(Photo from Ataru’s blog Tokai no Inaka)
Satoyama is a word that describes the farming landscape near the hills and mountains in Japan, where water is abundant and farmers for a long time have maintained the soil for rice and vegetables. The NHK documentary, Satoyama: Japan’s Secret Water Garden was aired on BBC and PBS, and you can now see it on Youtube (links below the fold), narrated by David Attenborough. Welcome to the paddy fields and local communities near Lake Biwa, Japan.
Japan’s Ministry of Environment wants to restore satoyama, the part of the territory located on the outskirts of villages that formerly provided rural Japan with food firewood, coal, water and diverse cultures, somewhat equivalent to the french bocage. Hiromi Kobori and Richard B. Primack describe one particularly successful program where conservation efforts and fund-raising are linked to Totoro, an imaginary forest animal featured in the popular animated film!
Harvest time in Satoyama from UNUChannel
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/2009/01/13/harvest-time-in-satoyama/
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