We envision a future where all people appreciate natural ecosystems and lead a contented life in a sustainable society.Our mission is to build a beautiful and sustainable society where our children and future generations can enjoy living in harmony with nature.

Today we live in a society of material abundance. It appears to be a prosperous society, but it faces many issues including climate change, declining natural resources, and food shortages. These global issues increasingly threaten our well-being and lives. They are rooted in excessive extraction of natural resources to support our overproduction and overconsumption. Accelerated climate change has been caused by massive emissions of greenhouse gases (such as CO2) into the atmosphere as a result of our production activities.

Having taken our natural resources for granted we have used them wastefully for a long time. Now, we have come to realize that our natural resources are not unlimited. Our planet Earth is much smaller than we thought. Today, we enjoy a modern lifestyle by sacrificing future generations’ share of the limited natural resources on our small Earth. The society built by overusing natural resources and destroying ecosystems is no longer sustainable.

Many countries in the world have recognized this reality seriously and have started taking actions toward more sustainable societies instead of seeking benefits only in the present.

Our lives are supported by natural ecosystems. These ecosystems consist of five interrelated elements ? soil; water; air; sunlight; and wildlife, plants and animals. Wildlife cannot survive without all the other elements in a healthy balance. Furthermore, complicated prey-predator relationships maintain the ecosystem balance. Clean water, food, medical products, and energy are also provided by healthy ecosystems. A natural ecosystem is the foundation of human life and is an essential factor for building a sustainable society.

It is clear that we need to protect and restore healthy ecosystems to build sustainable communities for the future of Japan. All stakeholders, including citizens, industries, local and national governments, need to recognize our current situation and take actions to achieve this goal.

In response to social demands, ECSJ, as an independent expert organization in sustainable community building, plays a major role in calling for actions and connecting different sectors. We are engaged in analysis of national and international practices, consulting, research, and outreach activities to promote sustainable cities in harmony with nature and tradition for future generations.

We all hope to live in a prosperous, beautiful country. Our children and future generations will also have the same hope. Japanese people made significant efforts after the World War II and our country has become one of the largest economies in the world. On the other hand, in return for materialistic wealth, we have lost important assets including our unique culture and traditions, attractive townscapes, and deep appreciation for living in harmony with nature, all of which had been developed in our long history. In particular, our disorganized land usage has killed much wildlife and broken the healthy ecosystem balance.

Due to overuse of underground resources such as fossil fuel, we have released CO2 into the atmosphere, causing climate change, health concerns due to endocrine disruption, and other environmental problems. These issues have negatively impacted the foundation of our own lives. Given that natural ecosystems and underground resources are properties to be shared with future generations, we are damaging the foundation of those generations as well.

Japan is facing a pivotal turning point now. The concept of nature restoration in order to share resources with future generations, which has been long promoted in Europe and the US, is growing and becoming a mainstream idea in Japan. As a leading environmental think tank in Japan, ECSJ will keep playing an active role in the effort to build a sustainable society where our children and future generations can enjoy living in harmony with nature. We appreciate your support for activities to achieve this mission.

Hobun Ikeya
President, Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan

Today, "citizen power" is drawing more attention. As part of our effort for sustainable society building, ECSJ works to expand a network of citizen power based on research and analysis of successful national and international practices. We support citizens interested in taking part in sustainable city building by providing know-how and networking opportunities.

We offer courses on sustainable city building and grassroots activities. A number of the course participants have started grassroots activities and are actively networking with each other.

Securing a land that requires protection is one of the effective conservation methods. Through land trust activities, we protect important natural areas that provide essential habitats for Amami rabbit, Tsushima leopard cat, and other wild fauna and flora. We purchase such lands or acquire them as donations, to preserve them for future generations.

Sustainable society building is deeply related to business management because healthy ecosystems and sustainable lifestyles are the foundations of a stable economy. Today, economic value of ecosystem services such as clean water and genetic resources (which used to be considered free) are being recognized and integrated into the market. In partnership with industries, ECSJ conducts research and projects to expand business opportunities by protecting and enhancing ecosystem services instead of exhausting them.

Through our objective, quantitative evaluations, Japan Habitat Evaluation and Certification Program (JHEP) provides a certificate to corporations for their nature restoration efforts and nature-friendly development works. The Program reviews their nature restoration efforts based on the contribution for biodiversity protection, representation of their local community, and support toward healthy habitats for wildlife. JHEP was developed and has been administrated by ECSJ since 2008. Many corporations have actively participated in raising biodiversity values. The Program has been implemented within a variety of development and construction projects such as large urban redevelopment, apartment complex, factory, and road construction, and welfare facilities.

