Satoyama can be described as a place where people and nature harmoniously exist, where biodiversity flourishes, and where the human spirit and creativity thrives.
Derived from the Japanese words for mountain (“yama”) and village (“sato”), satoyama landscapes are formed and maintained by prolonged interaction between humans and ecosystems. Over time, these patchwork land-use systems often result in rice paddies and/or other fields, regularly logged woodlands for firewood and charcoal production, and grasslands harvested for animal feed, fertilizers and thatch. Satoumi is the marine and coastal landscape corollary.
