Japan — National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2023–2030

1. Overview

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) of Japan 2023–2030 was adopted by the Committee of the Ministries on the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan as the country's basic plan under Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Article 11 of Japan's Basic Act on Biodiversity (Act No. 58 of 2008) [§4]. It succeeds the 2012–2020 strategy and is framed as Japan's roadmap for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted at CBD COP15 in December 2022 [§4][§15]. Descriptions of wetlands within the document also serve as Japan's National Wetland Policy under the Ramsar Convention [§4].

Unusually among NBSAPs, Japan pairs every high-level aim with two target tracks: each of its five "basic strategies"* carries a set of state-oriented national commitments (outcomes to reach by 2030) and action-oriented national commitments (actions to take to reach them) [§53]. The strategy's central 2030 Mission is "Nature-Positive by 2030," defined as "halting and reversing biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery" [§44]. A dedicated 30by30 Roadmap is annexed, domesticating GBF Target 3 with a baseline of 20.5% terrestrial and 13.3% marine protection as of adoption [§4][§762]. Japan also retains a Centennial Plan grand design — a 100-year framing for national land, oriented around demographic decline and ecosystem recovery, revisited at each ~5-year NBSAP revision [§803][§804].

Part 1 sets out the current status of biodiversity and the Nature-Positive concept; Part 2 (the Action Plan) sets out the measures to be taken by FY2030, with responsible ministries identified for each and "Priority" measures flagged where newly implemented or carrying ambitious targets [§143].** Measures continue beyond FY2031 until a successor strategy is developed [§4].

*Japan's "basic strategies" are its five thematic pillars and are distinct from the four GBF Goals (A–D). "State-oriented" and "action-oriented targets" are rendered as "national commitments" throughout this page, following the KMGBF canonical vocabulary.

**"Priority Measures" are those Japan flags as newly implemented or carrying ambitious targets [§143].

In short: Japan's NBSAP is a dual-track plan — outcome and action commitments paired under five basic strategies — anchored by a Nature-Positive 2030 Mission, a domesticated 30by30 Roadmap with 20.5%/13.3% baselines, and a rare 100-year Centennial Plan framing driven by depopulation and satoyama abandonment.

Sources:

• §4 — Part 1 > Importance and Roles of the NBSAP of Japan
• §15 — Part 1 > Path to adoption
• §44 — Part 1 > 2030 Mission "Nature-Positive by 2030"
• §53 — Part 1 > Chapter 3 > Five Basic Strategies and Individual Targets
• §143 — Part 2 Action Plan > Introduction
• §762 — Annex > 30by30 Roadmap > Expansion of protected areas
• §803–§804 — Annex > Grand Design for National Land > Centennial Plan

2. Ecological Context

Japan's biodiversity reflects an archipelago extending north–south along the eastern edge of Eurasia, a four-season monsoon climate, recurrent volcanic, flood and typhoon disturbance, and the world's sixth-largest Exclusive Economic Zone [§17]. Over 90,000 species have been identified, with estimates including undiscovered species exceeding 300,000 [§792]. Endemism is defining: approximately 40% of terrestrial mammals and vascular plants, 60% of reptiles and 80% of amphibians are endemic [§17]. The Ogasawara Islands were inscribed as a natural World Heritage site in 2011; Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa and Iriomote were inscribed in 2021 [§162][§792].

The NBSAP organises drivers into four crises [§21]. The First Crisis — development and overexploitation — captures rapid post-war reductions in natural forests, grasslands, farmlands, marshes and tidal flats; about 40 km² of shallow marine areas were reclaimed each year from rapid economic growth until around 1980 [§18][§22]. The Second Crisis, distinctive to Japan, is biodiversity loss caused by reduced human activity with nature: the shrinking and aging population is abandoning the satochi-satoyama mosaic of villages, secondary forests, farmlands and reservoirs, driving rapid declines in aquatic insects and freshwater fish that depend on rice paddies, while Sika deer (Cervus nippon) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have expanded sharply; about 20% of current residential areas are projected to become non-residential by 2050 [§23]. The Third Crisis is artificially introduced factors: GIS meshes confirming raccoon (Procyon lotor) distribution nearly tripled between 2006 and 2017, nutria (Myocastor coypus) meshes rose five-fold 2002–2017, and red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) have arrived via imported goods [§24]. The Fourth Crisis is climate change: moso bamboo is expanding northward, coral bleaching is underway, and research funded by the Ministry of the Environment projects that approximately six of 11 kelp species inhabiting Japan may disappear from the country's marine areas [§20][§25].

