KAZE, August 2020
Can we build up resilient localities?
Konoe FUJIMURAAs we pointed out earlier, climate change and COVID-19 derived from thecommon cause, namely, globalization and land development as the result of theexcessive desire of humans. The Japanese government seems to put economic
activities above human life and therefore is slow to take effective measures. They
take quick-fix approaches, but no real “policies” against climate disasters and theCOVID-19 pandemic. Without sound precautionary principles, our precious tax
money is wasted for short-sighted economy-first countermeasures decided in anunderhanded way. Growing frustration due to the lack of meaningful policies!
Our ultimate desire is to lead a safe/secure and enriched life. It isunchanging even in the era of uncertainty, and therefore should be a basis of allpolicies. However, the current government does not at all pay attention to theactual lives of people. In the meantime, sensible businessmen and researchers arepreparing to face the time of transition. We, too, have been calling for the need tosincerely face the changing society, and I consider if we could change our current
ways of doing things in the following direction.
From expansion/development/competition to a sustainable/harmonious/coexisting and ethical economy

Despite the second rise of the infection numbers, most countries all over
the world including Japan are trying hard to boost the economy. I was taught thatthe economy is meant to govern a nation and provide relief to people, therefore I
believed in the goodness of the economy. However, the current economy causing
various disasters, appear quite foreign to me. To co-exist/harmonize/comply withsuch disasters as climate crises and pandemics, we need to change theexpansion/development-oriented economy of today. Then in which direction
should we go?
For example, we, the Japanese, have an ethical concept of commerce,that is, “business for the benefits of the seller, the buyer and the local community.”This concept came from the merchants of the mid-Edo period (1603-1868). Later,
Eichi Shibusawa, a well-known businessman in the Meiji era, advocated the spiritof ethical business, to warn against moneymaking-oriented capitalism. To survive
in the island country of limited resources, merchants/businessmen learned tovalue the idea of harmony/co-existence, rather than competition. These ethicalbusiness spirits remain in the words of today s Japanese business founders ofsmaller companies. Now, with the limited space/resources of our planet Earth,
these ethical concepts of old Japanese merchants will help lead today s businesses
toward a real SDGs-compliant economy. They will bring about an ethical economy,
namely, the economy for quality life, not for expansion.
To improve unemployment and disparities, the two most serious results ofeconomic deterioration, business companies, firstly, should abandon the idea ofmanpower expenses as a cost. The labor charges should be considered as a basis
to support the society and lives of people. Also, we should make domestic suchbasic industries as medicine, welfare, food, education, and disaster prevention.
We should stop forest exploitation and other unnecessary development (like Linear
Chuo Shinkansen of JR Tokai), and avoid contracting new infectious diseases orcausing mudslides. Learning from what we experienced now, can t we establish a
new way of doing business and build up a new system to support it?
Building up proactive policies based on precautionary principles

Threatened by repeated climate disasters and possible combats withunknown viruses, our life in the future may not be so stable and safe. For thebenefit of future generations, what we need now is future-oriented strategic
policies, not just irresponsible short-sighted measures.
As you know, the precautionary principle states that “Where there are threats ofserious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used asa reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental
degradation” (Principle 15, The Rio Declaration, 1992). This principle has beenrecognized as a major pillar of Japan's environmental policies since Basic
Environmental Plan II was established in 2000. However, it is difficult to say theGovernment of Japan has followed the principle in environmental policymaking.
The carbon tax, for example, has not been introduced despite its potential
efficiency as mitigation. Also, Japan has not made it clear how to break away withthe use of coal. In short, the Japanese government has been overwhelmed withshort-sighted economy-first policies and has not paid the necessary attention to
taking precautionary measures. As a result, in the face of the COVID-19
pandemic, the reduction of the number of public health centers in the past few
decades caused serious delay in responding to the disease in the initial phase.
Initial negligence of the extensive PCR test indicates that our government focuseson immediate supportive measures rather than taking preventive measures.
It is a pity that the government does not look ahead and does not clearly illustrate
what we have to achieve to make our life sustainable.
As science develops and a digital revolution progresses, effective use ofscientific knowledge and data analysis could allow us to foresee potential disasters
more precisely. The governments, both national and local, should inform people ofwhat they found out in an easy-to-understand manner. I sincerely hope that thegovernments call upon collaboration with all localities concerned (citizens, NPOs,researchers, and businesses) and review the existing policies and plans from theviewpoints of climate risks as well as infection risks. Such a proactive attitude issomething that is woefully short of in this country.