In rural areas, people have traditionally formed a layered natural environment like satoyama and satoumi by utilizing ecosystem services grounded in local climate, topography, and ecosystems. However, recent trends such as modernization of lifestyles, urban migration, and an aging population have rapidly eroded the traditional cultures that connect nature and humans. On the other hand, there is a growing movement of people seeking satoyama-like environments for tourism and spiritual enrichment, leading to a complex interaction between human mobility, economic activities, and the region’s nature and culture.
At OUIK, we promote the concept of ‘biocultural diversity,’ which aims to capture, preserve, and utilize the interconnection between nature and human culture, thereby fostering sustainable community development. Since the first International Conference on Asian Biocultural Diversity held in October 2016, we have engaged in discussions from various perspectives with diverse partners, such as the SATOYAMA Initiative International Partnership (established on October 4, 2017) focusing on the contributions of biocultural diversity to building a nature-inclusive society and the IUCN Japan Committee (established on October 14, 2017) regarding the importance of passing on biocultural diversity to the next generation.
This time, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo’s International Institute for Sustainability Science (IR3S) and the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), we will hold an international conference considering the transformation of landscapes in the Kanazawa area and surrounding mid-hill regions from the perspective of biocultural diversity, centered on human movement. A walking workshop will take place in the Tokihara district, where more than 20 experts from overseas will explore the relationship between the satoyama landscape around Kanazawa and human activities. How does this connection between biocultural diversity and local lives appear to overseas researchers? We will discuss new urban futures based on various examples from Kanazawa, Japan, and around the world, while also introducing such perspectives. Please register via the button at the bottom of the page.
Hosted by: University of Tokyo’s International Institute for Sustainability Science (IR3S), Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability Ishikawa-Kanazawa Operating Unit (UNU-IAS OUIK)
Supported by: Kanazawa City
Language: Simultaneous interpretation in Japanese and English
Program
14:00 – 14:10 Opening Remarks by the Organizer
Professor Kensuke Fukushi, University of Tokyo’s International Institute for Sustainability Science (IR3S)
14:10 – 14:15 Opening Address by the Director of Kanazawa City’s Environmental Bureau
14:15 – 14:30 Keynote Speech 1: “Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Society in Harmony with Nature and Culture”
Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Director and Specially Appointed Professor, IR3S
14:30 – 14:45 Keynote Speech 2: “Human Flow and Biocultural Perspectives for Sustainable Development and Peace”
Thomas Elmqvist, Professor, Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC)
14:45 – 15:00 Keynote Speech 3: “Biocultural Diversity Surrounding Kanazawa”
Kiyoji Yanai, Professor, Ishikawa Prefectural University
15:00 – 15:20 Break
15:20 – 16:50 Case Presentations and Panel Discussion
Moderator: Tsunao Watanabe (Director, UNU-IAS OUIK)
Panelists:
- Mariko Nakano, Deputy Director of the Natural History Museum: “The Changing Nature of Kanazawa Castle Park”
- Juan Pastor Ivars (UNU-IAS OUIK): “Creating New Commons through Biocultural Diversity”
- Maria Tengo (PhD, Stockholm Resilience Centre)
- Michelle Cox (PhD, University of Loughborough, Anthropology)
- Heather MacMillan (PhD, U.S. Forest Service)
17:00 Closing Remarks”
