OUIK is mapping information for understanding the relationship between regional nature and culture. We have published the booklets “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi Maps” and “Kanazawa Nature and Culture Maps”.
We are collecting map information at different levels of prefectures and municipalities in the Hokuriku Region. With a focus on the keywords of biological diversity, cultural diversity and ecosystem service, we are creating tools for learning and information dissemination that meet regional needs.

On June 25, 2026, 13 fifth-grade students from Notojima Elementary School participated in marine life survey  on a rocky shore in Nagasaki-machi, Notojima Island.

The activity was organized by Nanao City, with support from  the Noto GIAHS Biodiversity Working Group. Dr. Hiroaki Arakawa of the Noto Marine Center, a member of the Noto GIAHS Biodiversity Working Group, served as the instructor, with on-site support from Yoshihiro Kimori of Notojima Aquarium, Nobuhide Gennai of Notojima Shizen-no-Sato Nagasaki, and Sayako Koyama of UNU-IAS OUIK. The activity began with an explanation of the day’s schedule by a representative of Nanao City. Dr. Arakawa then introduced the children to the local Satoumi environment and explained the safety precautions and other important points for conducting the survey.

Wearing life jackets and marine boots and carrying underwater viewing boxes and buckets, the children eagerly made their way to the shore. Even along the way, they stopped to peer into a stream beside the path, looking for aquatic life and showing their curiosity from the very beginning.

In the shallow waters along the rocky shore, the children observed large numbers of small marine snails, including ishidadamigai and sugai, as well as small fish such as dorome gobies. Wading waist-deep into the water, they became completely absorbed in searching for marine life.

When the observation session ended, the children called out enthusiastically, “I want to do it again!” and “Next time, I’m definitely going to catch a fish!” Their reactions showed how much they had enjoyed interacting with the natural environment of Notojima.

After collecting the organisms, the children worked in groups to identify them and learn about their characteristics. They closely observed a wide variety of marine life, including shore crabs, kinubari gobies and purple sea urchins.

During Q&A session with Dr. Arakawa, the children asked a wide range of questions. Some reflected their interest in  local food culture, such as “What is the best way to eat limpets?”. Other focused on marine ecology and safety, including “How large do Dorome gobies grow?” —to which the answer was approximately 10 centimetres—and “How large do kinubari gobies become?” They also asked how often people are injured by sea urchins. Their lively questions demonstrated their strong interest in the marine environment and helped deepen their learning.

Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, slight land subsidence has been observed in parts of Nanao Bay, alongside other changes to the coastal environment. Against this backdrop, it was especially meaningful for the children to have an opportunity to enter the sea and learn through direct interaction with their local natural environment. It is hoped that this survey will help the children gain a deeper appreciation for the rich marine environment of their hometown, Notojima, and encourage them to conserve and pass it on to future generations.

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.

Five years have passed since “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi” was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). OUIK has supported the revision of action plans and monitoring activities after the GIAHS designation.

Biodiversity monitoring activities in Noto, which are carried out in an area that encompasses four cities and five towns, focus on surveys of living creatures conducted independently by municipal governments and private organizations; a unified monitoring system to disseminate information related to biodiversity has not yet been developed.

In response to this situation, “Noto Biodiversity Society” was established by OUIK and Kanazawa University Satoyama-satoumi Project to contribute to Noto GIAHS through monitoring of biodiversity and related activities. The members of this society include people who belong to private organizations that promote the preservation of biodiversity and environmental education in the region, as well as researchers working in laboratories related to biodiversity in Noto.

On January 23, we announced the establishment at a meeting of Noto GIAHS Utilization Executive Committee and Noto GIAHS Promotion Council, in which OUIK participates as an observer. Through surveys of living creatures and related activities, the society will contribute to the preservation and monitoring of biodiversity and dissemination of information, in cooperation with the Council.

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.

The book introduces unique roles and teachings of Japanese Gardens in Kanazawa City in a relation with human society and it is breaking new ground for Kanazawa’s sustainable future. 

After one year since the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity, a series of 2 inernational forums were held to explore the measurements to further promote the Ishikawa Declaration with international initiatives and East Asian partner. 

International Forum Series 1 (4/10/2017)

Biocultural diversity & satoyama: Effort towards societies in harmony with nature around the world.

International Forum Series 2 (15/10/2017)

Preserving Biocultural Diversity for Future Generations:Partnarship of East Aisan Countries. 

From January 1, 2016 until 2030, United Nations adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), with 17 goals and 169 targets, to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. These goals are applied to all countries and regions, and for the next 15 years they will be the critical tools in the dialogs to solve environmental, economic and social issues. Youth capacity development towards those issues will be essential to ensure the successful achievements of those goals. This Workshop is jointly created by Kanazawa University and United Nations University, and it aims to create the platform for the younger generations to come together and deepen the discussions on SDGs and share the regional issues.

It documents discussions and article contributions by speakers who participated in the OUIK Noto Satoumi Lecture Series held in 2015. This lecture series highlighted the Noto Satoumi Movement, which emphasizes local, traditional wisdom of living with the sea, and led in part to the Noto Peninsula’s designation as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2011.

The Noto Satoumi Movement aims to establish the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture as a leading center for satoumi research and conservation efforts on the Sea of Japan, as well as to promote a deeper awareness both in and outside of Japan of the concept of Satoumi, the charm of Noto’s satoumi and its related livelihoods, and the importance of satoumi conservation. The booklet is available from here