“Nature becomes visible only when it’s measured” — Rusutsu Resort launches a hands-on field measurement project for its water and forests

Measuring nature’s invisible cycles is what makes them visible.

The term “water positive”—the idea of returning more water to nature than you use—is gaining global attention. As major corporations and municipalities make this commitment, Rusutsu Resort took its own first step in May 2025, conducting a field survey that directly measured and visualized the roles of groundwater and forests.

The investigation was led by Amenowa Inc., active in the sustainability sector, and Elspina, which is involved in resort development. Two of Japan’s foremost experts also participated on site: Professor Koichiro Kuraji of the University of Tokyo and Dr. Hiro Takashima, Professor at Daiichi Institute of Technology and member of the NPO Japan Geological Contamination Review Organization.

The guiding question was simple: “How are Rusutsu’s water and forests connected?”

Answering it required boots on the ground—literally. Selecting observation wells, mapping spring-water distributions, and studying how forest density affects water-retention capacity were painstaking tasks carried out while wading through mud and pushing through brush.

Rusutsu’s ambition is not merely to be a tourist resort, but a resort that coexists with nature. This hands-on measurement campaign marks the first step toward a future in which data will guide how we live alongside the natural world.