Green waves of rice rippled in the sticky summer breeze, startling a slender figure to take flight. With a frog wriggling out of its beak, an egret flashed its white feathers, dancing into the cobalt sky. Catching the warm wind under its broad wings, the egret soared over the sea of green towards the distant mountains.

In Japan, traditional agricultural practices have created a unique ecosystem, known as the “satoyama”. “Sato” means “village” and “yama” means “mountain.” In these landscapes, a buffer between the human-managed and natural world, wildlife and ecosystems thrive. Hundreds of years ago, most people did not move around from their local villages, so the conservation of the local natural resources was of utmost importance. People maintained open woodlands specifically used for lumber and firewood, and water resources were kept pristine to ensure a good rice harvest. These human-made landscapes not only kept large animals away from the villages but provided an opportunity for some animals to adapt to the new environment.

Satoyama can be found throughout Japan. The photo above was taken just half an hour by car from Tokyo Disneyland. The unique ecosystems found in the satoyama provide a home for species such as the Japanese tree frog and the golden venus chub, as well as serving as a resting point for egrets and pheasants.

The future of the satoyama is at risk. The farming population is rapidly aging, forcing many of them to abandon their trade and leave their plots untended. Many of the abandoned farmlands are now being developed to build new houses, erasing any chance of them being reutilized. The farmlands that haven’t been developed showed a trend of decreasing biodiversity, sometimes even endangering species into becoming extinct. Traditional farmers are also retiring, taking with them the local farming knowledge vital in managing the satoyama. Younger Japanese are opting to work in urban areas, leading to a labor shortage in rural Japan. The prospect of finding better, high-paying, more sophisticated jobs in metropolitan areas has deterred the youth from staying in the countryside. 

Efforts to save the satoyama are already underway. The Japanese ministry of agriculture created the “satoyama initiative with the support of the United Nations. ” It is trying to promote a sustainable model of agriculture and highlight its benefits to help preserve the traditional Japanese landscape. To encourage younger generations to work in the agricultural institution, many farmers have corporatized their trade so people can join their “company” when they become farmers. 

Japan’s rapidly changing population is bound to push social and political changes that will not only affect the future of the satoyama but Japanese society as a whole. In my beat, I will explore efforts to preserve the satoyama and what it can tell us about the future of Japanese agriculture and society.