Japanese people have enjoyed the blessings of wild grasses for food, medicines, and clothing since ancient times. Wild grasses have greatly helped to foster unique Japanese culture as they often appeared in Manyoshu, the 8th century anthology of Japanese poetry. To pay attention to these "wild grasses", we conduct the "Native Grass Project" which aims to build environmentally friendly communities that protect and utilize wild grasses native to their local area as important and attractive resources thereby enhancing biodiversity. The project targets not only endangered and rare species but also common native grasses. In cooperation with citizen groups, corporations, local governments, and universities, we conduct research, protection/restoration, and public awareness activities. Our partner corporations include Mori Building Co., Ltd.; Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd.; Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.; and, Hulic Co., Ltd.

In Japan, sustainable society management has not been taken into consideration in establishing laws or institutions. A crucial first step to change a society is to change its laws and institutions. Based on our intensive research of national and international legislation, we provide suggestions to the Diet and governments for amendments of current laws, regulations and institutions, and we propose enactment of new laws as needed. We also hold seminars for congresspersons and congressional staffers.

In the past, river management had only two dimensions -- flood management and water utilization. We had repeatedly advocated to add the dimension of "river environment conservation." As a result, "conservation and improvement of the river environment” was incorporated as one of the three principal goals in the River Law of 1997. Further, the nature-oriented River Works initiative has become a mainstay of river management since then. This movement also has stimulated river restoration activities.

During enactment of the Law for the Promotion of Nature Restoration, ECSJ lobbied policymakers to include "the objective of recovering the ecosystem and other natural environments that have been damaged or destroyed in the past" as one of the nature restoration missions. We presented our opinion to the Committee on Environment of the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors as a witness, and contributed to additional meaningful contents in the Law.

We support local governments, the main actors of city management, in their sustainable community building and local strategies for biodiversity protection. We conduct biological and sociological research to obtain data for their strategic planning. These data are also used to create ecological network maps that visualize local ecosystem connections and distribution.

Biodiversity protection local strategy and ecological network maps
・ Kuromatsunai Town Biodiversity Strategy
・ Aichi Biodiversity Potential Maps
・ Tokushima Prefecture Biotope Plan
・ The Future Plan of the National Ecological Networks from the Standpoint of Wildlife

Ecotourism is a new form of tourism that helps enhance natural environments and local revitalization. With our support, Hanno City runs an eco-tour program operated by its local citizens. Evaluated highly as a leading ecotourism activity in the nation, the program was awarded the grand prize of the Ecotourism Awards by Ministry of the Environment in 2008.

Firsthand experience with nature is important for the physical and mental development of children and youth. Environmental education that teaches about sustainable societies and guides how to interact with nature is valuable for the growth of all ages. We provide a system that enhances firsthand nature experiences and effectively facilitates environmental education. The system promotes "schoolyard and childcare center yard biotope" development at educational institutions ranging from preschools to colleges. Students create and take care of those animal habitats by themselves.

A schoolyard and childcare centre yard biotope is a habitat made at these institutions by using the local natural environment where native wildlife lives. With the objective to promote education and childcare using biotopes by introduction of successful examples, we host the National Schoolyard and Childcare Centre Yard Biotope Contest once every two years. Since 1990 more than 700 projects from preschools to colleges have been entered into the contest.

Today, many workplaces value skilled workers who can contribute to city management by making the most of local assets such as nature, history, and culture. ECSJ tries to meet such social demands by conducting two certificate programs, "Biotope Planners and Builders" and "Kids’ Environmental Facilitators" for education and training of this area. We also support certified members by providing updated information and facilitating local networking.

The Biotope Planners and Builders are experienced engineers in sustainable city planning and nature conservation/restoration work who have professional expertise in wildlife, environmental laws and institutions. We administrate the Biotope Planners and Builders Certificate Program through qualification examination which is conducted once a year in major cities in Japan. We have certified more than 11,000 experts since the start of the program in 1997. For many public works, the involvement of Certified Biotope Planners and Builders is one of the tender requirements. The certified experts also play active roles, such as a leader, in environmental education.