Socio-economic context underlies these crises. The total population peaked in 2008; the primary-industry labour share fell from about 19% in the 1970s to about 4% in 2015 [§27][§28]. Import cargo volume rose from about 0.09 billion tons (1960) to about 1 billion tons (2013), and Japan imports about 60% of its food and wood — what the NBSAP terms "telecoupling" with supplier-country biodiversity [§29][§795]. A 2022 Cabinet Office survey found 29.4% of respondents knew the meaning of "biodiversity," below the 75% target set in the previous strategy [§30]. The official review of the 2012–2020 NBSAP, published in January 2021, found that "none of the national targets had been achieved" [§31].

Sources:

• §17–§25 — Part 1 > Chapter 1 > Section 2 (characteristics, status, four crises)
• §27–§30 — Part 1 > Chapter 1 > Section 2 > Socioeconomic situation
• §31 — Part 1 > Results of Review of Past Efforts
• §162, §792, §795 — Annex chapters on biodiversity importance

Flex 1: The satochi-satoyama challenge — biodiversity loss from under-use

A structural thread runs across the NBSAP that distinguishes Japan from most countries: biodiversity loss driven not by intensifying human pressure but by its withdrawal. Satochi-satoyama — the mosaic of villages, secondary forests, terraced farmlands, reservoirs and grasslands — evolved under continuous low-intensity human management and itself supports species adapted to brighter, disturbed environments [§17][§23]. As the rural population ages and contracts, this mosaic is being abandoned, and the species that depend on it are among the fastest declining [§23].

The NBSAP embeds this framing at multiple levels. Basic Strategy 2 (Nature-based Solutions) makes wildlife management central, addressing human–wildlife conflict as a direct consequence of under-use [§46]. Under the Act on Special Measures for Prevention of Damage Related to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Caused by Wildlife, Category 2 Specified Wildlife Control Plans target population reductions for Sika deer (from 2.85 million in 2020) and wild boar (from 870,000), with prefectural achievement of control targeted to reach 100% for deer, wild boar, macaque and bears by 2030 [§411][§419][§421]. Utilised wild game meat is targeted to rise from 2,127 t (FY2021) to 4,000 t (FY2025) [§426].

The Centennial Plan grand design is explicitly framed around this trajectory: a 100-year orientation "restoring ecosystems damaged over the past century as population decreases," using local resources for autonomous regional development and implementing ecological land management adaptively [§803][§804]. Direct-payment schemes for hilly and semi-mountainous areas and the Multifunctional Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Payment are used to retain active management of satoyama land. Certification of satoyama, chinju-no-mori shrine forests, and company forests as Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites (Japan's OECM* mechanism) is positioned as the mechanism through which these under-used landscapes also contribute to the 30by30 target [§763].

*OECM = Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure, the CBD category for areas delivering biodiversity outcomes outside formal protected areas.

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Japan's NBSAP organises commitments under five basic strategies, each pairing a small set of state-oriented (outcome) and action-oriented (action) commitments [§53]. The following presents each basic strategy as a grouped subsection.

Basic Strategy 1 — Restoration to Healthy Ecosystems (GBF Targets 1–4, 6–8)

The commitment is to restore ecosystem scale and quality, reduce extinction risk and maintain genetic diversity [§68]. Action commitments include: conserving at least 30% of land and sea as protected areas and OECMs with enhanced management effectiveness (1-1); restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems and building ecological networks (1-2); reducing pollution and the rate of establishment of invasive alien species by 50% (1-3); minimising adverse impacts of climate change on biodiversity (1-4); protecting rare species under law (1-5); and maintaining genetic diversity (1-6) [§69]. Key instruments are the Natural Parks Act system, the Act on Promotion of Nature Restoration (Act No. 148 of 2002), the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the Invasive Alien Species Act (amended 2022).

Measurability: mixed. Action targets 1-1 (30% / 30%), 1-3 (50% reduction in IAS establishment rate), and 1-5 (species-level population indicators) are measurable commitments. Action target 1-4 ("minimise adverse impacts") and 1-6 (genetic diversity with no numerical threshold) are directional aspirations. Indicators cited include protected-area and OECM coverage, Japanese Red List status (3,772 threatened species; 5th edition from FY2024), in-situ conserved populations (18 → 36 by 2030), and Nature-Restoration committees (27 → 30 by FY2025) and implementation plans (49 → 54) [§225][§226][§294][§311].

Basic Strategy 2 — Nature-based Solutions for Social Challenges (GBF Targets 8, 11, 12)

State commitments are: ecosystem services improved beyond current levels (2-1); synergies built between climate and biodiversity with trade-offs mitigated (2-2); and "appropriate distance with wildlife" maintained with damage mitigated (2-3) [§77]. Action commitments promote visualisation of ecosystem functions (2-1), community development linking forests, countryside, rivers and seas (2-2), nature restoration contributing to mitigation and adaptation including blue carbon (2-3), due consideration of biodiversity in renewable energy siting (2-4), and enhanced mitigation of human–wildlife conflicts (2-5) [§78]. Instruments include the Green Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Platform (16 → 70 local governments commercialising initiatives by 2025), Eco-DRR positioning in LBSAPs (0 → all 47 prefectures by 2030), and Category 2 Specified Wildlife Control Plans [§320][§419][§662].

