Satoyama landscapes are traditional Japanese environments where forests, farmland, and villages are interwoven, and demonstrate how people can sustainably manage and benefit from nature. This tradition is rapidly disappearing from the Japanese landscape. It is anoth- er casualty of aging communities in which knowledge of elders is being lost. A0’s projects support and develop thriving ecosystems of human and natural communities. The company’s name reflects this deep connection to nature. In the forestry industry, soil is categorized into layers—O, A, B, and C—each with its own role in supporting plant life. The A0 layer refers to the uppermost layer of organic material, rich with nutrients from decomposing leaves and debris. This layer is essential for the health of the entire ecosystem as it nurtures the plants and animals that rely on it. Inspired by this natural process, A0 was named to symbolize the company’s role in nurturing life and communities through its sustainable, cyclical relationship with nature. Figure A: A0 Locations Across Japan
As Figure A shows, A0 operates in Nishiawakura Village (Okayama Prefecture), Takashima City (Shiga Prefecture), Atsuma Town (Hokkaido), and Kinko Town (Kagoshima Prefecture). 4 A0’s approach to nature-based solutions emphasizes sustainable development and community wealth building and empowerment, with annual sales reaching around ¥1,000,000,000 (about US$6,400,000). 5 It plans to expand operation to a total of seven areas.
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Ten Years in the Making
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