Nikki Robertson

Japan's Environmental Issues

Looking at the world environment of today, a couple of issues definitely stand out. Things like
pollution, trash build up, run off, and many other environmental issues are becoming more and more
serious. Japan is especially concerned with the environment. In fact, “Japan is a world leader in
environmental science and policymaking.”1 Japan is so concerned with the environment, that a new
term has entered the everyday Japanese vocabulary, mottainai. Mottainai is the Japanese word for
waste but implies a need to conserve things, to recycle, and to be good to the environment. The idea
that to waste is unseemly. This has become a rallying cry for Japanese and their want and need to take
care of the environment. There is also, the fact, that traditional Japanese have been very connected to
their natural environment, though shinto, and Buddhist religions. “People worshipped many power or
elements of nature, such as the sun, thunder, storm, water, fire and air. They also taught animism, and
believe the sun and water were personified as a goddess.” 2 Therefore environmental issues are not new
to the Japanese. Currently, their most concerning environmental developments are Global Warming,
and pollution in respect to acid rain, though there are many other issues they are concerned about.
Japan has also signed many treaties to help reduce their environmental impact, and has come up with
strategies to reduce their own footprints, in an effort to save the environment. Looking though Japan's
polices towards environmental protection, one can get a good idea on how to logically 'save the planet'.

“Japan is a highly industrialized area in the world. But this industrialized world has come at a
price, that of acid rain. In fact, no other asian country and few nations in the world, posses a greater
density of active volcanoes or a greater number of acidic environmental niches due to plate tectonic
activity than japan."3 The problems with acid rain in Japan, and the world scare of global warming has
made Japan think about their environmental impacts more closely. Not to mention, that Japan is
concerned over the fact that pollution and acid rain, can and will cause illness. “In 1967 the Basic law
for pollution control was created to help stop pollution, because of the three types of pollution-related
illnesses (two water born, one air born). The laws purpose therefore, was to protect the public 's health
together with preservation of the living environment.” Since 1967, many other laws have been created
to help protect the environment. Recently, in an effort to give more time and commitment to the
environment, Japan has created a Ministry of Environment. The Ministry of Environment main point of
1 Kenneth E. Wilkening, Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan: A history of Knowledge and Action towards
Sustainability ( Massachusetts, 2004), 3
2 Motoko Oyadomari, The rise and fall of the nature conservation movement in Japan in relation to some cultural values,
Environmental Management, volume 13, No. 1 (1989), 22-33.
3 Kenneth E. Wilkening, Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan, 2-40.
interests for protecting the environment are : Global Environment, Waste and Recycling, Air and
Transportation,Water/Soil/Ground Environment, Health and Chemicals, and Nature and Parks.4

The Global environment, takes on the aspects of things such as climate change, emission
trading system, Ozone Depletion, Acid Deposition, Dust and Sand Storms, Forest and Desertification,
Marine environment and many other things. But, instead of just focusing on Japan they take these
issues on the more international level. Japan understands that there is a need for action on the above by
all people, and not just Japan. In terms of Waste and Recycling, Japan is all for, the elimination of
waste fields, and has strong laws and punishments for recycling of all household goods. Japan would
also like to stop the transportation of illegal transboundary movements of waste. The policies for air,
transportation and water, soil, and ground environment are mostly concerned with the quality of the a
fomentation. The Health and Chemicals section, is dedicated to making sure that toxic gases and other
toxic fumes are not going to effect the surrounding nature, or people. Finally, the Nature and Parks
section talks about the preservation of Alien Spices, biodiversity, wildlife, and natural parks. 5 In fact,
Japan is so concerned about the preservation of the parks and wildlife in Japan, that even the big cities
like Tokyo and Osaka have parks every couple of feet, though this is also for protection from
earthquakes.

As for the Japanese plans to help reduce their environment, they have set forth a couple
different action plans. One action plan is to help reduce trash both in Japan, and around the world. This
plan has been effectively titled, the “Action plan for the internationalization of Zero Garbage. This plan
calls for Japan to transform into a zero-garage society and share this experience with the world, to
support the introduction of zero-garbage efforts in developing countries and promote international
cooperation in order to spread zero-garbage societies throughout the world.”6 Japan being an
industrialized society, also wants to be able to take care when dealing with development of its areas.
For this, they have placed the environment into the decision of weather or not something will be built,
and have even created a law for it. This law is called, “The Law Concerning the Promotion of Business
Activities with Environmental Consideration. They assess weather or not a project can go though, by
looking at their Environment Impact Assessment, which places environmental protection above the
necessity of the project, feasibility of the project and the safety of the project.”7 “At the same time,
4 Ministry of Environment, Environmental Policy, http://www.env.go.jp/en/policy/ (April, 17,2009).
5 Ministry of Envioronment. http://www.env.go.jp/en/
6 Japan's Efforts to Resolve Global Environmental Problems, http://g8
summit.town.toyako.hokkaido.jp/eng/summit/eco/torikumi/index.html, (April 17th, 2009).
7 Ministry of Environment, Environmental Policy, http://www.env.go.jp/en/policy/ (April, 17,2009).
politics focusing only on economic development led to environmental degradation everywhere.” 8
Therefore Japan places their environment above a project's need, but only in so far as the project isn't
absolutely needed; or in other words, they weigh out the good and the bads of a project, before going
though with it. And if they decide that the projects outcome is a good thing, even if it will have a
serious effect on the environment, the project will go though. Beside the EIA plan, Japan also has an
environmental tax and a “third basic environmental plan.”9 On a more international level they are also
signatories of the Kyoto Protocol. “Even though, they were forced into this plan by the United States,
currently they believe in this protocol.10 Therefore, Japan is a country in which they believe in the need
for international action.

Due to this, international action, when it comes to solutions for the problem of environmental
destruction verse sustainable development, Japan would say that this needs to be looked at from an
international level. Japan would also recognize the need for development, in transportations and build
up of industries, especially in the developing worlds. However, Japan would also require though that
each of these development projects also be looked at from an environmental standpoint. If say, Japan
wanted to build a new road in Osaka, but this new road would have to go though a forest area, Japan
would say no. Unless, this new road allowed for the people in that area to get to places easier, and there
was more benefits to out way the environmental problem it might cause. Likewise, they would say no,
if this road went though an area of the forest that protected a protected species. Therefore, Japan would
agree that development needs to happen, but that it can happen in a way that is safe for the environment
and the people, living near these new developments.

By looking over, Japan's policies on environment, it can be a bit confusing at times. Especially,
in relation to there polices on development. However, because of there strong laws for recycling and
waste management, as well as there implementation of things like the EIA, Japan's policies on the
environment are one of the worlds best. Japan's cultural connection to the environment has also helped
with these polices, and allowed the Japanese to understand the need for environmental conservation.
This in turn has given the Japanese the feeling that they needed to spend more time on environmental
issues. For that purpose that created the Ministry of Environment, and are strong defenders of the
Kyoto Protocol and other international projects, such as the Action plan for the internationalization of
Zero Garbage. By looking at these project, and policies of the Japanese government, is it easy to see
8 Global Greens NGO, What is the Rainbow and Greens?, http://www.global.greens.org.au/japan.html (April 17th, 2009).
9 Ministry of Environment, Environmental Policy, http://www.env.go.jp/en/policy/ (April, 17,2009).
10 Kendall W. Stiles, Case Histories in International Politics, Fifth Edition (San Francisco, 2008).
how Japan is making a effort to 'save the planet', and to help out the world environmental problems as
well; making their policies one of the best in the world today.