Although planted forests account for forty percent of Japan's total forests, they are increasingly being left untended as they show little likelihood for profits in the future. Untended forests are especially susceptible to disasters and so present a threat to the lives and economies of those who live downstream. The most pressing issue facing Japan's forests is the thinning of its unhealthy planted forests. While "fishermen's forests Ehave centered on forest planting, in future it is hoped that foresters and fishers can undertake coordinated activities centered on the thinning of unhealthy forests.

Toshima Village, made up of a group of small, isolated islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, is the longest village in all of Japan. Although the local governing body is an extremely unique one, it has gone almost completely unnoticed until now. However, it came to the world's attention due to the total eclipse that took place last year. The group of small islands overcame many different problems to accommodate the many observers of the eclipse, but their efforts resulted in many benefits to the local population.

In 1998 the foreign species Mercenaria mercenaria was identified in Chiba Bay and can now be found living throughout Tokyo Bay. In the interests of conserving biological diversity, the invasion of foreign species should be prevented. However, as Mercenaria mercenaria is adapted to a different environment from native species such as the Venus clams and Mactra veneriformis and can live on the hypoxic seabeds of bays and sea routes where native species cannot, some view the foreign species as a potentially new marine product for Tokyo Bay.