Rice terraces are a time-honored agricultural feature that overcomes rough terrain and hostile growing conditions. In addition to playing an essential role in agricultural production and land conservation, rice terraces have been recognized as living cultural landscapes, important agricultural heritage, and popular agritourism destinations for their aesthetic, sociocultural, and environmental values. However, there is a lack of understanding of this emerging niche market, especially from outsider perspectives. To fill the gap, this study analyzes Google Maps reviews of seventy representative rice terraces in Japan based on a mixed-method content analysis, aiming to identify visitors’ overall experiences, seasonal perceptions, and the causes of negative experiences. The results indicate that the overall experience of rice terraces in Japan includes seven themes: agricultural landscapes, times and seasons, visual perception, accessibility and infrastructure, sense of place, Genfukei of Japan, and food. Visitors’ perceptions toward the four seasons of the rice terraces have distinctive characteristics and result in different satisfaction levels. The main reasons for negative experiences are farmland abandonment, lack of character, poor accessibility, and bad timing. Leveraging the power of netnography, the study sheds light on the sustainable development of agricultural heritage tourism through the introduction of rice terrace conservation initiatives in Japan and the exploration of rice terrace experience.

Social participation is an important tool in heritage conservation, but levels remain low in developing countries. To increase social-participation awareness of urban-heritage conservation, this study aimed to find an effective method to determine the factors that affect participation awareness, with a focus on the magnitude of each influence. Through literature analysis we developed hypotheses about the factors affecting participation awareness, and then developed a linear regression model. In order to test the reliability of the model, we selected Suzhou as the research object and obtained the following conclusions: (1) Suzhou’s social-participation awareness was positively correlated with place identity, urban memory, subjective cognition, objective knowledge, and place identity. (2) The factor that had the strongest impact on Suzhou’s place identity was public space, with residence time and community sentiment also influencing place identity. (3) The factors that influenced the urban memory of Suzhou were residence time, urban transformation, and urban events with the most influential factor being lifestyle transformation. (4) Urban-heritage conservation social-participation awareness was higher among Suzhou people living in the old city than in the new city.

As an early concept in Green Infrastructure (GI) research, landscape‐scale GI (LGI) has faced challenges due to its large spatial scale, limiting its application compared to smaller‐scale GI. However, its efficiency and multifunctionality in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are gaining attention. To address knowledge fragmentation and research gaps, this study integrates meta‐analysis with a systematic review to examine key factors influencing LGI identification methods and their impact on results. Following PRISMA guidelines, relevant literature was systematically screened, and extracted data were transformed into binary‐coded variables for quantitative analysis. The findings reveal multiple determinants affecting LGI identification, validated through meta‐analytic techniques. By introducing an innovative binary‐variable meta‐analysis in environmental science, this study develops a generalizable framework that systematically synthesizes literature and extracts new insights, ultimately enhancing LGI's capacity to support SDGs more effectively.

As the earliest discussed concept of Green Infrastructure (GI), Landscape-scale GI, in the form of an ecological network capable of balancing development and conservation, has received widespread attention. Its multifunctionality is one of the important features. However, the lack of information and funding, weakness of management authority and technical support make the practice of Landscape-scale GI challenging. Compared to GI adapted in stormwater management, which has comprehensive guidance from theory to practical technologies by officials during its introduction and promotion in other countries, Landscape-scale GI, despite a rich theoretical research foundation, is often overlooked due to insufficient summary research on practical techniques. To address this gap, this study uses mixed methods research to comprehensively analyze 27 Landscape-scale GI practical projects led by the Conservation Fund over the past 20 years to explore patterns in their technical applications. Through qualitative analysis, we standardized and classified descriptive information for these 27 projects and, combined with statistical analysis, clarified the practice development trends committed to balancing development and conservation. The quantitative analysis concentrated on the corresponding relationships between technical applications and project objectives, and GI functions. Based on this, the study categorized the technologies used, summarizing core technologies applicable to most Landscape-scale GI practices, providing some support for the promotion of Landscape-scale GI.

In recent years, landscape-scale green infrastructure (LGI) has evolved from academic discussions into a critical approach to achieving sustainable development in national strategies in many countries. Since 2014, Japan has proactively integrated LGI into various policy documents; however, there is still a lack of systematic research on its policy positioning and strategic expectations. This study employs text mining, qualitative comparative analysis, and policy integration analysis to establish a comprehensive analytical framework for examining 66 screened and validated national-level policy strategy documents related to LGI in Japan. The results reveal four common core themes, four potential innovative directions, and seven topics defining the policy positioning of LGI. Additionally, the study highlights thematic preferences across different departments and temporal evolution trends. The findings indicate that Japan’s policy positioning on LGI is transitioning from a technical tool to an institutionalized management framework. However, this shift remains precarious due to the influence of competing strategic priorities. The “core–periphery” departmental coordination structure exacerbates risks of policy fragmentation to some extent. Overall, while an LGI policy system has begun to take shape in Japan, further efforts are needed in cross-level linkages and collaborative governance mechanisms.