The Kids’ Environmental Facilitators are experts in creating a childcare environment that fosters nature experiences in daily activities. We founded the program to certify childcare professionals to effectively facilitate firsthand nature experiences for pre-school children and we started a qualification examination in 2007. Playing in nature stimulates the five senses and enriches cognitive abilities. Also, discoveries and contrivances through playing in nature enhance creativity, originality and self-motivation, as well as empathy and social skills.

Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan cooperates with individuals, organizations and agencies worldwide to advance the environmental agenda. Study missions and liaison work with European, American and United Nations agencies and NGOs are important tools to build a global awareness of environmental problems.
At home we host international conferences where overseas specialists can contribute their views and experiences to Japanese efforts. We sponsor the translation and dissemination of up-to-date environmental information to Japanese audiences. Our Americas and European offices facilitate international networking.

We hold conferences, symposiums and seminars on a wide range of topics. With regard to speakers, we invite experts in nature conservation and local government leaders inside and outside the country. Through those meetings we introduce progressive approaches and the most recent information in a variety of environmental topics from overseas.

Symposium on Regional Revitalization (20 Nov 2015)
Conference on Sustainable Development and Large Cities (15 Jan 2015)
Conferences On Nature-based Green Infrastructure
- The Balance between Ecology and Economy for A Sustainable Nation (11 Nov 2013)
The Conference on Disaster Recovery and the Creation of A New Japan
- Towards A Disaster-Resilient, Sustainable Nation by Coexisting with Nature (13 Sep 2011)
The Conference on the Challenge for Achieving Healthy Biodiversity, Economy and Community (29 Jul 2010)
The Conference on Local Governments’ Efforts for the Conservation of Biodiversity
- A Key to A Sustainable and Robust City (12 Nov 2009)
The Conference on Nature Restoration in Urban Rivers (13 Nov 2008)

Biotope is an area providing habitat for a specific community of plants and animals. There are different types of biotopes in different environments such as mountains, oceans, grasslands, and sand beaches, each of which provides a unique living space for plants and animals. Many species of wildlife need multiple biotopes depending on its lifestyle or life stage. For example, tadpoles change their habitat from wetland to dry land as they turn into frogs. Sea turtles need sandy beaches for laying their eggs. Wild animals and plants are indicators of a healthy ecosystem. In order for them to survive, we need to protect and maintain all kinds of biotopes for their habitats.

Protecting and restoring wildlife habitats or “biotopes” where many species of wildlife live is crucial to sustainable city management. One of the efficient methods to promote this is to build an ecological network. The first step is to create different sizes of biotopes as core areas at strategically selected locations. The next is to place buffer zones to surround the core areas of biotopes for protection, and then to connect the core areas with natural corridors so that wild animals can move from one core area to another. The ecological network is especially effective when shown on a map, as the visual information can help us make concrete plans to protect ecosystem substantially.

Mori-no-boen is a new cemetery concept. The cemetery is set in a forest damaged by development activities, and native trees are planted in lieu of gravestones in the hope of restoring natural forests. This program is open to any religion and also to pets as family members. ECSJ runs this cemetery program in a beautiful satoyama landscape on the Boso Hills, where Grey-faced buzzards and Ural owls raise their young and Japanese fireflies live in the streams. A tree planted in lieu of a gravestone in memory of your loved one can be chosen from more than 20 species of local native trees. The planted tree is grown with wildflowers to be part of a beautiful native laurel forest on the Boso Hills over the years of ecological succession. Two hectares of natural forest surrounding our Mori-no-boen will also be conserved as a trust land for ever.

Japanese people have enjoyed the blessings of wild grasses for food, medicines, and clothing since ancient times. Wild grasses have greatly helped to foster unique Japanese culture as they often appeared in Manyoshu, the 8th century anthology of Japanese poetry. To pay attention to these "wild grasses", we conduct the "Native Grass Project" which aims to build environmentally friendly communities that protect and utilize wild grasses native to their local area as important and attractive resources thereby enhancing biodiversity. The project targets not only endangered and rare species but also common native grasses. In cooperation with citizen groups, corporations, local governments, and universities, we conduct research, protection/restoration, and public awareness activities. Our partner corporations include Mori Building Co., Ltd.; Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd.; Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.; and, Hulic Co., Ltd.

Through our objective, quantitative evaluations, Japan Habitat Evaluation and Certification Program (JHEP) provides a certificate to corporations for their nature restoration efforts and nature-friendly development works. The Program reviews their nature restoration efforts based on the contribution for biodiversity protection, representation of their local community, and support toward healthy habitats for wildlife. JHEP was developed and has been administrated by ECSJ since 2008. Many corporations have actively participated in raising biodiversity values. The Program has been implemented within a variety of development and construction projects such as large urban redevelopment, apartment complex, factory, and road construction, and welfare facilities.

