The "Civilization of Forests" Theory Proposed during the Period of Rapid Economic Growth: Reading "The Culture of Terrestrial Forests: The Depths of Japanese Culture" edited by Shumpei Ueyama (Part 1)252

The "Forest Civilization Theory" Proposed During the Period of Rapid Economic Growth

Updated by Kotaro Nagasawa on March 02, 2026, 10:39 AM JST

The potential natural vegetation of the Japanese archipelago is broad-leaved. The potential natural vegetation in Japan is divided into two major areas: summer broadleaf forests from the mountainous areas of the Chubu region to the Tohoku region, and evergreen broadleaf forests from the three major metropolitan areas to the west of the Chugoku region. The potential natural vegetation is divided into two areas in Japan.See previous column）。
Another name for summergreen broadleaf tree is deciduous broadleaf tree. They have beautiful red leaves. Evergreen broad-leaved trees are also called terrestrial broad-leaved trees. An evergreen broadleaf forest is an evergreen broadleaf forest is an evergreen broadleaf forest. There is a famous book that discusses shiny-leaved forests. The name of the book is "Shouyou Jyurin Bunka" (Shouyou Jyurin Culture) (Chuko Shinsho 1969). I have known the book title for a long time, but this is the first time I have read it.

"The most original theories brought to us by the postwar Japanese."

The compact new book is not an easy read, with its multidisciplinary terminology. However, the argument is simple: "The shiny-leaved forest zone of southwestern Japan is not isolated, but is part of a broad forest landscape that extends from the Himalayas in the west to southwestern Japan in the east. The people who live there share a broad range of lifestyles and culture, and the roots of Japanese civilization can be found here.

Commenting on this book, Ikeuchi Nori, for example, wrote, "The theory of shiny-leaved forest culture is now firmly established in academic circles and is even included in textbooks. It is one of the most original and magnificent views among the theories introduced by the Japanese in the postwar period, and has had a wide-ranging influence on various fields of study. In order to realize this assessment, it is necessary to see how this book challenged the academic and social conventions of the time of its publication. In my own way, I can summarize the book as follows.

(1) Challenge to the theory of the origin of rice cultivation in Japanese civilization
The theory of shiny-leaved forest culture argued that slash-and-burn, forest utilization, and mountain agriculture preceded rice cultivation, and that their accumulation prepared the way for the acceptance of rice cultivation technology.

(2) Challenges to the Special Theory of Japanese Civilization
In response to the argument that Japanese culture and Japanese civilization are unique, the theory of shiny-leaved forest culture argued that they are common to East Asian civilization and culture at large.

(3) Challenges to the Theory of Migratory Civilization
The theory of the culture of evergreen forests argued that the elements of Japanese civilization not only migrated southward from the Yellow River basin and the Korean peninsula, but also originated in forested areas stretching from the Himalayas to the Yangtze River basin and Southeast Asia, and then migrated northward to Japan.

(4) Challenging Urban Civilization Centrism
During the high-growth period, Japan was a society strongly oriented toward urban civilization. In contrast, the theory of shiny-leaved forest culture argued that our roots are in the forest.

In particular, the editors are clearly aware of (1) through (3), and Shumpei Ueyama, who wrote the 30-odd page "Introduction," repeatedly states that even Kunio Yanagida ("The Way of the Sea") and Namio Egami ("Theories of Conquering Dynasties of Riding Peoples"), who proposed their own theories on ancient Japan, are too attached to the notion that Japan existed after rice cultivation and give the Jomon too little credit. Ueyama repeatedly states that the Jomon are too much neglected. Ueyama is trying to see the Jomon culture within the shiny-leaved forest culture. He seems to have meant to say that the Jomon culture is the origin of the Japanese people.

Thus, the theory of shiny-leaved forest culture is an extremely ambitious attempt to question the origins of Japan and Japanese civilization in Asia, while discussing the relationship between forests and humans. The following is a brief description of the contents of this project.

