Environmental conservation and management policy first emphasized on water pollution control in Japan. However, this kind of passive conservation policy is gradually being shifted to an active approach such as Satoumi, which includes the restoration of biodiversity, biological productivity, habitat and a well-balanced nutrient cycle between land and sea. Many Satoumi creation activities were also characterized by activities which promote interactions between land and sea. In this paper, a case study of Ago Bay in Shima City, Mie Prefecture, Japan, is introduced in which land-sea interaction at two sites was improved by promoting water exchange across dikes constructed for land development and land reclamation. Tidal flat restoration experiments conducted in Ago Bay clearly showed that the promotion of tidal exchange between the sea and wetland area on the inner side of dikes improved both deteriorated sediment quality and macro-benthos conditions. Along with the results of this case study, future tidal flat restoration in Japan is also discussed. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.