Country Updates（JAPAN）
Masaki SUEHISA
Deputy Director, Water Environment Division
Environment Management Bureau
Ministry of the Environment, JapanRecent Development on Water
Environmental Management in Japan（2013～2016）
1. Rate of compliance with ambient water quality standards
in public water bodies
2. Revision of indicators in ambient water quality standard(DO in Bottom layer water)
3. Enactment of the Basic Law on Water Cycle

2

Achievement of Environmental Standard• Health Items：
Environmental standard achieved over most of the country
1.6

EQS revised（1993.3）
Lead：0.1→0.01mg/L
Arsenic：0.05→0.01mg/L

1.4
1.2

Total cyanide
LeadHexavalent Chromium

1.0Arsenic
Total mercury

0.8

PCB
EQS revised（2011.10）
Cadmium:0.01→0.003mg/L

0.6
0.4
0.20.01971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

Environmental standard value excess specimen rate（％）

Cadmiumyear

3※Public waters water quality measurement results（2014）

Achievement of Environmental Standard• Living Environment Items:

100

Overall improvement can be seen, but still low achievement rate in
enclosed water areas such as lakes and inland seas
Trends in achievement of BOD/COD environmental standard(2014)
Rivers: 93.9%
All:89.1%(2014)

90
80

Seas: 79.1%(2014)

70

Lakes: 55.6%(2014)

50
40
30
20100

※ Reference(2014)
Tokyo Bay：63%
Ise Bay：50%
Osaka Bay：67%

Total
RiversLakes
Seas

1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

Achievement Rate（％）

60year※Public waters water quality measurement results（2014）

4Items of Environmental Quality Standard (Public water areas)
Health items

Living environment items
Item

Item

Item
Cadmium

1,1,1‐trichloroethane

Total cyanide

1,1,2‐trichloroethane

Lead

Trichloroethylene

Hexavalent chromium

Tetrachloroethylene

Arsenic

1,3‐dichloropropene

DO

Total mercury

ThiuramBottom Layer DO

Alkylmercury

Simazine

Coliform bacteria
countPCB

Thiobencarb

N‐hexane extracts

Dichloromethane

BenzeneTotal nitrogen

Carbon tetrachloride

Selenium

Total phosphorous

1,2‐dichloroethane

Nitrate nitrogen &Nitrite nitrogen

All zinc

1,1‐dichloroethylene

FluorideBoroncis‐1,2‐dichloroethylene
1,4-Dioxane

BODCODpHSS

Nonyl phenol
Linear alkyl benzene
sulfonic acid

2016

2012
2013
5

Bottom Layer DO(Dissolved Oxygen Level in Bottom Layer Water)
Maintaining certain amount of“Bottom Layer DO”• Keep inhabitant environment ofaquatic life (especially fish andshellfish )Blue tide• Reduce the risks of blue and red
tide caused by decreasing levelof Bottom Layer DO
It is appropriate to apply “BottomLayer DO” as an index of water
quality for conserving aquatic life.

large numbers of dead short‐neck clams caused by Blue tide

6Situation of Bottom Layer DO
FY 2006 Summer (August)

FY 2007 Summer (August)

FY 2008 Summer (August)

Notice）Made based on “General Water Quality Survey in wide area”(Ministry of the Environment)
1. Using the results of Summer Season from four seasons because Bottom Layer DO generally decreases insummer season.
2.The numerical data show the measured Bottom Layer DO at black point, the distribution is made by interpolationand extrapolation from results of measurement.

Figure: Distribution of Bottom Layer DO of Summer Season inTokyo Bay (From FY 2006 to FY 2008)

7

Role of Ministries related with Water Management

MOEJ: Ministry of Environment
MLIT: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
MAFF: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
METI: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
MHLW: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Development of Water Resource(MLIT）

Hydropower (METI)

Forestry Management(MAFF)

Johkasou (On site Domestic Treatment)(MOEJ and MLIT)

Water Supply(MHLW)

Irrigation (MAFF)
River management(MLIT)

Industrial Water Supply (METI)

Sewerage(MLIT)
Ambient Water Quality Standard (MOEJ)Port and Harbor (MLIT)

Effluent Control (MOEJ)

Fishery and Fishery Harbor (MAFF)
Marine Water Pollution Control case by boats and ships(MOEJ and MLIT)

Regulation onunderground seepage(MOEJ)

Regulation on
groundwater withdrawal(MOEJ and METI) 8

Outline of Basic Act on Water‐Cycle Policy(Promulgation in April 2014, Enactment in July 2014)
Aim
This Act is aimed at the maintenance or restoration of the sound water cycle as well as the healthy
development of our economic society, and the stability and improvement of national life

Basic Principles
1. Importance of water cycle
2. Public property of water
3. Consideration for sound water cycle
4. Integrated river basin management
5. International Cooperation
Headquarters for Water Cycle Policy
・Establishment in cabinet (Chief ofheadquarters: Prime minister )・Drafting of master plan on water cycle
・Coordination among different ministries
・Planning of important polices

Basic Policy
1. Maintenance and improvement of function on storage andrecharge
2. Promotion of appropriate and effective water use
3. Promotion of cooperation among stakeholders in different
river basins
4. Education on sound water cycle
5. Measures to promote proactive activities by privateorganization
6. Implementation of survey required for preparation ofpolicies on water cycle
7. Promotion of Science and Technology
8. Establishment of international network and promotion ofinternational cooperation

9

Thank you!

ReferenceStandard Values of Bottom Layer DOClass•
Aquaticlife 1 ••Aquaticlife 2 ••Aquatic•
life 3•

Applicability of the area for habitat and reproduction of aquatic life

StandardValue

Water area to conserve and to regenerate to sustain aquatic life with low
tolerance of poor oxygen.
Water area to conserve and to regenerate, to assist reproduction stage ofaquatic life with low tolerance of poor oxygen.

4.0mg/L

Water area to conserve and to regenerate to sustain aquatic life, except thosewith low tolerance of poor oxygen.
Water area to conserve and to regenerate, to assist reproduction stage ofaquatic life, except those with low tolerance of poor oxygen

3.0mg/L

Water area to conserve and to regenerate, to sustain aquatic life with hightolerance of poor oxygen.
Water area to conserve and to regenerate, to assist reproduction stage ofaquatic life with high tolerance of poor oxygen.
Water area to improve no aquatic life

2.0mg/L*Derivation method of Standard Value:
Take into consideration of the fatal oxygen concentration evaluated by acute influence test (testing tolerance ofpoor oxygen).
12