Measurability: mixed. The Green Infrastructure, Eco-DRR, and Sika deer / wild boar population commitments are measurable commitments. State targets 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 ("beyond current levels", "appropriate distance") and action target 2-4 (due consideration without threshold) are directional aspirations. Blue carbon inclusion in the national GHG inventory is directional — a Blue Carbon Roadmap is committed but no area or tonnage threshold is set.

Basic Strategy 3 — Nature-Positive Economies (GBF Targets 14, 15, 10)

State commitments cover ESG finance promoted with resources appropriately allocated (3-1), negative business impacts reduced and positive impacts increased (3-2), and sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries expanding (3-3) [§92]. Action commitments promote business assessment, disclosure and target-setting (3-1), support for biodiversity-contributing technologies and services (3-2), ABS implementation (3-3), and sustainable agri-food via the MIDORI* Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (3-4) [§93][§94]. The explicit "three-issue integration doctrine" — resolving nature-positive, net-zero GHG emissions, and circular economy simultaneously — is anchored here [§50].

*MIDORI = Measures for achievement of Decarbonisation and Resilience with Innovation; adopted 2021, given statutory footing by Act No. 37 of 2022.

Measurability: substantially measurable. MIDORI Strategy targets by 2030 — chemical pesticide use down 10% risk-weighted (baseline 23,330); chemical fertilizer from 900,000 t to 720,000 t; organic area from 25,200 ha to 63,000 ha; GAP-certified farmers 24,653 → 240,000; and business indicators (TNFD participants 45 → 90; Business for GBF Project 50 → 200; biodiversity-conscious market ¥8.5 T → ¥9.0 T by 2025) — are measurable commitments [§443][§447][§460]–[§465][§474]. State target 3-1 ("promoted", "appropriately allocated") is a directional aspiration.

Basic Strategy 4 — Changing Individual Behaviour (GBF Targets 16, 22)

State commitments are that values placing importance on biodiversity are established, biodiversity is taken into account in consumption, and active participation is taking place [§109]. Action commitments cover environmental education in schools (4-1), experiences in daily life (4-2), voluntary behaviour change (4-3), consumption incentives including halving food loss and waste (4-4), and local activities using traditional knowledge (4-5) [§110]. Instruments include the Second ESD Implementation Plan (May 2021), the Act on Promotion of Food Loss Reduction, the Fourth Basic Plan for the Promotion of Shokuiku (environmentally friendly product choice 69.3% → 75% by FY2025), Zero Carbon Action 30 (5.37 Mt-CO₂ reduction target by FY2030), and the sustainable fashion initiative [§506][§565][§567].

Measurability: mixed. Food loss halving from 2000 levels by 2030, the 75% Shokuiku target, and Zero Carbon Action 30 are measurable commitments. State targets 4-1–4-3 are directional aspirations.

Basic Strategy 5 — Base and International Coordination (GBF Targets 19, 20, 21, 23)

State commitments cover information infrastructure developed and used (5-1); funding secured to bridge global gaps (5-2); and developing-country capacity-building supported (5-3) [§120]. Action commitments cover long-term survey and monitoring (5-1), human resources and tools (5-2), LBSAP strengthening (5-3), resource mobilisation including identification of harmful incentives (5-4), and international cooperation (5-5) [§121]. The Japan Biodiversity Fund, the Satoyama Initiative / IPSI (International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative), and Monitoring Sites 1000 are central instruments.

Measurability: mixed. International-capacity targets (12,000 officers trained and 48 organisations reinforced by 2030; IPSI 400 organisations across 100 countries by 2030; JBF support to 170 countries on NBSAP revision by 2030), LBSAP municipal coverage (9.0% → 30% by FY2030), and Sub-measure 5-3-5 gender targets (women on advisory bodies 22% → 40%; women in MOE management 12.3% → 30%) are measurable commitments [§667][§683][§685][§715]. Action target 5-4 on harmful-subsidy reform is an interim commitment: indicators are listed but current and target values are "left blank (–)" [§681], with a commitment to discuss feasibility of market-based biodiversity trading and taxation measures for Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites [§679].

Sources:

• §50, §53, §68–§69, §77–§78, §92–§94, §109–§110, §120–§121 — Basic Strategies and target statements
• §225–§226, §294, §311 — species and restoration indicators
• §320, §419, §662 — NbS and wildlife indicators
• §443, §447, §460–§465, §474 — Nature-positive economy and MIDORI indicators
• §506, §565, §567 — behavioural-change instruments
• §667, §679, §681, §683, §685, §715 — Strategy 5 indicators and harmful-subsidy blank

4. Delivery Architecture

Japan's NBSAP is delivered through a dense fabric of statutes, multi-ministry programmes and named partnerships. The five basic strategies are implemented jointly by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), coordinated by the Committee of the Ministries on the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan [§67][§130].

