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The Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan (「日本で最も美しい村」連合, Nihon de mottomo utsukushii mura rengō) is a Japanese nonprofit organization of listing some of the most beautiful villages and towns in Japan. The association is active on enhancement and protection of Japanese rural heritage, cultural fairs, and branding and promotion of regional, national, and international cooperation of its member villages and towns. It is affiliated to the international association The Most Beautiful Villages in the World.

Overview

Established in 2005, the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan (titled as, the most beautiful villages in Japan) is an important player in the enhancement and conservation of Japanese rural heritage.

In line with the other members, such as France, Italy, Belgium, of the federation of the Most Beautiful Villages on Earth, Japan has common interests: authenticity, quality and presentation of the heritage as a source of sustainable development and life. Activities of the association include managing the rights of the use of the title name "the most beautiful villages in Japan" and its branding, providing common research and study platform to the member towns and villages for development and cooperation, conducting rural crafts show and food fairs for tourism development, annual photo contests and advocating social awareness about the supreme importance of the rural cultural and natural heritage for its conservation for the future generations.

History

2005 October - The mayor of Biei town of Hokkaido prefecture in Japan initiates association, 7 towns joined the initiative.
2006 February - Registered to Non-Profit Organization in Japan.
2006 October - Kiso town of Nagano Prefecture and Takaharu town of Miyazaki Prefecture join the association.
2007 October - Shibetsu town of Hokkaido prefecture and Gero city of Gifu Prefecture join the association.
2008 October - Tsurui village, Kyōgoku town of Hokkaido prefecture, Iide town of Yamagata Prefecture, Nakagawa village, Nagiso town of Nagano Prefecture, Ine town of Kyoto Prefecture, Umaji village of Kōchi Prefecture join the association.
2009 October - With new additions of 15 members of towns and villages the total members of the association touches to 33.
2010 August - The Association of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan joins the international federation called - The Most Beautiful Villages in the World.
2010 September - 6 more towns and villages joins the association. This touches the members to 39.
2011 October - 5 more towns and villages joins the association. This touches the members to 44.
2012 October - 5 more towns and villages joins the association. This touches the members to 49.

List of member villages and towns

Biei town Hokkaido prefecture
Ojiro, Kami town Hyōgo Prefecture
Aya town Miyazaki Prefecture
Akaigawa village Hokkaido prefecture
Shibetsu town Hokkaido prefecture
Tsurui village Hokkaido prefecture
Kyōgoku town Hokkaido prefecture
Kosaka town Akita Prefecture
Higashinaruse village Akita Prefecture
Ōkura village Yamagata Prefecture
Iide town Yamagata Prefecture
Iitate village Fukushima Prefecture
Kitashiobara village Fukushima Prefecture
Shōwa village of Gunma Prefecture
Isama, Nakanojō town Gunma Prefecture
Kuni, Nakanojō town Gunma Prefecture
Hayakawa town Yamanashi Prefecture
Ōshika village Nagano Prefecture
Kiso town Nagano Prefecture
Nagiso town Nagano Prefecture
Nakagawa village Nagano Prefecture
Ogawa village Nagano Prefecture
Takayama village Nagano Prefecture
Maze, Gero city Gifu Prefecture
Shirakawa village Gifu Prefecture
Ine town Kyoto Prefecture
Ojiro, Kami town Hyōgo Prefecture
Wazuka, Kyoto Prefecture
Soni village Nara Prefecture
Totsukawa village Nara Prefecture
Shinjō village Okayama Prefecture
Chizu town Tottori Prefecture
Kamikatsu town Tokushima Prefecture
Kamijima town Ehime Prefecture
Umaji village Kōchi Prefecture
Hoshino, Yame city Fukuoka Prefecture
Tōhō village Fukuoka Prefecture
Ojika town Nagasaki Prefecture
Minamioguni town Kumamoto Prefecture
Tsukahara, Yufu city Ōita Prefecture
Takaharu town Miyazaki Prefecture
Aya town Miyazaki Prefecture
Kikai town Kagoshima Prefecture
Tarama village Okinawa Prefecture

(as of October 2012)

Some criteria for membership

About less than 10,000 population.
Requires two or more local resources to be classified i.e., landscape, environment and culture.
1. Having regional sustainable resources.
2. Efforts must be taken for sustainable use of local resources.
3. Local resources must be already protected by public means, such as Ordinance.