Initiative Policy and Structure

Initiative Structure

Three-Way Partnership for Forest Restoration

Our Natural Water Sanctuary Initiative brings together a variety of living things, experts from various fields, and Suntory employees to promote activities that conserve and restore thriving forests, which recharge high-quality groundwater.

Diagram showing the overlapping activities of living things, experts, and Suntory
Living Things in the Natural Water Sanctuaries Experts Suntory Employees

Living Things in the Natural Water Sanctuaries

Here are some of the diverse living things found in our Natural Water Sanctuaries.

*This page contains images of organisms.

Birds

Mountain Hawk-Eagles
Birds of prey at the top of Japan’s forest ecological pyramid
Ural Owls
Hunt at night and help protect fields from pests like mice
Eurasian Jays
Plant acorns and help grow the forests of the future
Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Protect the forest by eating the insects that carry pine wilt disease
Warbling White-eye
They help pollinate plants while flying around in search of nectar

Bird names are listed in accordance with the Check-list of Japanese Birds, 8th Revised Edition.

Mammals

Deer
In Japan’s forests, the rapid increase in deer population is affecting the ecosystem
Japanese Hares
Japanese hares play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance
Raccoon dog
The help the forest to grow by scattering the seeds of plants they eat, in their droppings
Japanese serow
This goat-antelope is a protected species. They are not very afraid of people.
Japanese squirrel
They scatter and store a large number of acorns throughout the forest to eat in the winter

Insects

Rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros Beetles
They favor the sap of broadleaf trees such as sawtooth and konara oaks
Darters icon
Darters
Dragonflies that protect winter-flooded paddies from pests
Asiatic honey bee
Flying around the forest, they gather nectar from flowers and help pollinate plants

Living Things That Enrich the Soil

Earthworms
Consume fallen leaves and earth, creating soft soil that is nutrient-rich
Mushrooms
Break down dead wood and leaves, enriching the soil
Fallen Leaves
A valuable source of nutrients in the forest, serving as food for many living things
Tree Roots
Attract a wide variety of microorganisms and increase biodiversity in the soil

Experts

Here are some of the experts who have supported our Natural Water Sanctuary activities since the start.

*Click on the tabs to see experts in each field.

*In alphabetical order, titles omitted

*Updated July 2025

Water experts

Yuichi Onda

Professor, University of Tsukuba

Hydrogeomorphology, slope hydrology, radioactivity migration in the environment, surface erosion, slope failure

Takashi Gomi

Professor, Nagoya University

Catchment hydrology, erosion control engineering, canopy interception, throughfall, stemflow, runoff characteristics, forest management, satoyama broadleaf forest

Yukihiro shimatani

Distinguished Professor, Prefectural University of Kumamoto

River engineering, consensus building, nature restoration, micro hydro

Maki Tsujimura

Professor, University of Tsukuba

Hydrology, groundwater flow system, ranifall-runoff, forest and water, water age

Tomochika Tokunaga

Professor, The University of Tokyo

geological engineering, hydrogeology

Shinji Nakaya

Professor Emeritus, Shinshu University

Groundwater, dating of groundwater, fracture, water resources, hydro-geological and geochemical research on the Chigawa River Watershed, Omachi City, Nagano, Japan

Geosphere Environmental Technology Corporationのロゴ画像

Geosphere Environmental Technology Corporation

Experiments to look at groundwater through state-of-the-art simulation technology (GETFLOWS) and dialogue with the forest

Forest experts

Satoshi Ito

Professor, University of Miyazaki

Silviculture, biodiversity, ecological site classification, landscape management, conservation of riparian forests

Shigehiro Kamoda

Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo

Energy forest building, domestic cacao forest building, building of forests to protect traditional crafts, creating educational programs to make people think about forests and forestry

Takeshi Tange

Senior Professor, The University of Tokyo

Silviculture, eco-physiology of woody plants, forest soil science, environmental responses of woody plants

Naoko Tokuchi

Professor, Kyoto University

Forest ecosystem ecology, material cycle, nitrogen cycle, phenology, Connectivity of Hills, Humans and Oceans (CoHHO)

Hisashi Hasegawa

Associate Professor, Kyoto University

Forest Engineering, Sustainable Forestry Cycle, Sustainable Forest Management, Remote Sensing, Regional Revitalization

