Protected Forests (Japan)

Forests cover approximately two-thirds of Japan, extending over some 25,000,000 hectares (62,000,000 acres); of this, according to the Forestry Agency (林野庁), c.54% is classed as "natural forest", "planted forest" comprising most of the remainder.[1] In terms of ownership, 58% of all forest is in private hands, state-owned "national forests" (ja) represent 30%, with the remaining 12% otherwise publicly owned, by prefectural and municipal governments, etc.[1]

Forest conservation measures have a long history in the country: according to the Yōrō Code of 718, "the benefits of mountain, river, grove, and marsh are for government and people alike", with two clauses prohibiting cultivation in the mountains and encouraging the planting of trees along riverbanks and beside dams to counter erosion, while in Kasugayama Primeval Forest (春日山原始林) in Nara, tree-felling and hunting have been forbidden since 841.[2][3]

Currently, forests are protected under a number of different systems and laws: as Natural Parks under the Natural Parks Act, Nature Conservation Areas under the Nature Conservation Act, Wildlife Protection Areas under the Wildlife Protection and Hunting Management Act, Natural Habitat Conservation Areas under the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Act, Special Seed Tree Forests (特別母樹林) under the Forestry Seeds and Seedlings Act (林業種苗法), Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties—and as Protected Forests and Green Corridors.[1][4]

Protected Forests date back to an ordinance of Taishō 4 (1915), with the first such forest established the following year, in Kamikōchi.[5][6] By 1932, there were 93 Protected Forests covering a combined area of 110,000 hectares (270,000 acres).[5] Demand for timber increased with post-war reconstruction, and the area protected had significantly decreased by the late 1950s and continued to fall through the 1960s.[5] In 1972, the Forestry Agency issued a new Protected Forest management plan, and in 1973 the area under protection increased 150%.[5] By 1988, there were 795 Protected Forests, covering an area of 166,800 hectares (412,000 acres).[5] In 1991, the National Forest Regulations were completely overhauled, with a renewed focus on function and use rather than classification based on species—the four types identified were National Land Conservation Forest, Natural Maintenance Forest, Space Utilization Forest, and Wood Production Forest—and in 2001 the Forests and Forestry Basic Act (森林・林業基本法) was fully revised in line with international trends towards sustainability; the nation's basic forestry strategy and management plan are developed in accordance with this Act.[1][5]

In 2015, a century after their institution, the Protected Forest system was revised, with the categories reduced from seven to three: (1) Forest Biosphere Reserve; (2) Biotic Community Protection Forest; and (3) Rare Population Protection Forest.[1][7][note 1] As of 1 April 2018, there were in total 666 Protected Forests, covering an area of 977,000 hectares (2,410,000 acres), approximately 4% of the total forested area of the country, and 13% of that represented by national forest.[8][9] As of 1 April 2019, a network of 24 Green Corridors, established to connect Protected Forests and facilitate interaction between discrete populations, represented a further 584,000 hectares (1,440,000 acres) of national forest.[1][10]

As of 1 April 2019, 24 Green Corridors (緑の回廊) have been designated, covering an area of 584,000 hectares (1,440,000 acres).[10]

Green Corridor	Designated Name	Prefecture	Area (km2)	Length (km)	Image	Coordinates	Ref.
Shiretoko Peninsula	知床半島緑の回廊	Hokkaidō	120	36		43°53′N 145°01′E
Taisetsu–Hidaka	大雪・日高緑の回廊	Hokkaidō	170	57		43°13′N 142°47′E
Shikotsu–Muine	支笏・無意根緑の回廊	Hokkaidō	70	30		42°49′N 141°12′E
Shirakami–Hakkōda	白神八甲田緑の回廊	Aomori	220	50		40°31′N 140°02′E
Ōu Mountains	奥羽山脈緑の回廊	Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata	730	400		39°44′N 140°43′E
Kitakami Plateau	北上高地緑の回廊	Iwate	260	150		39°13′N 141°42′E
Chōkai-Asahi–Iide-Azuma	鳥海朝日・飯豊吾妻緑の回廊	Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Niigata	590	260		38°58′N 140°46′E
Hachimantai–Mount Taihei	八幡平太平山緑の回廊	Akita	110	60		39°57′N 140°41′E
Aizu Mountains	会津山地緑の回廊	Fukushima	1058	100		37°23′N 139°18′E
Nikkō–Mount Azuma	日光・吾妻山地緑の回廊	Fukushima, Tochigi	939	180		37°41′N 140°11′E
Echigo Line	緑の回廊越後線	Fukushima, Niigata	161	76		37°25′N 139°11′E
Nikkō Line	緑の回廊日光線	Tochigi	114	41		36°47′N 139°21′E
Mikuni Line	緑の回廊三国線	Gunma, Niigata, Nagano	131	56		36°52′N 138°42′E
Chichibu Mountains	秩父山地緑の回廊	Saitama	65	44		35°59′N 138°47′E
Mount Tanzawa	丹沢緑の回廊	Kanagawa	36	40		35°28′N 139°10′E
Hakusan Mountains	白山山系緑の回廊	Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu	430	70		36°10′N 136°44′E
Etsumi Mountains	越美山地緑の回廊	Fukui, Gifu, Shiga	240	66		35°46′N 136°31′E
Fuji-san	富士山緑の回廊	Yamanashi	21	24		35°22′N 138°44′E
Yatsugatake	緑の回廊八ヶ岳	Yamanashi, Nagano	60	21		35°14′N 137°39′E
Amakazari–Togakushi	緑の回廊雨飾・戸隠	Nagano	40	17		36°47′N 138°02′E
Eastern Chūgoku Mountains	東中国山地緑の回廊	Hyōgo, Tottori, Okayama	60	42		35°26′N 134°26′E
Shikoku Mountains	四国山地緑の回廊	Ehime, Kōchi	170	137		33°46′N 133°10′E
Aya River Upper Stretches	綾川上流緑の回廊	Miyazaki	20	5		32°01′N 131°14′E
Ōsumi Peninsula	大隅半島緑の回廊	Kagoshima	10	22		31°08′N 130°55′E

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
• 100 Terraced Rice Fields of Japan
• Flora of Japan

• (in Japanese) Links to regional Protected Forest listings