Vegetation is a climate of the eye.

The central part of this book is the proceedings of a two-day symposium attended by the editor, Shumpei Kamiyama (philosophy), and five others, including Tatsuo Kira (plant physiology) and Sasuke Nakao (cultivated botany).

The symposium seemed to begin peacefully with a discussion of how climate on Earth is classified. However, from the very beginning, there was a disturbance. Sasuke Nakao suddenly and bitterly criticized Tetsuro Watsuji. In his main book, "Climate," Watsuji wrote that the world's climate can be divided into "monsoon," "desert," and "pasture. Nakao said. I think it is very strange to treat the world's climates in that way. （I wonder why he did not read Köppen's climate classification, which should have already appeared in any book. As Ueyama defends Watsuji, he must have constructed it subjectively. When one goes from Japan to Europe to study, one first passes through the monsoon zone by ship, and then through more desert areas to reach the Mediterranean Sea. He may have made the image based on his impression of the route he would take. Nakao brushes this off as well. He said, "It should be obvious from a glance at a map of the world," and "It is so strange that even an elementary school student could point it out. To use a modern expression, he is saying, "That's just your impression," in response to the masterpiece of Tetsuro Watsuji, a recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit and a lecturer to the Showa Emperor.

By the way, in the development of what is the relationship between Köppen's climate classification and vegetation, Nakao said, "(Köppen's) way would be to grasp the grand total of climate's effect on the natural world in the form of vegetation. To capture it in terms of vegetation is like saying the climate you see with your eyes," he said. You can roughly tell whether a place is temperate or tropical by looking at the vegetation. This is a man who uses such easy-to-understand expressions.

Terrestrial forests are open to the south.

The technical discussions on climate divisions and vegetation went on and on. One of the interesting points made by Tatsuo Kira was that the situation is different in Europe and East Asia. In southern Europe, there is an arid zone, so organisms do not migrate from the tropics. Also, during the Ice Age, glaciers moved south to the Alps, causing the extinction of organisms that had lived in that region. Therefore, there is a disconnect between the southern and northern parts of the European biosphere. In East Asia, on the other hand, glaciers did not develop so fast, and there is no obstacle caused by arid climates, so organisms move north when it gets hot and south when it gets cold. Geohistorical migration was completely free. As a result, the terrestrial forests of Japan are connected to the south, explaining that Japan is a world open to the south.

Terrestrial forests are dark

Nakao says Bhutan's evergreen forests are very quiet. There are few bird species. There is no sound of river water during the dry season. Compared to deciduous foliage trees, the canopy is higher and the leaves are thicker, so sunlight is blocked. It's an eerie area, he said. Kira nodded. For example, the middle of the backwoods of Mt. Kasuga in Nara, surrounded by a circular road, is a shiny-leaved forest. Even in winter, the leaves do not fall off. Even in midwinter, the undergrowth is dark green. The ground is damp, mossy, and dark. There are many vines, such as Fuji and Kazura. Thick vines are hanging down like giant snakes. If a tree has fallen, they are all rotting and waterlogged, with moss growing on top. A gloomy atmosphere pervades the place, and it is impossible to have a very pleasant psychological state. How could the ancients have lived in such a land?

I have never experienced this type of shrubland myself. However, if you search on YouTube, you will find things that will make you think, "Ah, this is the kind of place. Here is a link to an example.

(Kotaro Nagasawa, Director, Platinum Network)

*Honorifics omitted in the text.
*Note: This book was published in 1969, and some of the academic terms and findings in the text are expressions based on the state of research at that time.

*References
The Culture of the Terrestrial Forest: The Depths of Japanese Culture, edited by Shunpei Ueyama, Chuko Shinsho.
Nori Ikeuti, "Nigorome no Jinsei: Hidden Geniuses," Shobunsha, April 2003.

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• Forest Culture, Arts & Media