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ABSTRACT
This paper critically analyses the historic development of the national forests (NF) management and policies in Japan, and discusses its relationship with tourism policies. Japan’s NF accounts for approximately 30% of the nation’s forests. “Forest tourism” policies in NF began with the growth of mass tourism in the 1960s, and went through significant quantitative expansion to meet tourism demands until the early 1990s. Infrastructure construction in NF played an important role as a major provider of forest tourism opportunities, which was considered a means to rural development and financial reconstruction. In the late 1990s, however, the NF administration policy changed, introducing collaborative management in all aspects under the new concept, “forests for people”. Under this scheme, management of some of the forest parks were revised, incorporating partnerships with new stakeholders, but others still suffer inadequate management due to factors such as serious financial difficulties, in local municipalities. Positive measures by the Forestry Agency such as the “forests for people” initiative and public participation in management are needed in future.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 The term of NF management (kokuyurin-keiei) is used as not only the timber business administration but also the public service management in NF.
2 Special Account (tokubetsu-kaikei) for NF management was introduced after war as an autonomous accounting system independent of the national budgetary system.
3 95% of the four World Natural Heritage listed areas in Japan are located within the NF.
4 They receive approximately 120 million visits annually.