Satoyama, Traditional Farming Landscape in Japan, Compared to Scandinavia

Traditional agricultural landscapes have developed through prehistoric and historic time independently in Japan and Northwestern Europe. However, land-use shows many similarities reflected in the landscape. Farming has been dependent on resources from marginal areas surrounding farm vil lage areas, which are named Satoyama woodlands in Japan and outlands in Scandinavia. The major resources have been timber, wood and charcoal fuel, litter for fertilizing, and food products such as nuts, berries, plant shoots, and mushrooms. Long-term land exploitation—sometimes over-exploitation—caused deforestation and the development of open land scapes. More efficient land-concentrated agriculture has caused overgrow ing, while forest regulations have led to afforestation in recent centuries. The major difference between the two regions is that European agriculture involved grazing by cattle and sheep, and this resulted in fences being erected between pastures and villages. In Japan the staple diet has been based on seafood and rice and therefore there has been no need for pas tures; as a consequence no fences occur in the landscape. Modern socie ties in both regions have appreciated the recreation value of traditionally managed cultural landscapes, and there have been private and communal initiatives to restore some such landscapes that are adjacent to cities.