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ABSTRACT. The paper presents the results of a field investigation about sustainable development of Samani town -a rural area in Hidaka region, Hokkaido, Japan. Local activities, business, environmental, social and economic challenges that affect the town as well as the advantages were investigated. The research was done by means of field visits, questionnaires and interviews involving the local people and government. The main economic sectors: olivine industry, fishery, agriculture and tourism were targeted as well as the government sector and the local high school with a particular focus on rural-urban migration. Samani has quite unique natural features on hand but a few strong comprehensive challenges on the other hand. The authors focused on the citizens opinions and positions which were based on the uniqueness of Samani and their own local activities and initiatives for the sustainable development of the town in the future which can be replicated in other rural communities around the world.

The article presents an overview of scientific publications on the subject of the study «carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems», made for the territory of Japan and indexed in the Scopus database for the period 2017-2021. Within this theme, the areas with the highest number of articles are highlighted: carbon fluxes in soils, carbon stocks in above ground phytomass (mainly studies of the ecosystems of Hokkaido), features of carbon dioxide sequestration by various plant species typical for Japan, as well as the carbon balance dynamics associated with deforestation, reforestation and natural phenomena such as typhoons. The most active in publishing activity scientific and academic institutions were identified (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; National Agriculture and Food Research Organization; Hokkaido University).

The paper presents the main aspects of the environmental technologies sector nowadays in Japan. Basing on the governmental definition of «ecological innovations», eco-innovations are developed according to the traditional Japanese concept of value creation – «monozukuri». Ecological innovations include technological improvements as well as social reforms. So far the paper draws an attention on two types of innovations: engineering technologies and social reforms (programms, education etc.). Basing on governmental Programs and open data bases the most important environmental technologies for nowadays in Japan are defined. From author’s point of view the first vector for Japan is «green energy» (alternative energy, energy efficiency) – innovations concern the challenge of climate change. Regarding this issue the aspects and technologies from «The Cool Earth Innovative Energy Technology Program» are described. The second vector is eco-innovations for pollution control and waste utilization – the traditional sector for Japan from 1970s. And the third one is defined as information and communication technologies for environmental challenges («green ICT») – the new vector for Japan as well as for the other countries. In the paper the issues of research and development activities, financial issues eco-innovations’ management and transfer are considered. The role of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) is discussed. The significant issue of verification of new technologies realized by Ministry of Environment in Japan is mentioned.