Conservation and species. Area-based conservation is anchored in the Natural Parks Act system, the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (442 designated Nationally Rare Species, 56 Protection and Reproduction Program Plans covering 75 species) [§293], and the Nature Conservation Act (Act No. 85 of 1972). Species response includes updating the Japanese Red List — a 5th edition combining terrestrial and marine assessments is planned from FY2024 [§294] — and expanding in-situ populations under Program Plans from 18 (2022) to 36 (2030) [§311]. The Invasive Alien Species Act was amended in 2022; its Management Action Plan is to be revised by FY2024, with mongoose eradication on Amami-Oshima to be confirmed by FY2025 [§271][§284].

Climate, NbS and marine programmes. The Climate Change Adaptation Plan embeds NbS, supported by the Green Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Platform [§317][§322]. Marine-litter action is framed by the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision (zero additional marine plastic litter pollution by 2050) and the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics (Act No. 60 of 2021), whose targets include a 25% cumulative reduction in single-use plastic waste, 60% reuse/recycling of containers/packaging, doubled recycled plastics volume and 2 Mt biomass plastics by FY2030, and 100% effective use of end-of-life plastics by FY2035 [§558][§559]. A nationwide lead-shot phase-in begins FY2025, targeting zero bird lead-poisoning cases by FY2030 [§227]. The Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reef Ecosystems in Japan 2022–2030 targets a coral larval settlement rate of 10% by FY2025 (from 9.5%) [§606].

Production and commodities. The MIDORI Strategy and Act No. 37 of 2022 drive the agri-food reform (see Section 3). The Clean Wood Act (Act No. 48 of 2016) targets 43.5 M m³ of legally handled wood by FY2025 (from 30.35 M m³) [§481], and domestic timber supply is targeted to grow from 34 M m³ (FY2021) to 42 M m³ (2030) [§477]. The revised Fisheries Act extends TAC management, with TAC species reaching 80% of catch by FY2023 (from 60.5%); aquaculture targets an artificial juvenile ratio of 100% and formula-feed use of 100% by 2050 (from 1.9% and 44% respectively in 2019) [§485][§486][§494][§501].

Market instruments and finance. The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Science Based Targets for Nature, the Business for GBF Project, and Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economies (tentative) — the latter title literally marked tentative, due end FY2023 [§438] — frame corporate engagement. Payment for Ecosystem Services and a proposed framework to certify and trade biodiversity values via Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites are under development [§676][§679]. The Forest Environment Transfer Tax finances municipal forest management [§188].

International platforms originated by Japan. The Satoyama Initiative (600 projects targeted by 2028, from 458), IPSI (established at CBD COP10; 400 organisations across 100 countries by 2030), the Japan Biodiversity Fund (149 countries supported on NBSAP work; 87 capacity-building projects), Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, and co-founding of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) with the World Bank, GEF and Conservation International (August 2000) — a distinctive feature of Japan's profile is its role as supplier of global governance instruments, not only recipient [§674][§683][§685][§691].

Subnational architecture. Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (LBSAPs) under Article 13(1) of the Basic Act on Biodiversity are to reach 30% municipal coverage by FY2030 (from 9.0% — 156 of 1,741 municipalities as of February 2023) [§667]. Regional action plans under the Act on the Promotion of Regional Cooperation for Biodiversity are to double from 16 (Sep. 2022) to 32 by FY2030; Support Centres from 19 to 27 [§576]. Circular and Ecological Economy regions target 300 cumulatively by 2030 (from 106 in 2020) [§332].

Sources:

• §67, §130 — inter-ministerial coordination
• §188, §227, §271, §284, §293–§294, §311, §317, §322 — instruments cross-cutting conservation and climate
• §438, §477, §481, §485–§486, §494, §501, §558–§559, §606, §662, §676, §679 — production, market, and mechanism instruments
• §332, §576, §667 — subnational architecture
• §674, §683, §685, §691 — Japan-originated international platforms

Flex 2: The 30by30 Roadmap and Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites

The 30by30 Roadmap is a formally separate annexed document with its own baseline, governance, and interim-evaluation mechanism — a distinctive operationalisation of GBF Target 3 warranting dedicated treatment [§751][§754][§778].

Adoption and baseline. The Roadmap was decided by the Committee of the Ministries on the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan on 30 March 2022 and published on 8 April 2022, in response to G7 Cornwall Summit commitments [§754]. Baseline coverage at adoption was 20.5% of terrestrial areas and 13.3% of marine areas under protected-area designations including Natural Parks, Nature Conservation Areas, Wildlife Protection Areas, Habitat Protection Zones, Protected Forests, Offshore Seabed Nature Conservation Areas, Protected Water Surfaces, Common Fishery Right Areas, and Designated Marine Areas [§762][§779].

