The fast economical growth of Japan reflected on its cultural landscapes in a double way: sub-urban areas have been deeply transformed under the economical pressure which caused almost the total disappearing of the historic landscape. On the other hand marginal rural areas have undergone relevant land-use transformation due to abandonment or wide scale works by the ministry of agriculture like reforestation with monoculture tree plantations. Facing such situation the historic rural landscape of Japan has almost extinct; only in the second half of the 20th century historic landscape started to be considered from the natural point and cultural point of view. Little by little it has been protected by national laws or by other means. Despite the national policy for the protection of cultural landscape has been considerably supported by the government during the past decade, the protection in practice is still subordinated to the other priorities, thus the cultural landscape conservation is something that can be achieved only when there is no competition with other sectors or can be used by tourism activities. The papers analyses the most relevant cultural landscapes, mainly from the land-use transformation point of view, according to the most common cultivation and geographical features of the Country. Despite collective imagination associates rural landscape of Japan to paddy fields, there are many other sorts with unique features. The case studies have been chosen on the basis of the sites nominated by the Government as “important cultural landscapes” and in some cases on the basis of personal researches undergone across the entire Country. Consequently, the latest protection measures, enacted by central, local governments or local communities, are confronted in order to understand their efficiency in the protection and/or management of historic rural landscapes. In the conclusion the Japanese approach to cultural landscape protection is confronted with the European and international context (UNESCO) in order to highlight differences which might give rise to alternative solutions.
Japanese cultural landscapes: their transformation and protection
DARIO PAOLUCCI, MATTEO
2010-01-01
Abstract
The fast economical growth of Japan reflected on its cultural landscapes in a double way: sub-urban areas have been deeply transformed under the economical pressure which caused almost the total disappearing of the historic landscape. On the other hand marginal rural areas have undergone relevant land-use transformation due to abandonment or wide scale works by the ministry of agriculture like reforestation with monoculture tree plantations. Facing such situation the historic rural landscape of Japan has almost extinct; only in the second half of the 20th century historic landscape started to be considered from the natural point and cultural point of view. Little by little it has been protected by national laws or by other means. Despite the national policy for the protection of cultural landscape has been considerably supported by the government during the past decade, the protection in practice is still subordinated to the other priorities, thus the cultural landscape conservation is something that can be achieved only when there is no competition with other sectors or can be used by tourism activities. The papers analyses the most relevant cultural landscapes, mainly from the land-use transformation point of view, according to the most common cultivation and geographical features of the Country. Despite collective imagination associates rural landscape of Japan to paddy fields, there are many other sorts with unique features. The case studies have been chosen on the basis of the sites nominated by the Government as “important cultural landscapes” and in some cases on the basis of personal researches undergone across the entire Country. Consequently, the latest protection measures, enacted by central, local governments or local communities, are confronted in order to understand their efficiency in the protection and/or management of historic rural landscapes. In the conclusion the Japanese approach to cultural landscape protection is confronted with the European and international context (UNESCO) in order to highlight differences which might give rise to alternative solutions.
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