National Parks systems: [3] Management of National Parks
(1) Management Plans
In managing National Parks, a management plan is formulated for each park. Management plan include policies for conserving the natural landscape that take into account an outline of each precisely subdivided zone, the colors of structures, and the animals and plants inhabiting the park. Based on this plan, facilities will be established inside the park and the protection and use of the natural environment will be promoted.
(2) Restricting acts of development
The protection of exceptional natural landscapes is one of the objectives of a Natural Park designated pursuant to the Natural Parks Law. In order to attain this objective, restrictions are placed on the installation of buildings or structures that may potentially alter the natural environment or landscape, the felling of trees or bamboo plants, the extraction of soil or rocks, the capturing or collecting of animals or plants, and other actions. These restrictions may differ in terms of compulsive force or contents according to the type of area designated based on the Park Plan (Protection Regulatory Plan).
(3) Protecting animals and plants
The mission of National Parks and other Natural Parks, among others, is to protect exceptional natural landscapes. In particular, forest landscapes, coral reefs, and other exceptional natural landscapes give rise to ecosystems that can be regarded as the manifestation of the fauna and flora that inhabit and breed in such locations. Animals and plants that cannot be captured or collected inside Special Zones of National and Quasi-National Parks without permission are designated to ensure the diversity of the ecosystem inside Natural Parks.
(4) Regulated utilization
Areas in which increasing numbers of National Park visitors are leading to a diminishment of a primeval atmosphere and to impediments acting on efforts to conserve scenic landscapes and biodiversity are designated Regulated Utilization Areas into which access is only allowed to authorized persons.
Attempts are made to endure sustainable use under certain controls established through the application of criteria for the number of visitors and the duration of stay at the time of the granting of access authorization.
(5) Restricting vehicular access
In order to prevent damage caused to vegetation and the habitation and breeding environments of wild animals and plants by the use of increasingly popular snowmobiles and off-road vehicles on parkland, these actions became restricted in December 1990 in certain parts of Special Zones in National and Quasi-National Parks as designated by the Minister of the Environment.
[Signs forbidding access]
[Damaged tree]
(6) Measures to optimize automobile use (Regulation of private cars)
While National Parks at one time allowed the unconditional entry of people and automobiles, certain parks have reported problems with excess use in recent years. In particular, roads and parking lots often overflow with cars on holidays and other special days, such that there is a problem with allowing the unlimited entry of vehicles into natural areas that are vulnerable to the effects of exposure to exhaust fumes. In this connection, the Ministry of the Environment has mandated restrictions on vehicular entry to limited areas and periods as a measure to optimize automobile use (through Regulation of private cars).
(7) Nature restoration
Programs to restore wetlands by transforming straightened rivers into meandering channels, restore tidal flats in urban coastal areas, and restore natural environments through reforestation and other initiatives are being undertaken for the purpose of proactively bringing once degraded ecosystems back to a healthy state. In addition, nature restoration does not simply refer to the making of improvements to landscapes or the planting of specific plant communities. It also entails efforts aimed at restoring the biodiversity in a given area by raising the level of quality of the local ecosystem.
(8) Scenic Landscape Protection Agreements
Agreements for the protection of natural landscapes have been concluded with landowners and other vested parties with respect to the natural environment located inside National and Quasi-National Parks where there is a risk that efforts are not being made to protect the landscape owing to insufficient management on the part of the landowners and other vested parties. These agreements allow the management of natural landscapes to be undertaken on behalf of these landowners and other vested parties.
(9) The special private land purchase system
A significant portion of National Parks and National Wildlife Protection Areas and other areas consists of privately owned lands. Where the privately owned land constitutes an exceptional natural site, it may be purchased by the Ministry of the Environment through an application submitted by the owner.