Closing the gap. Marine Special Zones in national parks are committed to double from 55,088 ha (end FY2020) to 110,176 ha by 2030 [§147][§148]. Fourteen candidate sites from the earlier Project to Overhaul National and Quasi-National Parks are to be progressively designated or expanded by 2030, focused on Hidaka-sanmyaku Erimo Quasi-National Park and surrounding areas [§145]. Marine OECM candidates are to be investigated using EBSAs and existing fisheries and seabed-mineral data [§173].

Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites. Launched as a pilot in 2022 and officially in FY2023, this scheme is Japan's OECM mechanism. Over 100 sites were targeted for certification in 2023, with registration in the WD-OECM database excluding overlaps with existing protected areas [§172][§763]. Eligible categories span national trust lands, bird sanctuaries, biotopes, watershed protection forests, satochi-satoyama, lands for forestry operation, corporate sites, urban green spaces, research and environmental-education forests, lands and riverbanks for disaster prevention, training grasslands, and coastal tidal flats [§763].

Governance. The 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity, launched in April 2022, had 21 core members and 337 participants as of December 2022, targeting 500 participants by 2025 [§170][§171]. Nationwide terrestrial maps visualising biodiversity status and effective conservation areas are to be provided by 2024 [§178][§764]. Under Priority Measure 5-4-5, the government commits to discuss a framework in which biodiversity values are certified and traded via Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites, and to consider taxation measures as positive incentives [§679].

Interim evaluation. The Roadmap includes a dedicated interim evaluation step: after development, the government commits to identify and verify effective areas through the visualisation mechanism, provide specific detail on achievement of the 30by30 terrestrial target, and follow up on measure progress with quantitative assessments where possible [§758][§778].

5. Monitoring and Accountability

The Committee of the Ministries on the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan is designated to establish indicators for the state-oriented and action-oriented national commitments and to summarise evaluation results [§130][§131]. The NBSAP is developed under Article 12.1 of the Basic Act on Biodiversity and must maintain consistency with the Basic Environment Plan, the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures, the Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, and the MIDORI Strategy [§133].

Indicators and the implementation status of individual measures are checked once every two years, taking international reporting and evaluation processes into account [§131]. Research and monitoring information is compiled into the Japan Biodiversity Outlook (JBO),* with national assessment aligning NBSAP achievement with JBO findings; JBO3 concluded that the rate of biodiversity loss has been mitigated over the past 50 years but not reversed [§31][§131]. Interim and final evaluations are timed to CBD COP17 and COP19 national reports; where international timing is inappropriate, national report information is updated in the NBSAP's final year as the final evaluation [§130].

*JBO = Japan Biodiversity Outlook, the country's comprehensive national biodiversity assessment.

Adaptive management and revision. The NBSAP adopts a "precautionary approach" paired with "adaptive management": measures are continuously reviewed, added, changed or discontinued based on new scientific knowledge and monitoring results [§123]. Indicators and measures are updated based on interim assessment results and trends in international headline indicators; the strategy itself "will be enhanced as needed based on the global review of collective GBF progress scheduled for 2025 or later" [§132][§143].

Monitoring beyond government. The NBSAP notes that efforts by local governments, corporations, NPOs and individuals "have not been sufficiently taken into account" in past evaluations; the government commits to build a mechanism consolidating their efforts and quantitatively assessing their contribution [§134].

Data infrastructure. Monitoring Sites 1000 (1,089 sites in FY2021) spans forest, satoyama, lakes and marshes, wetland, shorebirds, seabirds, alpine, and coral reef ecosystems, committed to remain at no fewer than 1,000 sites [§589]. Named systems include J-IBIS, Ikimono Log (cumulative GBIF data 401,982 → 500,000 by FY2030), EADAS, the Clearing-House Mechanism (6,000 metadata by FY2030), DIAS, NBRP, BISMaL (records 2,365,263 → 3,000,000 by 2030), and the Biodiversity Center of Japan [§633][§635][§637][§640][§644][§646][§616][§660]. The National Survey on the Natural Environment, underway since 1973 under the Nature Conservation Act, provides a 50-year time series [§586][§587]. Harmful-subsidy indicators under Action target 5-4 are explicitly listed with current and target values "left blank (–)" — flagged as indicators yet to be developed rather than omitted [§681].

Sources:

• §31, §123, §130–§134, §143 — governance, review cycle and adaptive management
• §586–§589, §616, §633, §635, §637, §640, §644, §646, §660 — data infrastructure
• §681 — harmful-subsidy indicator placeholders

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP does not set out a total quantified domestic biodiversity budget or multi-year ministry expenditure envelope. It commits under Action-oriented target 5-4 to "legislative, financial and tax measures necessary to implement policies which contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity" and to prioritise allocation toward measures with synergies — particularly with climate change [§114][§674][§675].

