Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture Awarded Nature Positive Municipality Certification

The Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Nature Conservation Society (Chairman: Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, hereinafter NACS-J) has awarded "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" ※1 to Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture (hereinafter Minamisanriku Town).

Minamisanriku Town has adopted the vision of "Minamisanriku: A Town where People, Forests, Villages, and the Sea Circulate Life," promoting sustainable town development that values "people and nature." On October 4, 2025, it also issued a Nature Positive Declaration ※2, and is implementing various initiatives to achieve nature positivity, such as promoting ASC certification and FSC certification in cooperation with public and private sectors, and a project to promote the registration of wetlands under the Ramsar Convention.

Minamisanriku Town registered to participate in the "Japan Nature Positive Approach" ※3 promoted by NACS-J in May 2025, aiming to acquire the "Nature Positive Municipality Certification."

As a result of the certification review by a committee of natural and social science experts, Minamisanriku Town's initiatives were evaluated as meeting the four certification criteria ※4 for "Nature Positive Municipality Certification," and it was decided to grant the certification. This marks the first certification nationwide for a municipality that includes marine areas.

In this review, the following two points were particularly highly evaluated:

1) The town's municipal nature environment utilization center is leading the conservation and utilization of the entire Shizugawa Bay, which is also a Ramsar Convention registered wetland, including the regeneration of seagrass beds and tidal flats. This demonstrates advanced marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization policies in Japan.

2) Under the slogan "Town where life circulates," numerous initiatives to conserve and sustainably utilize Minamisanriku Town's biodiversity have been consistently promoted in a multi-layered manner, even during post-disaster reconstruction, in cooperation with town residents, the town hall, local and external companies, experts, and NGOs.

Other evaluation points included active engagement in projects such as the wild reintroduction project for the Golden Eagle (Ministry of the Environment Red List: Critically Endangered IB), which is also Minamisanriku Town's town bird, the Minamisanriku Eco College project in collaboration with local schools and eco-clubs, and activities contributing to both decarbonization and nature positivity (acquisition of various certifications such as J-Credit, Forestock, and J-Blue Credit, and promotion of pellet stove introduction).

The "Nature Positive Municipality Certification" award ceremony will be held on Monday, April 6, 2026, from 3:00 PM at the Minamisanriku Town Hall 2nd floor conference room.

◆ Overview of the Award Ceremony

Date and Time: Monday, April 6, Reiwa 8 (2026), 15:00〜16:00

Venue: Minamisanriku Town Hall 2nd Floor Conference Rooms (2-1, 2-2)

Organizer: Minamisanriku Town

Co-organizer: Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Nature Conservation Society

1. Opening

2. Explanation of the Nature Positive Municipality Certification System

3. Awarding of the Nature Positive Municipality Certificate

4. Commemorative Photo Session

5. Greetings

   ・Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, Chairman, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Nature Conservation Society

   ・Kei Chiba, Mayor of Minamisanriku Town

6. Introduction of Attendees

7. Q&A Session

8. Closing

※1 Nature Positive Municipality Certification

A system that certifies municipalities promoting nature-positive community development by utilizing local nature. Organized by NACS-J.

https://www.nacsj.or.jp/report/39470/

※2 Nature Positive Declaration

A system for companies and municipalities to declare and register specific actions and goals aimed at realizing a nature-positive society. Organized by the Japan Biodiversity Framework 2030 Realization Council (J-GBF).

https://policies.env.go.jp/nature/biodiversity/j-gbf/about/naturepositive/

※3 Japan Nature Positive Approach

An initiative organized by NACS-J to build partnerships with municipalities and companies, quantitatively assess biodiversity, and implement nature positivity from local communities, aiming to realize a nature-positive society.

https://www.nacsj.or.jp/activities/project/npa/

※4 Certification Criteria