990, the local demand for wood energy would provide a necessary Countryside Agency partnered with the Forestry Com- incentive to manage satoyama woodlands. However, since mission to establish 12 Community Forests throughout there are serious limitations to small-scale, individual England as part of a 40-year initiative aimed at socio- household woodfuel utilization in densely populated resi- economic regeneration through environmental restoration dential areas in Japan, stimulating local demand will prob- (Countryside Agency 1999). The Community Forests are lematically require substantial initial investment in costly found in and around the largest conurbanations in England wood boilers or other medium-scale means of transforming and many are located in areas that have experienced wood fuel into energy. Yet organizations are unlikely to environmental and economic decline as a result of faltering invest in expensive wood energy systems unless an adequate extractive industries and de-industrialization. This initia- supply of wood energy is available. Thus, we are faced with tive aims to revitalize these areas through and a dilemma: without supply there is no demand, and without the improvement of existing forest resources. While the demand there is no supply. Community Forests are a national level initiative, they The redevelopment of working satoyama woodlands primarily operate at the local and subregional levels by requires the concurrent establishment of a supply and bringing diverse actors together to implement various for- demand chain for local biomass resources. This can only be est-related projects. While many of these projects could be accomplished by obtaining a ‘‘critical mass’’ of support characterized as post-productive, the activities of the South from various groups. Recently, in addition to the strong Yorkshire Forest Partnership (SYFP) illustrate that the support for satoyama management provided by citizen- Community Forests may also serve as a hub around which based volunteer groups, both municipal governments and the redevelopment of working woodlands can be realized. local businesses have gained an increasingly vested interest The SYFP has become an important player in the effort in supporting the management and utilization of satoyama. to redevelop working woodlands in South Yorkshire, a Private firms have become increasingly interested in sup- subregion which includes Sheffield, Rotherham and porting satoyama management as a means of demonstrat- Barnsley, and is home to nearly 1.3 million people. The ing corporate social responsibility and reducing their South Yorkshire Forest covers 505.30 km2 and is 40% carbon footprints (Mizushima et al. 2008). Municipalities urban. The area is composed of multiple land uses, are also increasingly pressed to reduce their carbon foot- although, as of 2000, forests only covered 7.7% of the area prints and have the potential to access funding and stimu- (SYFP 2002). The partnership is pursuing a number of late local demand. However, the management and projects aimed at increasing woodland cover in the region, utilization of woody biomass from satoyama cannot be as well as providing increased recreational opportunities achieved by any one of these stakeholders in isolation. and a more attractive landscape. One project, Fuelling a Only through the establishment of an extensive satoyama- Revolution: The Woods That Founded the Steel Country, based network of landowners, citizens, local communities, celebrates the links between the region’s ancient wood- and government and business leaders can working satoy- lands and its heritage as a progenitor of the industrial ama woodlands be realized. To effectively build such revolution (Fig. 5). Utilizing Heritage Lottery Funds, this networks, it is important to look at how wood energy five-year project aimed to restore, encourage access to, networks are being developed in similar contexts beyond survey and record, interpret, and provide an educational Japan. Here, it is suggested that recent woodland man- resource for 35 ancient woodlands owned by the Local agement and wood-energy-related policy developments in Authorities. While this project celebrated the links between the United Kingdom, particularly the development of the region’s ancient woodlands and its industrial history, England’s Community Forests, offers an opportunity for another project—South Yorkshire Woodfuel—is reviving cross-cultural learning and collaboration. this woodland history in the present day through the 123 214 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216

Fig. 5 Map of South Yorkshire forest (Community Forest data provided courtesy of the Forestry Commission; Deciduous Woodland Network data provided courtesy of Natural England)

Fig. 6 Homepage of the South Yorkshire Woodfuel project (from http://www.syforest.co.uk)

