Sato-umi: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Use of Coastal Waters, Lessons from Human-Nature Interactions During the Edo Period of Eighteenth-Century Japan

Abstract

The early modern period in Japan is called the Edo Period. During this time, the Tokugawa shogunate maintained a policy of isolation that required Japan to remain self-sufficient from 1620 to 1850. From the beginning of the eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century, the Japanese population remained stable, with approximately 30 million people depending on the sustainable use of agriculture and fisheries. The manner in which the Japanese people utilised natural resources during this period, especially in coastal areas, may inform the sustainable use of coastal waters today. This article reviews the life of coastal villages in the Edo Period under Sato-umi, which is the human use and management of coastal seas for high productivity while maintaining high biodiversity. Traditional practices from the Edo Period, such as fish fences constructed of stones and harvesting of seagrass, could increase habitat diversity and fish production. Uo-tsuki-rin is a practice dating from the Edo Period or earlier, in which local people managed common or feudal lords’ coastal forests. After the Edo Period, privatisation of forests and timber harvesting led to the deterioration of coastal ecosystems. Lessons from the Sato-umi concept of the Edo Period combined with Uo-tsuki-rin could contribute to modern integrated coastal management.