What is ecotourism ?

Different countries, communities, organizations and even individuals may have different definitions of ecotourism and different interpretations of the definition.

In the US and many European countries, nature-based tourism in national parks is popular, and the idea of ecotourism is closely connected to properly managing the natural environment and tourism activities in order to maintain the land in a sustainable manner. In Japan, however, the emphasis is often on finding ways to co-exist with nature through interaction with the local environment.

In Japan, ecotourism is not limited to nature-based tours but includes tours that focus on experiencing local lifestyles, learning about the culture and history of a place, and supporting locally based industries. So you will likely find ecotours taking place not only in national parks, but also in a wide range of areas including satoyama*, satochi, satoumi, and even sometimes right in the middle of Tokyo. The concept of ecotourism is often interpreted in Japan is as a tool for local community development that utilizes various local resources. An even broader view of ecotourism would also consider environmental education and 'cultural exchange' between urban dwellers and rural communities can as a part of ecotourism.

What is like in a community that lacks vitality?

Exactly. A 2006 survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport found that 62,273 communities in Japan are considered "under-populated", 4.2% (2,634 communities) of which are expected to die out in the near future. Of those, 423 very under-populated communities are thought to disappear within the next decade.

These under-populated communities are of course facing serious challenges, but even in villages that are expected to survive are grappling with problems such as abandoned farms and properties, deforestation, and illegal dumping.

Professor Akira Ohno of Nagano University has warned that villages where more than half the populations are 65 years and older should be considered as "merginal village" or "endangered". Moreover, he predicts that more and more communities -- not just small-scale villages, but also larger villages, towns and districts with ageing population -- will be facing the danger of extinction.

Working in agriculture and forestry is not as easy as that. You can't forget that working with living beings -- crops and forests -- means constant care is required and it's not something you can do as a commuter. It's true that there is an increasing number of agricultural corporations, but corporatization does not offer solutions to declining forests in under-populated villages without good infrastructure or small-scale fields on mountain slopes being abandoned. Also, it takes a lot of time for abandoned land to regain the fertility of its soil.

You know Japan has a very low self-sufficiency rate, right? It's about 40%, which is the lowest among developed countries. We cannot depend entirely on imports because there will be concerns over food safety, which will likely continue to increase, and it's also possible that we lose our capacity to import food due to factors such as the global population growth, higher oil prices, and the yen's weaker exchange value.
According EJ Board member Mr. Takashi Fukui, many small-scale family farms are growing crops for their own consumption, and though often not reflected on official statistics, their production amount is quite large. There are a lot of people who receive care packages consisting of vegetables grown in their hometown. As you can see, rural communities dying out and farmlands being abandoned are not just isolated problems, but can lead to food crises across the country.

The beautiful landscapes of rural Japan can only exist with people taking care of the communities they live in. Without human inhabitants, rural communities will lose their terraced rice fields on mountain slopes and forests passed down over generations, which may lead to landslides burying rivers. Then, the lower reaches of the river will not have the stream, which can lead to water supply crises in cities.
Wild animals living in mountains like bears, boars and monkeys, will start coming down to abandoned villages and damage the land if nobody lives there. On abandoned fields plant diseases may occur more easily, which would necessitate the use of pesticides, which would otherwise be unnecessary.

Revitalizing Communities with Ecotourism!

We create opportunities for people to get together:

Through symposiums, lectures, ecotour guide and coordinator training, and Ecotour Cafe events, we offer opportunities for people to get together, share information and learn from each other. We want people to rediscover what they have in their own communities and to create new relationships and networks by providing these platforms.

Our "organizers" or expert advisers, who are leading figures in the field of ecotourism including community-based ecotourism professionals, researchers, educators and professors. They travel throughout Japan to help revitalize rural communities through ecotourism projects. They have on-the-ground experience in community development and have practical skills needed to implement and establish ecotourism projects in rural communities.

Exactly.

Yes. We believe that if we successfully create ecotours together with the local people, they will have the opportunity to rediscover what makes their communities attractive. These ecotours are designed for everyone, young and old alike, to enjoy, and we hope that they will lead to more and more people rediscovering their love for their own communities. Ecotourism in rural areas, moreover, can encourage people living in urban areas to visit and appreciate the countryside, and that will promote ties between communities in rural and urban regions. In this way, ecotourism can contribute to the efforts to encourage young people to stay in rural communities by providing increased opportunities locally. Ecotourism can also be expected to help boost other industries affiliated to ecotourism activities, such as accommodations, transportation services, restaurants and gift shops.

No, it is not. But it's not just about selling tours. In the process of evaluating and discussing the local potentials for ecotourism, community members will have the opportunity to share their concerns and problems, and strengthen connections with each other. Even if a successful ecotour is not the end product, the planning process already contributes positively to the community by increasing hope for the future.

If more people regain pride and live in their communities with joy, that will encourage development of local businesses such as green/agriculture tourism, local farm produce delivery, and cultural exchange between communities. As in the story of "Grandmas who Earn Two Hundred Million Yen with Leaves" by Tsutomu Kakuma which was presented at one of the Ecotour Cafe events in Tokyo, invigorated community members means big savings for local municipalities from decreased medical expenses.