Ishigaki Island is often described for its natural beauty.

A subtropical island in the southernmost part of Japan, surrounded by the sea, shaped by climate, and known for its rich landscape and distinct cultural identity.

But what you see today is not simply “natural.”

It has also been protected — intentionally.

—

In the years after World War II, external capital began acquiring land across the island.

There was a real concern that local identity, tied closely to land, could be lost.

In response, local residents organized movements to buy back land and protect what they believed should remain in local hands.

At the same time, both the city and Okinawa Prefecture introduced layers of regulations to limit excessive development.

Agricultural land policies, land use controls, and later, legal frameworks such as landscape protection, natural parks, and cultural preservation were applied in combination.

These were not isolated measures.

They formed a system.

—

If you look at Ishigaki from above, you can still see the result.

Urban areas are concentrated in the south.

Beyond that, agricultural land and forests extend clearly, with relatively little sprawl.

This structure is not accidental.

It reflects decades of decisions about how land should be used — and protected.

—

During my time working in the city government, one of the responsibilities I was entrusted with was the development of the local landscape plan under Japan’s Landscape Act.

Working with local residents, we created a framework to preserve and guide the island’s visual environment.

Not only through regulation, but through shared understanding of what should be valued.

—

This is one of the perspectives behind what I offer today.

When we move through the island, we are not only seeing places.

We are seeing the result of choices, conflicts, and intentions over time.

And that changes how the landscape is experienced.

—

I will explore more of this in future posts.

But this is one of the layers that shapes how I design each experience.