• Date: April 15 (Tue) – 16 (Wed), 2025
• Location: Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
• Venue: Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

On April 15–16, 2025, an international symposium on the Miyawaki Method of forest creation was held in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia.
The symposium took place at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, the largest national university in the country, and gathered a diverse group of participants including researchers and students interested in the Miyawaki Method.

Program Overview (April 15)

Opening Remarks:
– Professor Nikola Nikolov (Dean)

Keynote Lecture:
– Emerita Professor Kazue Fujiwara (Yokohama National University)
Overview of the history and application of the Miyawaki Method.

Invited Lecture:
– Emeritus Professor Elgene Owen Box (University of Georgia)
Application of the Miyawaki Method in arid regions.

Guest Presentations (Online):
– Teruko Sano (Public Relations and External Affairs, MORINO PROJECT)
In her talk titled “Miyawaki Forests from the Perspective of the MORINO PROJECT,” she introduced the background of the project launched after the Great East Japan Earthquake,
its nationwide tree-planting activities, and particularly the creation of a 10-kilometer “Green Seawall” in Iwanuma City.
She shared the project’s vision of forests that protect life and serve as messages for future generations.

– Dr. Sirin Kawlaierd (Chitralada Institute of Technology, Thailand)
Introduced the implementation and outcomes of the Miyawaki Method in Thailand.

– Motoharu Nochi (Representative, Midorization Project)
Presented on the social impact and community involvement of urban greening using the Miyawaki Method in Jordan.

– Mio Urata (Inochi no Mori 2020)
Participated as interpreter.

Workshop Overview (April 16)

On the second day of the symposium, a hands-on workshop was held at the university’s dendropark, where approximately 60 participants experienced planting trees using the Miyawaki Method.

Among the participants was Ms. Setsuko Kawahara, Ambassador of Japan to North Macedonia, who joined others in planting trees with a spade.
Ambassador Kawahara assumed her post in January 2025 and actively works to promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries as Japan’s official representative.

 

Her participation symbolized the growing interest in the Miyawaki Method in North Macedonia and the potential for deeper bilateral cooperation in the environmental field.
The practical workshop deepened participants’ understanding of the technique and philosophy of the Miyawaki Method, and sparked lively discussion on its future development within North Macedonia.

Conclusion

This symposium reaffirmed the global value of the Miyawaki Method and its potential as a means of disaster prevention and community engagement.
Knowledge originating in Japan is now being adapted to different soils, climates, and cultures around the world, and the creation of “forests that protect life” continues to expand, even in urban areas.

日本語訳