Since Japan’s 2008 recognition of the Ainu as Indigenous people, efforts to promote Ainu culture and tourism have increased, exemplified by the opening of the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park in 2020. Yet, public engagement and integration of Ainu perspectives into sustainable land management remain limited. By contrast, Nibutani in Biratori Town represents one of Japan’s most advanced examples of Ainu-led cultural landscape protection. Based on literature review, fieldwork, and interviews, it was found that local Ainu museums, the latest IWOR forest project, and the designation of the Saru River valley as an Important Cultural Landscape demonstrate major progress in safeguarding Ainu heritage. However, even here, an overarching framework linking cultural protection, livelihoods, and land-use governance is still missing. For instance, while the newly established Hidakasanmyaku–Erimo–Tokachi National Park (2024) covers high mountain ranges east of the Saru valley, the Ainu Cultural Landscape Area remains concentrated along the river corridor. Despite their coexistence, no coordination yet connects these protection regimes. Sustainable Indigenous tourism and environmental conservation have often been studied separately. Our research bridges both fields through a master plan for sustainable land futures, positioning Ainu communities not only as cultural interpreters but as co-designers within and beyond protected areas.