The word “satoyama” literally translates to a mountainous farming community with terraced rice farming. However, the original Japanese word conveys much more than that. It has come to mean a place where people of the distant past would have a stable supply of food, fuel, and other things necessary for living. In the old days, there was a variety of living things inhabiting the surrounding environment. The satoyama was a place that was to be preserved, with human settlements giving and taking no more than the natural surroundings could process and provide. With this wisdom in mind, communities were built in a way that instinctively recognized the limits of the surrounding environment. It was a coexistence that lasted for hundreds of years.
Our lifestyles underwent a dramatic change with advancing economic growth, and the role of the satoyama ethic in our society diminished. As our modern lifestyles continue to exceed the Earth’s carrying capacity, so is this reflected in our current environmental issues. We look to the diverse values of satoyama to find ways for people to seek solutions to our current problems and pursue a sustainable society.