A schoolyard and childcare centre yard biotope is a habitat made at these institutions by using the local natural environment where native wildlife lives. With the objective to promote education and childcare using biotopes by introduction of successful examples, we host the National Schoolyard and Childcare Centre Yard Biotope Contest once every two years. Since 1990 more than 700 projects from preschools to colleges have been entered into the contest.

The Biotope Planners and Builders are experienced engineers in sustainable city planning and nature conservation/restoration work who have professional expertise in wildlife, environmental laws and institutions. We administrate the Biotope Planners and Builders Certificate Program through qualification examination which is conducted once a year in major cities in Japan. We have certified more than 11,000 experts since the start of the program in 1997. For many public works, the involvement of Certified Biotope Planners and Builders is one of the tender requirements. The certified experts also play active roles, such as a leader, in environmental education.

The Kids’ Environmental Facilitators are experts in creating a childcare environment that fosters nature experiences in daily activities. We founded the program to certify childcare professionals to effectively facilitate firsthand nature experiences for pre-school children and we started a qualification examination in 2007. Playing in nature stimulates the five senses and enriches cognitive abilities. Also, discoveries and contrivances through playing in nature enhance creativity, originality and self-motivation, as well as empathy and social skills.

We offer courses on sustainable city building and grassroots activities. A number of the course participants have started grassroots activities and are actively networking with each other.

Securing a land that requires protection is one of the effective conservation methods. Through land trust activities, we protect important natural areas that provide essential habitats for Amami rabbit, Tsushima leopard cat, and other wild fauna and flora. We purchase such lands or acquire them as donations, to preserve them for future generations.

Our newsletter "Ecosystem" is issued in the odd-numbered months. This bimonthly publication provides up-to-date information on nature conservation efforts from Japan and overseas. Wide-ranging subjects from legislation to recreation are featured based on sound scientific principles and social importance. Each issue includes an English language summary on the back cover.

Nature is an important and valuable asset to local communities. Nature can enhance local attractiveness and also can help build healthy, sustainable, and economically robust communities. We work to disseminate this idea to local municipalities through our "Tsukasadoru-hito-no News", the newsletter for mayors and city managers. It is issued two to three times a year and is sent to all municipal offices in Japan. The newsletter provides information on how to promote revitalization of local economies through restoration and sustainable utilization of each municipality’s unique natural resources. Each issue includes many examples of successes from Japan and overseas that are useful to mayors and city managers.

・ Practical Guide to Sustainable Community Building
・ Biotope Network ― A New Order for Urban, Rural and Natural Areas (with English summaries)
・ Japanese Native Wildlife Calendar
・ Habitat Evaluation Procedures, the Concept and Examples
・ Schoolyard and Childcare Centre Yard Biotope ― How to Plan, Create, and Use It
And more

・Membership benefits include subscription to the ECSJ's newsletter "Ecosystem" (hardcopy)
・Initial membership fee JPY500 + annual fee JPY5,000/year

・Membership benefits include subscription to the ECSJ's newsletter "Ecosystem" (hardcopy).
・Initial membership fee JPY500 + annual fee JPY3000/year

*Organizations actively engaged in local nature conservation activities.
・Membership benefits include:
Subscription to ECSJ's newsletter "Ecosystem" (hardcopy)
Updates on the nature and the environmental related topics
・Initial membership fee JPY500 + annual fee JPY5,000/year

・Membership benefits include subscription to the ECSJ's newsletter "Ecosystem" (hardcopy) and ECSJ publications
・Initial membership fee JPY50,000 and up

・Membership benefits include free access to the Eco-net member-only website at where the data of newsletter "Ecosystem" are available
・Free of charge

ECSJ welcomes volunteers who will support our activities to build a sustainable society where our children and future generations can enjoy living in harmony with nature. Any form of your cooperation, such as using environmental expertise and helping us with physical work, will be highly appreciated. Your support will help our country and community move toward the sustainable society.

We accept donations from organizations and individuals who share our vision of promoting a sustainable society. Donations are essential to our activities as a nonprofit organization serving for the public interest. You can donate either money or land with important conservation value. Donations to ECSJ are tax exempt.

Bank name: Japan Post Bank
Shop number: 019
Account type: Current account
Account number 656324
Account name: 公益財団法人日本生態系協会