Actions
To achieve sustainability within our society, it is imperative to establish an effective system
To protect Japan’s forests and facilitate the development of a sustainable society, working in harmony with wildlife, it is necessary to institute legal frameworks. Kumamori works to build an institution to conserve nature.
Past Activitie
Investigating deforestation, animal habitat, and killing conditions throughout Japan
We interview the government, local citizens, and conduct field surveys to seek opinions.
Gathering the voices of the people and citiznes, making proposals and requests based on practical activities
Provide opinions at administrative meetings as a member of a nature conservation organization
We provide opinions at administrative meetings as a member of the nature conservation organization
Examples of past activities
1999
Amendment Proposal to the Wildlife Protection Law
As the degradation of the remote mountains progressed and wild animals began to leave the mountains in search of food, an amendment proposal was submitted to the Diet, allowing large-scale culling of large wild animals until their numbers reached what humans considered an appropriate population. For the first time, nature conservation groups across Japan united in strong opposition, nearly halting the bill, but ultimately, a political settlement led to its enactment. This marked the beginning of hardship for wildlife.
2007
Special Measures Law on Wildlife Damage Prevention
Initially named the “Special Measures Law on Harmful Wildlife,” the word “harmful” was removed from the bill after it was argued that all creatures are companions living on Earth, and that no wildlife is inherently harmful. Additionally, a clause was added to allocate funds not only for the culling of wildlife but also for creating feeding grounds in remote mountain areas to prevent wildlife from coming out of the mountains.
MARCH
2019
Forest Environment Tax and Allocation Tax Law
Since learning of the Forest Environment Tax bill in 2017, the Kumamori Association worked hard to promote the reforestation of neglected artificial forests into natural forests nationwide through petitions, requests to the Diet, and appeals to local governments across Japan. In both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, they were able to add a supplementary resolution encouraging the conversion of neglected artificial forests into broad-leaved forests, tailored to the natural conditions of each region. The hope is that this tax will be used for these purposes.
JUNE
2019
Amendment to the National Forest Management and Administration Law
The amendment made it possible for “motivated and capable forestry operators” to carry out large-scale logging of artificial forests in national forests over an extended period. However, the bill did not specify how the forest would be restored after large-scale logging. A supplementary resolution was added, including the phrase “promoting the creation of diverse forests, such as mixed forests of conifers and broad-leaved trees.”
2020
Petition for Urgent Measures to Prevent Bear Extinction and Human Casualties
A petition with 26,798 signatures and a request was submitted to the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries to prevent the extinction of bears and avoid human accidents. The petition called for urgent measures, such as regulating overhunting, securing feeding grounds, preventing accidents, and restoring remote mountain areas, in an effort to coexist with bears that are coming down from the mountains due to the loss of food (such as fruits, nuts, and insects) caused by human activities. However, in this year, a record-breaking 6,002 Asian black bears were culled.
FEBRUARY
2024
Petition Submitted Against Designating Bears as a Managed Wildlife Species, Seeking Measures to Prevent Human-Bear Encounters
Last fall, a massive bear outbreak occurred, particularly in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, resulting in a record number of human casualties and the highest number of bear culls ever. In November 2023, a request was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment by a coalition of governors from six regions in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Niigata, asking for bears to be designated as “managed wildlife species” under current wildlife protection management, as applied to deer and wild boars, to further strengthen the culling of bears.
We gathered signatures and submitted a request to the Minister of the Environment, arguing that instead of focusing on culling, the budget should be allocated to measures that enable humans and bears to live separately and coexist.
In addition to this, we have continuously submitted numerous petitions and proposals to various levels of government, including requests to Hokkaido Prefecture for the protection of brown bears.
Kumamori's Activities To Protect Water Sources, Forests And The Wildlife
We have organize many activities to protect the forest and coexist with all living things.
