1.Research objectives

　This project aims at reconsidering the notion of “cultural landscape protection” by way of reconstructing the historical landscape change on East-Asian inland seas during the two most notable revolutionary periods in the history of human-nature relations, i.e. Neolithisation and Modernisation, through the analyses of sustenance activities, trade and mental or cultural structures (political system, art, literature, festivals etc), climatic and topographical analysis in eight regions on the shores of East-Asian Inland Sea (Japan and East China Sea). The primary goals of the project are to:

(1) Reconstruct the changes in the naturally and culturally conditioned spheres of landscape.

(2) Explicate the functioning of inland seas as a network creating cultural unity and diversity.

(3) Reconsider the idea of “cultural landscape” in order to put the cultural landscape protection

policies into a new perspective. Comparing Neolithisation and Modernisation processes can give us a better understanding of possible future developments and solutions to present environmental issues.

 

2.Background

　Earlier, there has been an obvious tendency to see the environmental problems as caused by a complex set of natural processes, whereas the influence of human culture has been often reduced to a simplified “human factor”. Unlike other animals, humans take action towards environment also for non-functional, philosophical, aesthetic or religious motives. Therefore, as has been understood by the academic community in recent years, any successful analysis of environmental problems has to deal with human cultures in all their richness and detail. The present project aims at investigating the environmental issues from the human culture’s point of view through a holistic concept of “landscape”. Landscape as the stage of humans’ everyday life, is a concept that includes both the visible/ physical side of the natural environment and cultural/ intellectual side, making possible a holistic analysis of the environmental problems at the stage where they arise. On the other hand, landscape is made up of elements that date back to different historical layers, thus allowing us to reconstruct the historical process of emergence of the environmental issues. Belonging to the Ecohistory program of RIHN, the NEOMAP project aims at deeper understanding of the historical formation of the global environmental issues from a very long-term perspective (including prehistory) and through a multidisciplinary and international research agenda provided by the concept of landscape. The research is carried out on eight key regions on the shores of East Asian Inland Seas (East China Sea and the Japan Sea), since historically, the inland sea coastal areas were densely populated and played a major role as worldwide trading spots and collision spots for various cultures and civilisations. Therefore, it can be said that these are the most suitable fields for the observation of the interactions between culture and nature (Chase-Dunn and Hall 1997).

　In addition, considering that the concept of a “cultural landscape” has become an important issue in government and international protection programs (e.g. the nomination of national landscape treasures, UNESCO World Heritage sites, European Landscape Convention), it is crucial to understand the cultural formation mechanisms of protected landscapes and the processes that sustain them.

 

3.Research methods and organisation

1)Research methods

　Since landscape is a holistic phenomenon that entails both a cultural and a natural side, and develops through the influence of human practices and interactions of the natural environment, a large part of landscape research has to be based on qualitative rather than quantitative research methods. Specific research methods would depend on each discipline (archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, human geography, physical geography, biology, literature etc) and on the period of study (Neolithisation or Modernisation). The research methodology is uniform for all research areas. As a basis for studies on both Neolithisation and Modernisation, a geographical database will be created in the regions where it is possible for both of the periods with available cartographical data in the form of both historic and modern maps, information on the distribution and spatial structure of archaeological sites, and other related data.

 

2)Organisation

　Eight research areas were chosen around the East Asian inland seas to represent the full variety of cultural and natural settings: Hokuriku, Biwako, Northern Kyushu, Hokkaido, Ryukyu Islands, Northern Zhejiang, Southern Coast of Korea, Primorye. In order to foster interdisciplinarity, the work-groups (hereinafter: WG) are organised according to regions rather than by research subjects. Each regional WG includes Neolithisation and Modernisation researchers carrying out research in the area. It is highly recommendable that each member belongs to at least two of the WGs, in order to facilitate the comparative discussion between the area groups. Also, Linguistic WG has been created to tackle the overarching question of landscape perception in language. Information exchange inside the project is facilitated by frequent WG meetings, general meetings (twice per year until FR3 and yearly in FR4 and FR5) and other seminars. In some cases, the researchers have carried out joint fieldwork.

　In addition, there is a GIS-database WG at the RIHN project office that is responsible for the creation of the database concerning historical landscape in the research areas, aiming at promoting the integration of the research outcomes through GIS analysis. Further, the project office has hosted an open monthly seminar in order to communicate various topics related to cultural landscape to the members and public.

　To foster international exchange and promote the project ideas abroad and at the same time to carry out a comparison with the Northern European Inland Seas (Baltic Sea and North Sea), the North European Inland Seas WG based in UK was created.

