ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the processes and patterns to be found in the Japanese community’s engagement with geoparks. It is based on trends identified by the authors over the past 15 years and longer, but is a commentary based on the activities of actual communities rather than surveys of tourists. The themes covered are the threads that make up the current community interest in geoconservation, rural decline and revitalization, globally important agricultural and other forms of heritage conservation (geoparks, GIAHS and cultural heritage, Satoyama), and geotourism in Japan. These themes help us identify the impact of geoparks on the community, and the Japanese community’s engagement with them.
