NEWS

As part of a program led by the Shirakawa Laboratory at the University of Tsukuba, Airi Ikedo-Okutani, Director and COO of Index Strategy, Inc., participated in field activities in Higashisonogi Town, Nagasaki Prefecture. The initiative focused on monitoring the migration of ayu (sweetfish) and improving forest headwater environments. Centered around the local community organization Sonogi Omoshiro Kasen-dan, the project promotes the restoration of river ecosystems and the revitalization of the regional environment.

 

On-site, the project team observed and supported activities such as fishway renovation, river environment maintenance, and bamboo thinning. Efforts to utilize thinned bamboo as a renewable resource—whether for soil improvement or biofuel—represent an emerging model that transforms maintenance costs into value circulating within the local economy. The comparison between locally designed, durable, low-cost fishways and large-scale infrastructure projects highlighted how sustainability often lies in community-driven innovation and adaptable design rather than in complexity or scale.

 

Insights gained from this fieldwork contribute to developing next-generation circular economy models that balance ecological conservation with economic vitality. Index Strategy remains committed to advancing on-the-ground initiatives that foster enduring environmental stewardship and resilient local communities.

　”Photo: Scene from the headwater forest restoration activity”

　"Photo: Installation of ayu migration equipment"

Link: Sonogi Omoshiro Kasen-dan