Kundhavi Kadiresan of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has made her first visit to Japan to promote Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, an award by the organization aimed at boosting eco-tourism and preserving traditional agricultural systems.
"People always want to connect with their own tradition and old heritage systems," said Kadiresan, adding that more countries and people are showing interest in GIAHS to attract tourists.
The Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture was granted the heritage status in December 2015 because many traditional types of inland fishing have been preserved there, including cormorant fishing that dates back 1,300 years.