Eco-village experiences in Japan

Miki YoshizumiResearch AssociateGraduate School of

Global Environmental Studies

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ContentsContents

Concept of Eco-villageBackgroundDefinitionTypes

Case Studies in JapanEarth Design School (Tango)Nishinomiya Environmental Learning City

（Non-Market, Agriculture, Natural Area）

Purpose

History

of

Theories

and

Activities

Eco-villages

Urban-Industrial Society

Environmental Improvement

Education Agriculture Boost Villages Economy

Community

Symbiosis with Nature Society

WelfareEnvironmental Technology

Economic Regeneration

Hippie movement (late 1960s), USA

Steiner Education(1919)

Ecological Education Park: CAT（1974), UK

Increasing concern over environmental issues

① ② ③ ④

Camp Hill: Welfare for the handicapped (1939)

　　　　　Eco-City(1987), USA

Green Tourism (1970s ~）

E.Howard’s Garden City(1903）, UK

Auroville(1968), India

Ecomusée（late 1960s）, France

Ökopolis (1985), Germany

Permaculture(1987), Australia

⑤

（Market, Industry, Urban Area）

Eco-Industrial Park（1970~）, Denmark

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Concepts of EcovillagesConcepts of Ecovillages

“Ecovillages are urban or rural communities of people, who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life. ”

(Global Ecovillage Network)

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Types of EcovillagesTypes of Ecovillages1. Self-sustaining Working-Living System:

ecological lifestyle, self-sustaining way within the ecovillage: Yamagishi（Mie）

2. Eco-residences:Ecological architecture and living environment: Eco-Mura（Shiga）

3. Education / Tourist Facilities:Environmental education, ecovillage tourism: Earth Design School (Tanba)

4. Industrial:zero-emission: Eco-town project (Kitakyusyu etc)

5. Eco-communityenvironmental community action: Nishinomiya

Ecovillages classified by the typesEcovillages classified by the typesN am e P lace Y ear S elf-

susta in ingE co-

residences Industria l Tourism /E ducation

E co-com m unity

1 Atarash ik i-m ura K ijyo ,M iyazak i 1931 1

2 Yuaisya K ijyo ,M iyazak i 1945 1

3 Yam agish i M ie 1

4 Shalom H utte H odaka,N agano 1978 1

5 M youga-m ura A itou, S h iga 1983 16 A itow a K yoto , K yoto 1986 17 Earth D esign School Tango, K yoto 1989 1 1

8 ＮＰＯ Fus ion N agaike H ath iou ji,Tokyo 1995 1

9 B ihoku-kyuryu-park Syohara ,H irosh im a 1995 1

10E co-v illage Y atsusug isennen no m ori

Im adate ,H uku i 1996 1

11Agricu ltu ra l park :A tarash ii-m ura

M iyash iro ,Sa itam a 1997 1

12H ida-takayam a Teddybear ecovillage Iss ik i, G ifu 1998 1

13 E co-town pro ject Japan 1998 114 Setagaya E co-v illage Setagaya-ku ,

Tokyo 2000 1

15 Ecovillage M atsu to M atudo, T iba 2000 1

16 Kobunaki-eko-m ura O um ihath im an, S h iga 2000 1 1

17 Ecovillage H ino H ino , Tokyo 2000 118 Takeo ecovillage Takeo, Fuku i 2001 119 Fush im i ecovillage Fush im i,

S apporo 2003 1

20 Tsurugaw ada i ecovillage M ath ida ,Tokyo 2003

21 Koyam a-da iri-park M ath ida ,Tokyo 2004 1

22N ish inom iya Eco-com m unity

N ish inom iya ,H yogo 2005 1

1 5 1 10 6Tota l

Case Studies of Eco-villages in Japan

Earth Design School (Tango)←Rural AreaEnvironmental Learning City(Nishinomiya)←Urban Area

Earth Design Earth Design SchoolSchool↑↑

Ecologically Sound Ecologically Sound VillagesVillages

Area of the park locates on the slightly elevated hill, which is fairly close to the Wakasa Bay.

Location of the park and EDS

Ama no hashi date, one of the three best senery of Japan

Original plan in 1991

Organic Farming and Landscape Design

Experimental cultivation to study the characteristics of the land in kyosei no mori

We began to propose “Earth Designing School” and “hand-maid eco-topia” at the sametime

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We restored an old schoolhouse as the base of “EDS”

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A house made from soil and trees which was in the forest.

16They have been tried making a windmill to generate electricity, but not made a success yet.

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They studied how to make an electrically-powered machine to make farmwok easy.

18Bamboo Charcoal

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The Hami River region has been blessed with natural resources but people living there suffer from depopulation now .

The mixture of senior citizens and young staff is ideal in the villages.

