LANDSCAPE ACT

Article 1(Purpose) #

The purpose of this Act is to contribute to the creation of the national environment and regional environments which are beautiful and pleasant and feature regional characteristics by providing for matters necessary for the conservation, management and creation of landscapes in order to manage landscapes of the national territories in a systematic manner.

Article 2(Definitions) #

The terms used in this Act shall be as follows:

1. The term "landscape" means things featuring a group of regional environmental characteristics comprising natural and artificial elements, lifestyles of residents, etc.;

2. The term "building" means any building under Article 2 (1) 2 of the Building Act.

Article 3(Basic principles of landscape management) #

Landscapes shall be planned and managed in accordance with the following principles:

1. To help people enjoy beautiful and pleasant landscapes;

2. To feature indigenous nature, history and culture to a region and to maintain landscapes in good conditions by the mutual consent of local residents in close relationships with the life and economic activities of the local residents;

3. To encourage each region to adopt management methods of autonomous landscape administration so that landscapes of each region may have indigenous characteristics and diversities and to encourage local residents to participate in such administration voluntarily;

4. To have acts related to development harmonized and balanced with landscapes;

5. To conserve excellent landscapes and to improve and restore damaged landscapes, while inducing newly created landscapes to feature distinctive elements;

6. To refrain from excessive restrictions on property rights of people and to take into account equity between regions.