Approaches to Activate Local Heritage and Local Wisdom in Tohoku ESD/SDGs Consortium Dr. Tomonori Ichinose (RCE Greater Sendai) 14th Asia-Pacific Regional RCE Meeting Session 2, 19 July, 2022

1. THE 14TH ASIA-PACIFIC RCE
Local Wisdom for Social
Sustainability
Approaches to activate local
heritage and local wisdom in
Tohoku ESD/SDGs Consortium
Tomonori ICHINOSE
ichinose@staff.miyakyo-u.ac.jp
Greater Sendai RCE

2. Promotion of ESD in Collaboration with Schools
and Local Community for Achieving SDGs in the
Tohoku Region
• RCE Greater Sendai, built a network to promote ESD activities, and increase
UNESCO Schools in the Tohoku Region in a consortium project of the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, implemented
in 2014-2017.
• In the three years, 10 priority sites (UNESCO Schools, non-profits, municipal
governments, etc.) were established for the promotion of ESD in Aomori,
Iwate, Akita and Fukushima Prefectures, as well as in Miyagi Prefecture,
where the activities had already been ongoing.
• Since 2018, we have been working to enhance the connections among the
networks, and establish local hubs through mutual learning, in order to
develop the priority areas into local hubs for ESD promotion. Currently, the
10 priority areas include:(1) Sendai; (2) Kesennuma; (3) Osaki;(4)
Shiroishi/Shichigashuku; (5) Shirakami; (6) Daisen;(7) Hiraizumi; (8) Tadami;
(9) Adachi; and (10) Tomiya (TBC).

3. The major
focus
areas and
activities
in the
respective
RCE
• The project started with the 10 priority areas, which
had developed over the years, and reviewed their
practices of school building and community building
based on ESD. The objective for this fiscal year is to
ensure that the areas share the meaning of
advanced cases of practice and enhance
information exchange among them. So far, the
whole community has come to share the direction
of ESD in almost half of the priority areas, but the
sharing has stayed within schools or non-profits in
other areas.
• Through this initiative, it has become clear that the
municipal government, schools and ESD in each
priority area aim to:
• Phase I; implement UNESCO Schools or their own
ESD
• Phase II; activities accumulate practices to work
with local community and schools
• Phase III; create local hubs to ensure the
sustainability of the local community by establishing
an area-wide network to address ESD and SDGs

4. Involving Tohoku World and Local Heritage in ESD Network
Shirakami Mountains
(World Natural Heritage)
Bandai Asahi National Park
Oze National
Park
Tadami
Biosphere
Reserve
Sanriku Fukko
National Park/
Sanriku
Geopark
Proposed place of ILC
(Kitakami Mountains)
The Ramsar Convention
Wetland
(Izunuma・Uchinuma,
Kabukurinuma,Kejyonuma)
The Ramsar Convention Wetland
（Hotokenuma）
The Ramsar Convention Wetland
(Ooyamakamiike・Shimoike）
Hiraizumi
(World’s Cultural Heritage)
The Towada-Hachimantai National Park

5. ESD at Osaki/Tajiri
As a base to advance ESD at Ōsaki/Tajiri, the RCE Promotion Committee in Tajiri District of Osaki City
was established in February 2007. The city’s department of industrial development organizes this
committee. This committee consisted of 19 organizations such as the city government, a community
center, an agricultural cooperative, agricultural organizations, NPOs, and neighboring towns. In this
condition, there are 7 school joined ASPnetwork.

6. Globally
Important
Agricultural
Heritage
Systems
(GIAHS)
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) uses this
system to recognize regions worldwide that are particularly important
for their agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
• In order to develop the agriculture, culture, and rich ecosystem of Osaki
tilled soil, as well as the beautiful, functional rural landscape consisting
of a tapestry of rice paddies, waterways, and igune house trees, the
Osaki Area was admitted as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
Systems (GIAHS) Promotion Council and relevant organizations in 2017

7. Local Wisdom for Social Sustainability
“Igune” House
• “Igune,” a traditional agricultural landscape unique to the Tohoku region of
northeastern Japan, comprises of small-scale artificial woodlots
(approximately 0.2 ha onaverage and 3 ha maximum) that surround
farmers’ houses and are interspersed with paddy fields.
• The oldest woodlots were likely established more than 500 years ago
(Fukuoka et al. 2002). Originally, igune served to protect houses from
strong winds and snow in the winter and to occasionally supply timber and
provide a daily commodity for farmers (Hirabuki and Fukuda 2006).
• Several deciduous broadleaf tree species are also sometimes found in
igune woodlots, which can account for up to approximately 50% of the all
trees.
• The lifestyle which utilizes igune is the best example of sustainable living
and there are many points that we should learn from it. So, for this point,
to conserve igune is very important.
Above Haruka Imai et al. (2017) Environmental factors affecting the
composition and diversity of the avian community in igune, a traditional
agricultural landscape in northern Japan

8. https://osakikoudo.jp/

9. To transfer Local Wisdom for Social
Sustainability; The Field Museum Concept
• The Field Museum Concept aims to promote a greater
understanding of local residents and increase the number of
visitors by allowing people to visit and experience various local
resources tied to the tilled soil of Osaki as if they were in an
exhibition hall at a museum.
• The following initiatives are being implemented with a view to
showcasing local resources.
• Produce Field Museum maps
• Produce local stories and walking routes
• Produce films
• Set up information signage
• Develop Field Museum sites
• Establish a system for accepting culinary and agricultural
• experiences
• Carry out promotional activities and build momentum
• Conserve and utilize igune house trees
• For the memory of the Founder Honorary professor DR. Takaaki
KOGANEZAWA“IGUNE School”.