The grassland conservation fee is used to support activities that help preserve the grasslands. These conservation efforts focus mainly on the maintenance and management of the grasslands, with controlled burning (noyaki) at their core.
Aso’s noyaki, said to have continued for over 1,000 years, is a traditional spring event carried out during the dry season. It encourages the sprouting of grass in pastures used for grazing and helps eliminate pests that affect cattle and horses. Without these efforts, the grasslands (Bokuya) would eventually turn into forests and disappear, a process known as vegetation succession.
Controlled burning, along with grass harvesting and grazing, is an essential practice to prevent this natural transition and to preserve the open grassland landscape.
