Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture Awarded Nature Positive Municipality Certification
Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture has become the first municipality in Japan, including marine areas, to receive the 'Nature Positive Municipality Certification' from the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J). An award ceremony will be held on April 6, 2026.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 2, 2026 at 14:30
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● The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) certifies municipalities promoting measures to achieve nature positivity as "Nature Positive Certified Municipalities."
● Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture is the first municipality in Japan including marine areas to obtain this certification.
● The "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" award ceremony will be held at the Minamisanriku Town Hall from 15:00 on Monday, April 6.
The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (President: Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, hereinafter NACS-J) has awarded the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" to Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture (hereinafter Minamisanriku Town).
Under the vision of "A town where life circulates through people, forests, villages, and the sea," Minamisanriku Town promotes sustainable community development that values "people and nature." On October 4, 2025, the town issued a Nature Positive Declaration, and the public and private sectors are collaborating on various initiatives to achieve nature positivity, such as promoting ASC and FSC certifications and projects to promote Ramsar Convention-registered wetlands.
Minamisanriku Town also registered for the "Japanese-style Nature Positive Approach" advanced by NACS-J in May 2025, aiming to acquire the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification."
Following a certification review by a panel of experts in natural and social sciences, it was decided to certify Minamisanriku Town, as its initiatives were evaluated to meet the four certification criteria of the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification." This marks the first certification in Japan for a municipality including marine areas.
At this review board, the following two points were particularly highly evaluated:
1) The Minamisanriku Nature Environment Utilization Center plays a central role in promoting the conservation and utilization of the entire Shizugawa Bay, a Ramsar site, including the restoration of seagrass beds and tidal flats, demonstrating marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization policies that are considered advanced in Japan.
2) Under the slogan of "a town where life circulates," multiple initiatives to conserve and sustainably utilize the biodiversity of Minamisanriku Town have been carried out consistently, even during earthquake reconstruction, in a multi-layered manner in cooperation with townspeople, the town hall, companies inside and outside the town, experts, and NGOs.
Other highly evaluated points included the promotion of a reintroduction project for the Golden Eagle (Ministry of the Environment Red List: Endangered IB), which is also the town bird; the Minamisanriku Eco-College project in collaboration with local schools and eco-clubs; and active engagement in activities that lead to both decarbonization and nature positivity (acquiring J-Credit, Forestock, and J-Blue Credit certifications, and promoting the introduction of pellet stoves).
An award ceremony for the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" will be held from 15:00 on Monday, April 6, 2026, in the conference room on the 2nd floor of the Minamisanriku Town Hall.
## ◆ Overview of the Award Ceremony
Date and Time: Monday, April 6, 2026 (Reiwa 8), 15:00-16:00
Venue: Minamisanriku Town Hall, 2nd floor conference rooms (2-1, 2-2)
Organizers: Minamisanriku Town, Nature Conservation Society of Japan
● Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture is the first municipality in Japan including marine areas to obtain this certification.
● The "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" award ceremony will be held at the Minamisanriku Town Hall from 15:00 on Monday, April 6.
The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (President: Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, hereinafter NACS-J) has awarded the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" to Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture (hereinafter Minamisanriku Town).
Under the vision of "A town where life circulates through people, forests, villages, and the sea," Minamisanriku Town promotes sustainable community development that values "people and nature." On October 4, 2025, the town issued a Nature Positive Declaration, and the public and private sectors are collaborating on various initiatives to achieve nature positivity, such as promoting ASC and FSC certifications and projects to promote Ramsar Convention-registered wetlands.
Minamisanriku Town also registered for the "Japanese-style Nature Positive Approach" advanced by NACS-J in May 2025, aiming to acquire the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification."
Following a certification review by a panel of experts in natural and social sciences, it was decided to certify Minamisanriku Town, as its initiatives were evaluated to meet the four certification criteria of the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification." This marks the first certification in Japan for a municipality including marine areas.
At this review board, the following two points were particularly highly evaluated:
1) The Minamisanriku Nature Environment Utilization Center plays a central role in promoting the conservation and utilization of the entire Shizugawa Bay, a Ramsar site, including the restoration of seagrass beds and tidal flats, demonstrating marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization policies that are considered advanced in Japan.
2) Under the slogan of "a town where life circulates," multiple initiatives to conserve and sustainably utilize the biodiversity of Minamisanriku Town have been carried out consistently, even during earthquake reconstruction, in a multi-layered manner in cooperation with townspeople, the town hall, companies inside and outside the town, experts, and NGOs.
Other highly evaluated points included the promotion of a reintroduction project for the Golden Eagle (Ministry of the Environment Red List: Endangered IB), which is also the town bird; the Minamisanriku Eco-College project in collaboration with local schools and eco-clubs; and active engagement in activities that lead to both decarbonization and nature positivity (acquiring J-Credit, Forestock, and J-Blue Credit certifications, and promoting the introduction of pellet stoves).
An award ceremony for the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" will be held from 15:00 on Monday, April 6, 2026, in the conference room on the 2nd floor of the Minamisanriku Town Hall.
## ◆ Overview of the Award Ceremony
Date and Time: Monday, April 6, 2026 (Reiwa 8), 15:00-16:00
Venue: Minamisanriku Town Hall, 2nd floor conference rooms (2-1, 2-2)
Organizers: Minamisanriku Town, Nature Conservation Society of Japan