People walk along the Oirase Stream in Towada City, Aomori Prefecture.
13:26 JST, May 23, 2024
TOWADA, Aomori – This spring, momentum is growing for the conservation, utilization and tourism promotion of Towada Lake and Oirase Stream in Towada City, Aomori Prefecture.
In March, Towada Lake was selected as a model project by the Ministry of Environment to attract high-quality hotels to national parks. On May 19, the city became the first city in the Tohoku region to receive government approval for its ecotourism promotion plan to preserve and utilize the valuable natural environment of Oirase Stream.
The City of Towada is now working to balance environmental protection and tourism, utilizing a partnership between government and academia.
The Organizing Committee of the Oirase Stream Ecotourism Project, which consists of organizations including the City of Towada, tourism companies and conservation groups, has put together the general concept for the Ecotourism Promotion Plan for Oirase Stream and has been certified by the Ministry of Environment and other entities. It is the 27th place in Japan to be certified. The project covers the Oirase Stream and the Nenokuchi and Yakeyama areas along the shores of Towada Lake.
The project sets out three basic policies: (1) the conservation of the natural environment, (2) the promotion of tourism and regional development and (3) the promotion of human-nature interaction. Based on this policy, rules will be drawn up for the natural environment, the use of the environment and the quality of ecotours.
The project aims to develop nature experience programs such as hikes along mountain streams with local guides and frozen waterfall tours. Local guides and related organizations will also monitor the natural environment to preserve it for the future.
