Preservation of Natural Scenery



The deeply forested hillscape surrounding Kyoto, famous for its scenic beauty, is a precious asset shared by its citizens. To preserve its natural scenery represented by this hillscape and pass it on to future generations, the city enacted the "City Ordinance Governing the Preservation of Natural Scenery"in March 1995. In accordance with the ordinance, the city formulated the Natural Scenery Preservation Plan,which spelled out the implementation guidelines, and designated Preservation Areas for Natural Scenery in May 1996.

Preservation Areas for Natural Scenery are classified into Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 Areas represent the areas of most significance in terms of the preservation of natural scenery,including those providing beautiful landscapes that can be seen from the urban areas.Category 2 Areas represent the areas of second significance.Approximately 25,780 hectares of land have been designated either as Category 1 or 2 preservation Areas for Natural Scenery.
		Mountains of Nishiyama

●Permission for Activities within the Preservation Areas for Natural Scenery●

（１）　Prior permission from the mayor is required for a construction project within the Preservation Areas for Natural Scenery which involves a building higher than ten meters,the development of a residential site,logging(excluding felling under a forest management plan) or other alternations to the status quo,if the project involves 300 square meters of land or more in Category 1 Areas or 1,000 square meters or more in Category 2 Areas.
　The above-mentioned activities must conform to the permission standards such as the criteria listed below.

Category	Characteristics
Category 1 Area	・Lead 70% or more of the surface area covered with greenery ・Building must be less than a 15 m high maximum ・Construction activities must not cause harm to the natural surrounding etc.
Category 2 Area	・Lead 50% or more of the surface area covered with greenery ・Building must be less than a 15 m high maximum ・Construction activities must not cause harm to the natural surrounding etc.

(2)　Activities affecting the area such as construction projects,development of residential sites or felling of trees/bamboo are a violation.Persons not obtaining prior permission from the mayor,may be ordered to correct such violation by restoring the area to its original state.In case such violation is left uncorrected in spite of the order,such violation may be made public,or the person responsible may serve a prison sentence of up to one year.