This presentation will examine a case study of a mountainous region in western Japan and explore the possibilities of a pluralistic legal order, with a particular focus on the mismatch between the temporality of forests and human social life. Over the past several years, Japan's mountainous regions have experienced a rapid population decline, resulting in significant transformations to people's social lives and livelihoods. In turn, a range of social problems have emerged that seriously threaten individual freedom and well-being, such as the decline of forestry as a key industry, the reduction of public services, and the collapse of critical social infrastructures.
These issues are closely intertwined with the theoretical challenges that arise when modern liberalism, which typically considers individual freedom over a single lifetime (roughly 100 years), is confronted with the need for long-term, sustainable change in communities and the environment. To this end, this presentation will consider the legal complexities of operating across different timescales, illuminating the misalignments that can occur when the temporal dynamics of nature and society overlap. By examining these issues, we hope to shed light on the critical need for a pluralistic legal order to effectively navigate these challenges and foster long-term, sustainable change in the face of shifting social and environmental conditions.