Private capital and green finance. The strategy promotes green bonds and ESG investment, including real-estate ESG investment that considers biodiversity [§81][§442][§444]. Quantified corporate-sector targets include: TNFD domestic participants 45 → 90 by FY2025; Business for GBF Project registered cases 50 (2022) → 200 (2025); biodiversity-conscious technology and services market ¥8.5 trillion (2019) → ¥9.0 trillion (2025); and the share of businesses incorporating biodiversity into operations 75% → 80% by 2025 [§443][§447][§449].

User fees and cost sharing. User fees and cooperative fees in national and quasi-national parks are to be allocated to conservation and management, with cost-sharing mechanisms expanded; 21 new user-fee/cost-sharing systems were in place as of February 2022 [§114][§350].

Market instruments. Payment for Ecosystem Services is promoted through dissemination of cases where "beneficiaries of ecosystem services bear financial burden for the benefits" [§676]. A framework to certify and trade biodiversity values via Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites, and the feasibility of taxation measures, are committed as matters to discuss rather than operational schemes [§679].

Harmful-subsidy reform. Under Priority Measure 5-4-6, the government commits to identify domestic incentives harmful to biodiversity and review their future direction "after due consideration and consultation with relevant ministries and agencies" and with due consideration to users [§680]. Indicators are listed (total budget of harmful subsidies abolished, reviewed or acted upon; expenditure on positive incentives) but current-status and target values are shown as "–" (not yet set) [§681].

International resource mobilisation. Japan has supported 149 countries on NBSAP development or revision and implemented 87 capacity-building projects through the Japan Biodiversity Fund (JBF), with targets of 170 countries supported on NBSAP revision by 2030 and 10 developing countries via COMDEKS by 2028 [§674][§715]. Further support flows via the Global Environment Facility (GEF), CEPF, REDD+, and JICA under the January 2022 Guidelines for Environmental and Social Considerations [§687]. GBF Target 19 receives substantive treatment on instruments and past-activity data, but no forward-looking dollar or yen international finance pledge is specified.

Sources:

• §81, §114, §350 — public/user-fee finance
• §443, §447, §449 — corporate-sector targets
• §674–§681 — Action target 5-4 and Priority Measures 5-4-5, 5-4-6
• §687, §715 — international finance channels

7. GBF Target Coverage

Target 1 — Spatial planning [Addressed]

Japan commits to integrating biodiversity into the National Spatial Strategy, regional and municipal plans, and sector-specific plans for forests, agriculture, rivers, coasts and ports, anchored by Action-oriented target 1-1 on ecosystem connectivity. Mapping of biodiversity-rich areas will underpin siting decisions, including for renewable energy; nationwide terrestrial maps are to be delivered by 2024. Planning integration is reinforced through LBSAPs (target 30% municipal coverage by FY2030, from 9.0%). Measurable commitment on protected-area/OECM share; directional on spatial-planning integration.

Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration [Addressed]

Delivered through the Act on Promotion of Nature Restoration, with Nature-Restoration committees committed to grow from 27 (FY2021) to 30 (FY2025) and implementation plans from 49 to 54, covering forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, tidal flats, seagrass/seaweed beds and coral reefs. Specific pathways include thinning and conversion of plantations to mixed forests, re-wetting of peatlands, and restoration under the Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reef Ecosystems in Japan 2022–2030 (coral larval settlement rate 9.5% → 10% by FY2025). Measurable commitment (committee/plan counts); restoration-area share relative to a 30% KMGBF benchmark is not specifically quantified.

Target 3 — Protected areas (30x30) [Addressed]

Japan's 30by30 Roadmap is the principal delivery vehicle. Commitment is at least 30% of land and 30% of sea by 2030 from baselines of 20.5% terrestrial and 13.3% marine, delivered through expansion of protected areas and certification of Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites (OECM mechanism), with Marine Special Zones doubling to 110,176 ha, the 30by30 Alliance growing to 500 participants by 2025, and a dedicated interim-evaluation mechanism. Full treatment is in Flex 2. Measurable commitment with explicit baselines and deadline.

Target 4 — Species recovery [Addressed]

Addressed via the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species (442 Nationally Rare Species, 56 Program Plans covering 75 species), the Japanese Red List (3,772 threatened species; 5th edition from FY2024), expansion of in-situ populations from 18 (2022) to 36 (2030), germplasm preservation through the NARO Genebank Project, and Category 2 Specified Wildlife Control Plans for Sika deer (from 2.85 million in 2020) and wild boar (from 870,000). Measurable commitments on species counts and population-reduction goals.

