Amami Island Symposium on September 21, 2012 for "Amami heritage towards World heritage"

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2012 08:13:41 +0900 Dear colleagues, I am in Amami Island, Southen Japan. (http://risk.kan.ynu.ac.jp/matsuda/2012/120921AMM.html sorry in Japanese) In the yesterday symposium in Amami, I introduced Prof. Hong's motion adopted in WCC: Strengthening Biocultural Diversity and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Asia-Pacific Island Regions (http://portals.iucn.org/2012forum/?q=0075) Amami is now thinking of submission to World heritage. Amami traditional residents "believe" "Kenmun" as folkloreghost (Yokai) in Amami, who virtually prevent human from entering premieval areas. This is effective on nature conservation that differs from "stewardship", although Amami is the first site of "the right of nature" movement in Japan. We, panelists of this symposium, acknowledge "Kenmun" as an "icon for nature conservation" like panda for WWF. Local people often see Kenmun in a buffer zone between primeaval area and human residential area. This corresponds with buffer zone of UNESCO's MAB biosphere reserve.