The fourth Satoyama Cafe, titled "Message from the Satoumi: Promoting Satoumi and Satoyama brands," was held March 2. The keynote speech was made by Takehiro Tanaka, executive director of Satoumi Zukuri Kenkyu Kaigi (or the Nonprofit research council on building satoumi).
Satoyama historically refers to an agricultural community's shared woodlots and nature, but can now describe a movement involving these communities' cultivation of natural environments for sustainability and profit. Several variations exist, with satoumi being the oceanic equivalent.
Tanaka was a fishery specialist in Okayama Prefecture, serving as the section chief of fisheries before retiring. Naturally, Tanaka has deep insight on the promotion of fisheries and revitalizing the satoumi of the Setonaikai region. His experiences span staying at fishery camps and going on fishing boats to experience a real catch, to spending 28 hours on the open sea on a fishing boat, and then going to the government office of Okayama Prefecture for his regular shift. Following his years as a public servant, Tanaka has definitely focused on the local side, where things are actually happening.