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The Satohama Creation Study Group
has been proceeding with studies on topics such as the ideal relationship
among people, beaches and local communities and the orientation of efforts
to restore the close bonds between people and beaches.
As a result, the study group proclaimed progress on Satohama
creation will involve actions and various bold efforts to cultivate, nurture
and create "Satohama."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also takes
this declaration to heart seriously, and will proceed with various efforts
from both a soft and hard perspective to deepen bonds between people and
beaches and achieve progress in creating Satohama. |
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Satohama are beaches where the various,
abundant "bonds between beaches and people" that were natural
in bygone years have been resuscitated in forms that serve modern lives.
In both years gone by and today, aspects of beaches as well
as people's lifestyles have evolved. The present and future bonds between
beaches and people will have aspects that differ from those in the past,
and beaches must be newly revived in forms suitable for modern living, while
also taking into consideration factors such as conservation and restoration
of beach natural environments, and beach uses for beach sports and other
activities. |
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"Satoyama"
are locations where various functions have been sustained in a uniform
manner over many long years, as a result of being managed by human
hands and retaining their deep relationship with rural village lives.
Recently their value as familiar venues rich in nature has been reappraised,
and citizen movements to conserve and manage satoyama are popular
and vigorous and new bonds between satoyama and people have appeared.
Based on use of the word "satoyama" for the
areas near mountains where these new bonds between mountains and people
have been born, we have adopted the term "Satohama" for
beaches where new links between the seashore and people are being
forged. |
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The creation of Satohama begins
from respecting local nature and history and taking a close look at the
bonds between beaches and people. The process and means used to create Satohama
will vary depending on the circumstances in each region, and the on gradations
and details of the bonds between beaches and people, and may even change
over time. There is no model that lays out a program that can be followed
"by the book."
This means the separate groups of "people living in the
local area," "government" and "specialists" must
consider, debate and act on various topics, such as "what issues are
a problem," "what issues are important" and "what steps
should we follow to establish bonds between beaches and our own lives"
for their own respective beach areas.
The "creation of Satohama" refers to movements and
efforts to cultivate, nurture and establish - through this process and over
a long period of time - unique bonds between individuals and beaches in
a local area. Through management by each group in this way, individuals
can increase their awareness of beaches as a local "commons." |
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| Stages of progress in creation of Satohama |
| There are considered to be three broad stages
in the creation of Satohama. These are (1) the "problem identification"
stage, (2) the "study of the desired Satohama image" stage, and
(3) the "Satohama image realization process conceptualization and practice"
stage. |
"Problem identification" stage
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Identify problems. |
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Identify problems by walking
around your own beach and community. |
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Investigate what kind of beach
existed in the past. Ask senior citizens. |
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Investigate the former bonds
between the beach and local residents. |
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Compare previous times with
today. |
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Ask specialists and the government
for their thoughts. |
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Consider what you believe to be
the most important thing about your beach. |
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Make improvements to beach and community
problems. |
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"Study of the desired Satohama image"
stage
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Think about the image of the Satohama
you want to achieve. |
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What would be good ways to
reproduce the bonds between the beach and people? |
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What is the best way for lives
and disaster prevention to be related? |
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"Satohama image realization process
conceptualization and practice" stage
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Visualize and practice the means
to realize the Satohama image. |
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Sponsor workshops and events. |
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Cleanup activities |
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Plant seedlings, etc |
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Foster awareness as a commons. |
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Protect and nurture the commons. |
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- Satohama
Creation Declaration -
In the past, beaches were local common spaces
that were firmly positioned at the center of people's lives
through activities such as gathering shellfish, collecting seaweed,
finding living organisms, strolling, gazing over the sea, obtaining
spiritual release, playing, meeting in groups and holding traditional
festivals.
Along with economic development and population growth, however,
Japan's beaches have been substantially transformed.
Since the war, Japan has been struck by extensive
coastal disasters every year, particularly storm surge and tsunami.
As a result, disaster prevention has been considered a subject
of utmost priority and levees and revetments have been built
along coastlines, and consequently Japan has been able to mitigate
threats from storm surge and tsunami. On the other hand, along
with these facilities improvements Japan's beachscapes have
been altered completely, beaches have shrunk in size because
of a decrease in naturally supplied earth and sand, the coastal
environment has deteriorated because of scattered garbage and
other problems, and the cultures fostered by Japan's beaches
have been lost. We believe the bonds between beaches and people
have grown weaker as a result.
Reflecting
on these changes, seashore and water amenities, beautiful landscapes
and rich environments have been understood recently to be important
beach characteristics to be given consideration for beach uses
and environments, and maintenance works have been undertaken
with the goal of creating a balance between these features and
disaster prevention functions. It cannot be said, however, that
beaches have once again become a familiar part of people's lives.
Why?
We believe the cause
lies in the fact that even when various ingenious approaches
and considerations are taken into account, the efforts being
undertaken today basically are measures focused on creating
structures, just as in the past.
What, then, shall we do?
Our proposal
is that "to improve Japan's beaches, we first and foremost
must begin by restoring the bonds between beaches and people."
Efforts aimed at resuscitation of the links between beaches
and people have already begun in various locales, and actions
and various approaches to make these efforts bear fruit as specific
results are needed.
We therefore issue our proclamation here for the promotion of
"Satohama creation."
"Satohama"
are beaches where the various and abundant "bonds between
beaches and people" of years past have been revived in
forms suited to today's lifestyles. Moreover, "Satohama
creation" refers to movements or various efforts by local
citizens to discuss the related issues, including how beaches
should be related to their own communities and the best approach
to disaster prevention, and how to cultivate, nurture and build
unique bonds between local people and beaches over an extended
period of time, while creating and maintaining an awareness
of beaches as a local or community "commons."
This declaration expresses our own resolve to move
ahead with Satohama creation efforts, and simultaneously issues
a call for participation by citizens at every level in Satohama
creation. We urge every concerned party to adapt their consciousness
concerning the relationships of local residents with nearby
beaches, the role of specialists, and coastal administration
by both national and local government. We strongly hope this
declaration will create the opportunity for Satohama creation
to be developed widely, and that the day will come when abundant,
beautiful beaches have been revived, when people live dynamic
lives while enjoying a rich beach culture, and such beaches
and culture are communicated to future generations and a beautiful
country has been formed where beaches symbolize the island country
Japan, for every region of Japan and local citizens everywhere.
May 2003 Satohama Creation
Study Group |
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