Tamotsu Hattori

Emeritus Professor, University of Hyogo

Botany, vegetation, plant ecology, diversity surveys, satoyama

Chikayasu Hamano

Chairman, non-profit organization Flower and Green Town Mitaka Creation Association; PhD, Bioregulation Studies (Bioenvironmental Regulation Science)

Landscape dendrology, plant distribution, tree health

Shigeyuki Miyabayashi

Emeritus Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture

Forest recreation, mountain village economics, mountain village development, community development, river basin cooperation, forestry services, experience-based education

Kazuhiro Yabe

PhD, Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture

Forest engineering, forest conservation, watershed management

Wildlife experts

Koichi Endo

Chairperson, Wild Bird Society of Japan

Ecological research and conservation of Eurasian Goshawks and Grey-faced Buzzards, raptors, biodiversity, nature restoration, environmental education

Daisaburou Okumoto

Chairman of the Board, Non-Profit Organization Japan Jean-Henri Fabre Society

French literature, natural history and literature (insects)

Nobuhiro Kaneko

Visiting Professor, Shimane University;Professor Emeritus, Yokohama National University and Fukushima University

Soil ecology, conservation agriculture, forest ecosystem management, ecosystem functioning

Yasuhiro Kubota

PhD, Professor, University of the Ryukyus; CEO, Think Nature Inc.

Systematic conservation planning of biodiversity based on the integration of fieldwork and data science

Teruyuki Komiya

Chairman, Japanese Society for Preservation of Birds

Conservation within and outside habitat

Yuichi Kano

Fellow, Kyushu Open University

Ecology, conservation ecology, eco-informatics, 3D digital organisms

Maki Suzuki

Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo

Forest ecosystems, sika deer, secondary forests, vegetation dynamics

Megumi Tanaka

Associate Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture

Silviculture, forest microbiology, plant-microbe interactions, functional microbiome-driven reforestation

Jun Nonaka

Representative, The Japan Accipiter Working Group

Bird surveys

Hirao Toshihide

Lecturer, The University of Tokyo

Forest ecology, soil microbes, biodiversity, ecosystem functionings

Takashi Fujii

Research Manager, Japanese Society for Preservation of Birds Research Department

Protection and conservation of birds, surveys and research, promoting awareness and appreciation for birds

Norio Yanagisawa

Former Director, Japanese Society for Preservation of Birds

Protection and conservation of birds

Toru Yamazaki

President, Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network

Raptor research, wildlife medicine

AI-Shokubutsu Landscape Planning Office

Biodiversity conservation, nature restoration, riverine systems, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) design

Institute of Rural and Urban Ecology Co., Ltd.

Vegetation consulting (vegetation surveys, vegetation management proposals, research proposals and implementation, aerial drone photography, monitoring, etc.)

Regional Environmental Planning, Inc.

Nature surveys

MORISHO LLC

Vegetation, bird, and animal surveys, biodiversity surveys

Forest maintenance experts

Kiyotaka Okahashi

Chairman, Albero Cuore Co., Ltd.

Human resource development and technical guidance for forest logging road construction

Kiyochika Okahashi

Chairman, Seikoringyo Co., Ltd.

Human resource development and technical guidance for forest logging road construction

Yukio Tanabe

Representative, Morimori Sangyo

Construction of forest logging roads, human resource development and technical guidance

Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.

Advisory for forest operations

Soil experts

Motoki Kubo

Professor, Ritsumeikan University

Environmental science, environmental microorganisms

Kazunari Yokoyama

PhD, Chief Researcher, DGC Technology Inc.

Soil microbial diversity and vitality value, BIOTREX, microbial community structure analysis, plant pathology, complex system science, dynamic stability

Multi-field experts

Yoshiharu Ishikawa

Emeritus Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Erosion control engineering, soil erosion, decline of understory, litter cover,slope failure

Yoshiyuki Hioki

Specially Appointed Professor, Tottori University

Ecological engineering, biodiversity-oriented revegetation, nature restoration

Suntory Employees

Suntory has a specialized team dedicated to forest management with staff assigned to each forest. The employees overseeing the entire initiative, together with the site staff, spend over 100 days a year in the field, coordinating and implementing activities.

Suntory has also established an in-house water research organization, the Suntory Institute for Water Science, which conducts surveys and research based on the latest findings in hydrology.

Suntory employees doing conservation work at forest sites
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