Wisdom is passed by word of mouth over generations .

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Developing a Biomass System

Once we considered drying up the logged trees by distillation to turn an engine. But it was complicated for us. We highlight a cogeneration system with the thermo-element attached on the boiler.

To make wood pellets is easier than to manage the cogeneration system.

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The know-how we needs is adapted to diversity of woods , them of nature.

Use of Ecological Materials.

We measured every logs and wrote design-plans in which we directed how to sow them.

Logs sawed into wood pillars, beams and boards at an near old sawmill.

Seminar house.A seminar house built with technologies that were locally available. The roof has buildings that can collect heat even in snowing weather.

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Making Plans with Story-telling Methods.

We want to create stories which could hand down from people to people , generation to generation.

Environmental Learning ActivitiesEnvironmental Learning Activities　　　　　　　　in in NishinomiyaNishinomiya City, JapanCity, Japan

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Background of NishinomiyaBackground of NishinomiyaPopulation: 463,770Number of households: 194,398Area: 100.18ｋ㎡Location:between Osaka and Kobe

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Activities on Activities on Environmental LearningEnvironmental Learning1989: Citizens’ Nature Survey1990: Citizens’ Nature Survey1992: Earth Watching Club Nishinomiya

←Model of the Eco-club1998: Established a NPO, “LEAF”2002: Established the Environmental Learning City

Steering Committee of Nishinomiya City2003: Environmental Learning City Declaration2005: Published the New Environmental Plan2005: Enacted city ordinances about environment2005: Eco-community project launched

Eco-community Workshops were held in 8 areas

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Point of ActivitiesPoint of ActivitiesLearning and Ecological Activities Foundation for Children (LEAF)

Nishinomiya city started environmental learning programs ←initiative of Mr. Masayoshi Ogawa

1992: Earth Watching Club (voluntary association )

1998: NPO “LEAF” was established

(Nishinomiya municipal worker)

The Great Hanshin-AwajiEarthquake

↓Shrinkage in the budget of the environmental learning programs

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Goal and Activities of LEAFGoal and Activities of LEAFGoal

The goal is to contribute to the development of a sustainable society by building partnerships among citizens, businesses, and the local government

Activates1. Community-based education2. Nature experience activities3. Mutual learning programs4. Policy relevance activities5. Global partnership

29Learning to plant rice in partnership with local communities

30Learning to crop rice with JA (farmer association) and local farmers

31Learning water pollution in rivers

32Experiencing and Learning natural environment in cities

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shop

sake manufacturer

Cleaning bottles

Making bottles

CollectingCarrets

Broken bottles consumer

Making metal mold

Bus Tour Exploring Lifetime of Bottles

Program example

Bottles

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BottlesProgram Example

Teacher’ Training Sessions

Eco-Community Information Bulletin Form

Map of Environmental Learning Facilities and fields

(Nature , Life, Culture and History)

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Collect 20,get ＥＷＣ batch

When we do eco-action, we can get eco-stamps. When we collect 10 stamps….

Eco-Actions

「学校で」　　＋「地域で」　　＋「お店で」

１０eco-stamps

Eco-cards system

Eco-card

Eco-card gather ten Eco-stampsEco-card send a secretariat

At school

At shop

Authorize Earth Ranger

At community

Eco-card gather twenty Eco-stamps

Eco-cards connect family・community・school

EWC Eco-cards system

ShopCommunities

School

Child/Family

Children be conscious of an environment. →Adults connect consciousness→Adults talk to children.

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Legacy Tellers ClubLearn culture, history, and natural environment in Nishinomiya city

Participants become advisers of eco-community

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Eco-community WorkshopOrganized eco-community workshops in 8 areas

Participants became aware of good & bad points

They initiated each eco-community activities ←government supports

CommunityAssociation

SchoolsNishinomiya

City Government

Environment and sanitary society

Youth protection society

Business Sectors

LEAF

The role of LEAF as coordinator The role of LEAF as coordinator Community

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AchievementsAchievementsEstablished mutual environmental learning system←Eco-card systemImpact on policy ←Environmental Learning City DeclarationBuilt the partnership with industry sectors, community groups, shops and schools ←Environmental Learning programsRaise awareness of concern about the city ←Eco-community workshopsEncourage community initiatives←Eco-community activity subsidy

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Lesson Learned from Lesson Learned from experiences in Japanexperiences in Japan

Policy integration of three factors for eco-villagesThe most important factors for eco-village is community-led eco-action.Process of developing ideas and acting for eco-villages is important　←sustainabilityNeutral organization to connect various groups is necessary.

Thank you very much !Thank you very much !

Miki Yoshizumi: miki.yoshizumi@d01.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Kabuto Mt.

Symbol of Nishinomiya