Target 5 — Sustainable harvest [Addressed]

Covered through CITES implementation under the Species Conservation Act and the Act on Control of Transfers of Specified Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (including ivory controls), the Specified Aquatic Animals and Plants Act for IUU fisheries, and regional fisheries management organisation participation (WCPFC, ICCAT, PSM Agreement). Commercial whaling is managed under Japan's Whaling Act with catch limits derived from the IWC Revised Management Procedure.

Target 6 — Invasive alien species [Addressed]

Delivered under the 2022-amended Invasive Alien Species Act, whose Management Action Plan is to be revised by FY2024, with conditionally designated species (American crayfish, red-eared slider), strengthened border controls on red imported fire ants, mongoose eradication on Amami-Oshima to be confirmed by FY2025, and national guidelines for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill and raccoons by FY2024. Ballast water is managed under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (~300 inspections annually). Action-oriented target 1-3 commits to a 50% reduction in the rate of establishment of IAS — a measurable commitment.

Target 7 — Pollution reduction [Addressed]

Chemicals are managed under the Chemical Substances Control Law (214 priority assessment substances as of end March 2022); pesticide reevaluation is to complete by FY2038 with chronic impact assessment from FY2025; lead shot is phased in nationwide from FY2025, targeting zero confirmed lead-poisoning cases in birds by FY2030. Marine litter is framed by the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision (zero additional marine plastic pollution by 2050) and the Plastics Act targets (25% single-use reduction, 60% container/packaging reuse/recycle, doubled recycled plastics volume by FY2030; 100% effective use of end-of-life plastics by FY2035; 2 Mt biomass plastics by FY2030). MIDORI pesticide/fertiliser targets provide the agri-pollution dimension (see Target 10). Measurable commitments across plastics, lead, and pesticide domains.

Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity [Addressed]

Action-oriented target 2-4 commits to minimise adverse climate impacts on biodiversity (directional) and promote NbS, ecosystem-based adaptation, and Eco-DRR (Eco-DRR in LBSAPs 0 → all 47 prefectures by 2030). Blue carbon ecosystems are to be inventoried and incorporated into the national GHG inventory under a Blue Carbon Roadmap, though no tonnage or area threshold is set. Renewable-energy siting is governed through the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures with Regional Decarbonization Promotion Projects and designated promotion areas. Directional aspiration overall with measurable Eco-DRR and Green Infrastructure sub-targets.

Target 9 — Wild species use [Mentioned]

No single commitment is framed explicitly around customary sustainable wild harvest. Coverage is distributed across fisheries (revised Fisheries Act, resource management agreements by FY2023), forestry (non-timber forest products under the Forest and Forestry Basic Plan), and wild-game meat utilisation (2,127 t → 4,000 t by FY2025).

Target 10 — Agriculture / forestry [Addressed]

Action-oriented target 3-4 is delivered through the MIDORI Strategy and Act No. 37 of 2022: by 2030, a 10% risk-weighted reduction in chemical pesticide use (baseline 23,330), chemical fertiliser use from 900,000 t to 720,000 t, and organic farming from 25,200 ha to 63,000 ha, with 2050 long-range targets of 50% pesticide risk reduction, 30% fertiliser reduction, and 1 M ha organic. International-level GAP-certified farmers are to rise from 24,653 (FY2021) to 240,000 (FY2030). Forestry is covered through the Clean Wood Act (30.35 M m³ → 43.5 M m³ by FY2025) and domestic timber supply (34 M m³ → 42 M m³ by 2030). Fisheries TAC share is to rise from 60.5% to 80% by FY2023; aquaculture artificial-juvenile ratio to 100% by 2050. Satoyama maintenance is supported by direct-payment schemes for hilly areas. Measurable commitment across sectors.

Target 11 — Ecosystem services (NbS) [Addressed]

Delivered through the Green Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Platform (16 → 70 local governments commercialising initiatives by 2025), Eco-DRR in LBSAPs (0 → all 47 prefectures by 2030), Ryuiki Chisui basin-scale flood management, and the 3rd Basic Plan for Promoting Biomass Utilization (biomass utilisation rate ~80% by 2030). Payment for Ecosystem Services is promoted through dissemination of cases.

Target 12 — Urban biodiversity [Addressed]

Covered through the Act on the Improvement of Urban Parks and Green Space, Urban Greening Plans, and Green Space Conservation Areas, with urban company forests and chinju-no-mori shrine forests as eligible categories for Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites. The International Horticultural Expo 2027 (15 million participants target) provides a major nature-in-cities platform.

Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS [Addressed]

Japan accepted the Nagoya Protocol in 2017; the ABS Guidelines are in force, jointly administered by MOE, MEXT, MHLW, MAFF and METI. Researcher recognition of the Nagoya Protocol is targeted to rise from 72.3% to 80%, and of the ABS Guidelines from 66.0% to 70%, by FY2030. Japan acceded to the ITPGR (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) in 2015; bilateral microbial collaborations run through NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation). Digital Sequence Information is described as a matter of ongoing CBD negotiation; no domestic DSI regulation is specified. Traditional knowledge coverage is centred on the Ainu (Hokkaido) via the Ainu Policy Promotion Act. Measurable on recognition indicators; DSI and broader IPLC framing are directional.

Target 14 — Mainstreaming [Addressed]

Integration into the National Spatial Strategy, Fifth Basic Environment Plan, MIDORI Strategy, Fisheries Basic Plan, Forest and Forestry Basic Plan, and Urban Greening Plans is committed, with EIA applying to large-scale renewables. Promotion/conservation zoning under the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures guides siting. LBSAPs extend mainstreaming subnationally.

Target 15 — Business disclosure [Addressed]

Domestic TNFD participants targeted 45 → 90 by FY2025; Business for GBF Project registered cases 50 → 200 by 2025; biodiversity-conscious market ¥8.5 T → ¥9.0 T by 2025. Supply-chain due diligence operates under the Clean Wood Act. Transition Strategies toward Nature Positive Economies (tentative) were due end FY2023. Measurable commitment.

Target 16 — Sustainable consumption [Addressed]

Action-oriented target 4-4 commits to halve food loss and waste from 2000 levels by 2030 under the Act on Promotion of Food Loss Reduction, alongside the Fourth Basic Plan for the Promotion of Shokuiku (environmentally friendly product choice 69.3% → 75% by FY2025), the mottECO initiative, Zero Carbon Action 30 (5.37 Mt-CO₂ reduction by FY2030), and the sustainable fashion initiative. Measurable commitment.

Target 17 — Biosafety [Addressed]

Implemented through the Cartagena Act for Type 1 and Type 2 Living Modified Organism use, jointly administered by MOE, MAFF, MHLW, METI, MEXT and MOF. A 2019 notification scheme for genome-edited organisms without introduced foreign genetic material operates outside the Cartagena Act. LMO monitoring in port areas (including volunteer GM canola) is maintained.

Target 18 — Harmful subsidies [Addressed, interim]

Priority Measure 5-4-6 commits to identify domestic incentives harmful to biodiversity, review their future direction with consultation, and scale up positive incentives. Priority Measure 5-4-5 commits to discuss market-based trading of biodiversity values via Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites and taxation measures. Indicators are listed but current-status and target values are shown as "–". Interim commitment.

Target 19 — Finance mobilisation [Addressed]

Covered via the Japan Biodiversity Fund (149 countries supported; 87 capacity-building projects; 170 countries target by 2030), GEF and CEPF (co-founded by Japan in August 2000 with World Bank, GEF, Conservation International), REDD+, and JICA. Domestically, green bonds, ESG investment, user fees (21 new systems as of February 2022) and PES are referenced. No forward-looking quantified international pledge in yen or dollar terms is specified; past activity is cited.

Target 20 — Capacity and technology [Addressed]

Action-oriented target 5-5 commits to training 12,000 officers and reinforcing 48 organisations in developing countries by 2030 on natural-environment conservation. Satoyama Initiative projects are targeted to grow from 458 to 600 by 2028; IPSI targets 400 organisations across 100 countries by 2030. SATREPS biodiversity-related projects to grow 48 → 64 by FY2030. Measurable commitment.

Target 21 — Data and information [Addressed]

Anchored in the 50-year National Survey on the Natural Environment, Monitoring Sites 1000 (≥1,000 sites; current 1,089), the Japan Biodiversity Outlook series, and data platforms including J-IBIS, Ikimono Log (cumulative GBIF data 401,982 → 500,000 by FY2030), the Clearing-House Mechanism (6,000 metadata by FY2030), BISMaL (2.37 M → 3 M records by 2030), DIAS, and NBRP. Measurable commitment.

Target 22 — Inclusive participation [Addressed]

Delivered through multi-stakeholder regional councils under the Act on Promotion of Nature Restoration; regional action plans under the Act on the Promotion of Regional Cooperation for Biodiversity (16 → 32 by FY2030; Support Centers 19 → 27); and the Ainu Policy Promotion Act recognising the Ainu as the Indigenous people of Hokkaido and providing a framework for their participation, including in salmon customary use. Broader IPLC framing beyond the Ainu (FPIC, IPLC territories) is not used.

Target 23 — Gender equality [Addressed]

Priority Sub-measure 5-3-5 sets two indicators: women's share of government biodiversity-related advisory bodies 22% → 40%, and women in MOE management posts 12.3% → 30%. Measurable commitment confined to representation ratios; broader gender-environment mainstreaming (livelihoods, traditional knowledge, exposure to pollution) is not covered.