　The discussions based on fieldworks up to FR1 brought about the common recognition that the following themes are indispensable when understanding landscape history under the framework of the East Asian inland seas: (1) The birth and expansion of agriculture, (2) Landscape change at waterfronts, (3) Trades, migration and colonisation as a major force of landscape change, and (4) Travelling and creation of mental landscape images. On that basis, in FR2 and FR3, the research focus was mainly on the landscape changes in Neolithisation and Modernisation; while in FR4 and FR5 the emphasis has moved to the analysis and discussion of the historical dynamics from the perspective of integrative comparison between the two periods and the roles of the Inland Seas. The major discoveries are summarized into the following points:

(1) Neolithisation was not a revolutionary event marked by the appearance of technologies like pottery and cultivation, but a much longer process in millennia, which began with the spreading of sedentary lifestyle and came to an end when agriculture based system appeared and transformed the landscape fundamentally. Further, the worldview of nature-human dichotomy appeared through this process.

(2) Like Neolithisation, Modernisation is a long-term process in centuries that gradually started as the growing of the socio-economic dependence on inter-regional networks and the division of labour under pre-modern complex societal systems, and finally resulted in the modern industrialized landscape under the globalized market economy. Modernisation has brought about the overall loss of local landscape diversity and the concept that humans can dominate their natural surroundings through active exploitation of resources and areal development, which are the essential origin of the present environmental issues.

(3) Although the actual forms and time periods of Neolithisation and Modernisation vary depending on local socio-cultural and environmental conditions, they generally follow a similar course except in the case of colonisation: Starting with a long gradual development under a complex socio-cultural regime, the process finally exceeds a threshold (“landscape boiling point”) marked by decisive events (i.e. the adoption of farming economy in Neolithisation, and market economy with industrialization in Modernisation) inducing a fundamental landscape shift ranging from physical to mental aspects in an irreversible way.

(4) Through frequent cultural exchange and trading networks, the East Asian Inland Seas have historically functioned as a cultural unit. Therefore, it is important to manage, develop and protect the landscapes beyond the present political divisions, considering the inland seas as a cultural unity and taking into account its historical landscape formation processes.

(5) Landscape history is extremely relevant for sustainable management of future landscapes, as it helps to avoid preserving too many “landscape mummies” (landscape heritage which has lost its original social context and functions, and thus needs considerable external financial and laboural investment for its maintenance) and creating “mock heritage” sites (false heritage without actual historical relevance to the area). Also, landscape history can be a source of inspiration for new development and technologies.

　Based on the common understanding as mentioned above, the project has made proposals for future landscape management. The core points can be summarized as follows:

(1) Both Neolithisation and Modernisation have an impact on the formation of the present landscape and its future directions in both its physical and mental aspects. This proves the necessity of long-term historical perspective in landscape conservation policies.

(2) Considering the historical role of the East Asian Inland Seas creating diverse landscapes through intense interactions, it is necessary to pursue the possibility of international initiatives like the European Landscape Convention making the Inland Seas as a framework in East Asia (“East Asian Landscape Convention”).

(3) Meanwhile, it is also significant to raise public awareness in landscape topics and to develop protection policies through grass-root initiatives like NGOs, as landscape is tightly related to everyday life and any kind of environmental problems has its root in it.

　The project outcomes have been published in academic journals/books and presented at various congresses/symposia in and outside Japan. Further, the project has been editing a special volume for Journal of World Prehistory for the academia and a three volume

  In the FR3, the project members have been engaged in full scale research activities and carried out thorough field work in their designated areas. The topics that are addressed by the individual researchers in all the research  groups can be divided into four major common themes. (1) The birth andexpansion of agriculture; (2) LS change at waterfronts; (3) Migration and colonisation as a major force of LS change; (4) Travelling and creation of mental LS images.

  As the first volume of landscape series, Higashi Ajia Naikai bunka-ken no keikanshi to kankyou1: Mizube no tayousei (Landscape History and Environment on the East Asian Inland Seas1: Versatile Waterfronts)　was published. Monthly landscape seminar provided good opportunities for wide-ranging discussion. The project organized sessions at Society for American Archaeology (SAA), International Conference of Historical Geographers (ICHG), and some members had presentations at Centre of Excellence in Cultural Theory (CECT) in Estonia. For social activity, we collaborated with Suita city museum in Osaka for the special exhibition of natural history.  Series of open class at Muromachi elementary school is an interesting educational outreach.