Japan

Minami-Alps Biosphere Reserve includes a series of mountains that are above 3,000m and is one of Japan’s few high-rainfall areas, with a maximum elevation above sea level of 3,193m (lowest 180m). Most of the site is made up of forest, with an area characterized by alpine plant communities (flower fields) and dense forest vegetation. This region is vast, with shifts in the environment, and great biodiversity. The Minami-Alps Biosphere Reserve is home to festivals rich in ancient rites, with discoveries of relics from the Jomon Period, and folk arts that have been preserved and passed down. Inhabitants lived in regions with close connections to the mountains and thus engaged in hunting, fishing, gathering vegetables, and agriculture. The Minami-Alps Biosphere Reserve intends to strengthen existing interactions between the different regions. It will prevent the isolation of settlements in mountainous regions with steep slopes; improve and maintain the unified values of industry, education, and cultural activities; promote the inheritance of regional cultures by the next generation; and jointly resolve issues and problems of local communities.