Rural Depopulation– tag –

Forests cover roughly two-thirds of Japan, yet many of its mountains are quietly growing weaker. Neglected plantation forests, a declining forestry workforce, expanding deer populations, and disappearing understory vegetation are changing the relationship between forests, water, soil, and communities.

Japan’s irrigation ponds have supported rice farming, wildlife, and rural communities for centuries. Today, aging infrastructure, fewer managers, and heavier rainfall are turning these familiar waterscapes into growing disaster risks.

Why are bears increasingly appearing near homes, schools, and farmland in Japan? Behind these encounters lies a deeper transformation: rural depopulation, abandoned fields, neglected fruit trees, and the disappearance of satoyama—the traditional boundary between human communities and the mountains.