development of a wood-energy cluster (Fig. 6). Drawing owned buildings. At the same time, SYFP is also utilizing on European Structural Funds channeled into South grants to purchase equipment to establish the region’s first Yorkshire Objective 1 Forestry Resource Grants, the part- dedicated biomass producer. While the activities of the nership is spurring wood-energy demand by funding the SYFP remain understudied, this initiative is highly relevant installation of woodfuel boilers in private and municipally to efforts to redevelop working satoyama woodlands, and 123 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216 215 illustrates the important need for further cross-cultural this intimate, living relationship between human commu- collaboration. nities and nonhuman nature. This living relationship cannot be frozen in time. The conservation of satoyama must not focus upon freezing these landscapes, but must instead be Conclusions: a future-oriented perspective of satoyama an active exercise in finding appropriate means of letting them live. The film My neighbor Totoro played a powerful part in raising public concern for satoyama landscapes. The nos- talgic landscape beautifully depicted in the film helped to spur efforts to conserve and restore the remaining satoy- References ama. These restoration efforts are highly important and provide an important foundation upon which to revitalize City of Kashiwa (2008) Kashiwa-shi chikyuu ondan-ka taisaku satoyama. However, we need to be careful not to keikaku. Kashiwa-shi kankyou-bu kankyou hozen-ka, Kashiwa leave satoyama in the rearview mirror. The conservation of (in Japanese) satoyama requires a shift to a forward and future-oriented Countryside Agency (1999) Regeneration around cities: the role of England’s Community Forests. Countryside Agency, Cheltenham perspective. In this review, we briefly looked back to Fukamachi K, Oku H, Nakashizuka T (2001) The change of a illustrate that satoyama have continually evolved in tandem satoyama landscape and its causality in Kamiseya, Kyoto with shifting resource needs and values, but we then looked Prefecture, Japan between 1970 and 1995. Landsc Ecol forward, suggesting that it is imperative not to simply 16:703–717 Imamori M (1995) Satoyama: in harmony with neighboring nature. restore the past but rather to restore productive relation- Tokyo, Shincho-Sha (in Japanese) ships between communities and woodlands in the present. Kobori H, Primack RB (2003) Participatory conservation approaches Only by sustaining a continuing connection between for satoyama, the traditional forest and agricultural landscape of people and satoyama can these landscapes be handed down Japan. AMBIO J Hum Environ 32:307–311 Mather AS (2001) Forests of consumption: postproductivism, post- to future generations. materialism, and the postindustrial forest. Environ Plan C Gov In the present day, it is expected that the conservation of Policy 19:249–268 a continuing connection between people and satoyama will Ministry of the Environment (2008a) The third national strategy for be propelled by the pressing need to halt global climate the conservation of biological diversity. Ministry of the Envi- ronment, Tokyo (in Japanese) change. Satoyama woodlands of course serve to fix carbon. Ministry of the Environment (2008b) Comprehensive planning for However, we need to also find ways to utilize these achieving the goals of Kyoto Protocol. Ministry of the Environ- woodlands as a carbon-lean alternative energy resource to ment, Tokyo (in Japanese) further reduce carbon emissions. Thus, the past incentive Mizushima T, Kaga H, Shimomura Y, Masuda N (2008) A study about community conservation of natural environment activity for managing satoyama woodlands—to produce fuel and view from corporate social responsibility. J Jpn Inst Landsc other bioresources—may provide a present-day incentive Archit 71:705–708 (in Japanese with English abstract) to manage these woodlands and thereby meet a range of Nakagawa S (2003) Coppice wood as an energy source. In: Takeuchi other multifunctional goals that people are currently K, Brown RD, Washitani I, Tsunekawa A, Yokohari M (eds) Satoyama: the traditional rural landscape of Japan. Springer, seeking in these woodland landscapes. Tokyo, pp 158–171 Redeveloping working satoyama woodlands is vital to Nakagawa S (2004) Mori-zukuri tekisubukku. Yama to Keikokusha, their conservation; however, this will not happen without Tokyo (in Japanese) stronger support and the establishment of innovative policy Pannell S (2006) Reconciling nature and culture in a global context: lessons from the World Heritage List. Rainforest CRC James frameworks. The redevelopment of working satoyama Cook University, Cairns woodlands requires the formation of strong, diverse net- Rackham O (1980) Ancient woodland. Edward Arnold, London works of support, as exemplified by the wood-energy cluster Shidei T (2006) Shinrin ha mori ya hayashi dewa nai. Nakanishiya, developing around the SYFP. Furthermore, as the example Kyoto (in Japanese) Takeuchi K (2003) Satoyama landscapes as managed nature. In: of SYFP also makes plainly evident, there is a fundamental Takeuchi K, Brown RD, Washitani I, Tsunekawa A, Yokohari M need to collaborate with, and learn from, woodland revital- (eds) Satoyama: the traditional rural landscape of Japan. ization efforts occurring elsewhere. Sustained cross-cultural Springer, Tokyo, pp 9–16 collaboration presents an opportunity to work through the Takeuchi K, Brown RD, Washitani I, Tsunekawa A, Yokohari M (2003) Satoyama: the traditional rural landscape of Japan. paradoxes of continuing landscape conservation and sustain Springer, Tokyo living, working cultural landscapes. Tamura S (1998) Mura kara mita satoyama no shizen to hitobito no In conclusion, satoyama landscapes are not fossils. These kurashi. Ogawa-machi, Saitama (in Japanese) landscapes have been, and will continue to be, produced and Terada T, Yokohari M, Tanaka N (2009) Estimates of CO2 fixation and reduction based on various maintenance scenarios and continually re-produced according to the evolving needs of woody biomass utilization in a suburban area. J Jpn Inst Landsc successive generations. The term ‘‘satoyama’’ itself reflects Archit 723–726 (in Japanese with English abstract) 123 216 Landscape Ecol Eng (2011) 7:207–216

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