Browsing by Author "Mitsumata, Gaku"

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Building Sustainable Communities on a Foundation of Natural Resources: Examples from the Use and Management of Geothermal Hot Springs in Bessho Onsen Property Ward, Nagano, Japan
(2011) Mitsumata, Gaku
"In Japan, Geothermal hot spring as common-pool resources has long been used and managed cooperatively and can not only support their users in a traditional economy but can also contribute to sustainable livelihoods in the present. The purpose of this article is to clarify the mechanism of such the collective management system of geothermal hot spring resources through the examination of the case in Bessho Onsen Property Ward in Japan, Nagano, Japan. In the property ward whose system has roots in the traditional commons (Iriai) in Japan, efficient utilization and sustainable management of the hot springs has been realized under certain rules in spite of conflicting interests among the facilities, which mainly include communal baths, communal washing areas and inns. Local residents benefit from the communal baths on a daily basis, which are open to people in and outside of the area. The communal washing area is a neighborhood facility, which is open only to the members of the users’ association among the residents of the Bessho Onsen area. Hot spring baths inside the inns are used exclusively for business purposes such as for visiting tourists. Our research makes it clear that the hot spring sources, on which different users depend, are owned by the Property Ward, and their management and maintenance, as well as water distribution, are under the overall and comprehensive management of the Property Ward. The Property Ward has been paying careful attention to preventing water depletion at the hot spring sources through scientific evaluation by specialist as well as consistent daily maintenance by the Property Ward assembly members. Our research also finds that such a way of hot spring resource management has an institutional characteristics and devises arranged by property ward. In order to deal with serious conflicts of immediate interests among the users, the Property Ward prepared a decision-making mechanism which helps toward finding a resolution to suit all concerned parties. We found evidence of the mechanism in operation in (1) the method used for selecting assembly members, which has been carried out conventionally, and in fundamental important roles of the Administrative Research Council established within the Property Ward, and in (2) the multilayered collaboration (governance) of various organizations with the Property Ward placed as the core entity."
Legislation on Commons in Norway
(2011) Berge, Erling; Mitsumata, Gaku; Shimada, Daisaku
The report presents translations from Norwegian to English of three acts governing the exploitation of the two types of Norwegian commons called State Commons and Bygd Commons. A fourth act included here provides mandate for regulating the governance the almost extinct Private Commons if needed. The original text in Norwegian is found at http://www.lovdata.no/info/lawdata.html (read March 3, 2011). Translations were done by Julie Wille.
Reviving Lucrative Matsutake Mushroom Harvesting and Restoring the Commons in Contemporary Japan
(2008) Saito, H.; Mitsumata, Gaku
"This paper presents a brief history of matsutake mushroom production in Japan-- this is probably the most valuable mushroom in the world, and it cannot be cultivated so must be found wild in natural forests. The harvesting of matsutake, almost always from iriai common land, has declined in Japan in spite of the lucrative profits available. Some have assumed this decline is due to losses of iriai land or difficulties managing land in common, and it is certainly the case that much iriai land has been converted to suburbs, golf courses, and the like. However, it appears that a very serious problem is the impoverishment of habitat. One problem is the decline and disease in the species of pine tree with which matsutake is associated, and another is that matsutake actually depend on traditional commons practices of gathering and clearing undergrowth and leaf litter that is gathered as fuel or fertilizer. This paper compares bidding systems for allotment of matsutake gathering rights in three villages with different practices, to examine the impact of these arrangements on village finances, matsutake production, and enhancement of matsutake habitat. Contrary to the expectations, habitat for matsutake was not improved when land owners were guaranteed the gathering rights to matsutake growing on their own individual lands. Instead, habitat improvement was most successful and matsutake production was highest on community-owned lands in Oka Village where the iriai tradition is strongest."