CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION DESIGNFOR SUSTAINABILITY, OSAKA UNIVERSITY

Newsletter

February. 2015

No.

7

We will soon be coming to the end of FY2014. Over this year, the Center for Environmental Innovation Design
for Sustainability (CEIDS), Osaka University, has fruitfully engaged in a wide range of activities connected toresearch, education, and society-academia partnerships. In this Newsletter No. 7 we report broadly on some of theresearch and education initiatives CEIDS has pursued through international exchange and collaboration with local
government bodies, as well as its “future design” research aimed at pioneering new developments.

1. Conceiving a vision for rural communities: Report fromthe international conference of the ARSA in LaosIn September 2014, five representatives of CEIDS
and Osaka University attended the 5th International
Conference of the Asian Rural Sociological Association(ARSA), held at the National University of Laos
(NUOL) in Vientiane, Laos. In addition to planningpanel sessions on the future of rural communities in
Asia and presenting CEIDS research findings, they
were also able to engage in a lively exchange of
opinions with rural studies researchers from Bangladesh
and Laos.
The host country, Laos, located on the Indochina
peninsula, has a population of just under nine million
people. Its major industry is agriculture, chiefly ricecultivation, but it also earns considerable foreignexchange through the sale of electricity produced bylarge-scale hydroelectric power plants. As a landlocked
country, Laos has no seaports at its disposal, so its levelof industrialization is very low. Nevertheless, its capitalof Vientiane, with a population of about a million, isa large and bustling city. With plenty of cars on thestreets, and very large night markets every evening inneighborhoods along the Mekong River, which marks
the border with Thailand, the city is remarkably lively.
Although considerably smaller than the high economic-

Panel session

11. Conceiving a vision for rural communities: Report from the international conference of the ARSA in Laos （2）1. Conceiving a vision for rural communities: Report from the international conference of the ARSA in Laos （3）growth countries of Southeast Asia, Laos is nonethelessdeveloping at a steady pace.
The economic and social structures of Asia are
currently changing at a dizzying rate. In China and otherfast growing economies, there is rapid industrialization
and an increasing concentration of people in the cities.
Japan is facing the serious problem of population
decline due to falling birth rates and demographic
aging. On the other hand, countries like Bangladesh
and Indonesia have to confront various challenges
presented by rapidly growing populations. Given themassive size and diversity of Asia, the question “what ishappening in rural Asia?” is a hard one to answer. One
common feature is that the income of people working
in the agricultural sector is significantly lower than thatof people working in the cities—in particular, thoseworking in the manufacturing or service sectors. The
effects of changes in the economic structure resulting
from economic growth vary, but one of them is anaccelerating migration of people from rural to urban
areas in search of work or higher paying jobs. At thesame time, rural communities and agriculture are alsochanging. Farming, which was long practiced as ameans of livelihood, is becoming just another way toearn money. In some regions, a lack of younger people
to take over farms is leading to agriculture being
abandoned. The potential consequences and problems
arising from this are truly many and various.
The aim of the conference panel session planned
by ARSA was to stimulate discussion about conceiving
a vision for the future of rural Asia, based on anunderstanding of the impact that these kinds of changes
in social and economic structure are having on ruralcommunities and inhabitants. In their respective
panel reports, Shuji Kurimoto (Professor at CEIDS)
and Keishiro Hara (Associate Professor at CEIDS)
presented case studies about constructing sustainable
rural communities in Japan, looking at the positive andnegative effects of agricultural policy, and the valueof collaboration between stakeholders. Next, Rashedur
Rahman (Associate Professor at Bangladesh Agricultural
University) and Khamsing Keothoumma (researcher at

the Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University),
Yukari Fuchigami (project researcher at CEIDS), andMichinori Uwasu (Associate Professor at CEIDS) also
enjoyed constructive discussion spurred by researchpresentations they made individually.
From ARSA’s point of view, we felt that theconference was a great opportunity for researchexchange with people outside our area of specialization,
and we came away with a clearer picture of the
problems that rural Asian communities are grappling

the National University of Laos) reported on theirresearch projects. These dealt with the selection oftechnology relating to shrimp farming and aquaculturein the delta regions of Bangladesh, which are heavily
affected by climate change, and on sustainable resource
use and living environments in rural communities ofsouthern Laos. Detailed presentations of these reports
are to be published in the proceedings of ARSA, so
please refer to them.
In the general debate following the reports, it wasrecognized that while poverty is a pressing problem in
the rural communities of developing countries, for thelong term it is important to focus on revitalizing thoserural communities and adapting to the effects of climatechange. Of course, the key to this is creating a vision
for rural communities and figuring out how to realize it.
There is also a need for the kind of meso-level researchpursued by CEIDS and an approach to solutions that is
focused on appropriate technology and collaboration.
After this session there was another exchange ofviews, allowing the participants to better understandeach other’s perspectives. Apart from this panelsession, Takashi Machimura (Associate Professor at

Welcome party

Commemorative photo2

with. We also sensed our own strong ties with theconcepts of sustainability and meso-level planning.
Although FY2015 will be the final year of the CEIDS
project, we hope not only to go on exchanging opinions
and reports, but also to consider opportunities forcollaboration and practical activities as we pursue ourresearch.
(Michinori Uwasu, Associate Professor, CEIDS)

2. Report from the IWA World Water Congress &Exhibition 2014 (Lisbon, Portugal)
The International Water Association World Water
Congress & Exhibition 2014 (IWA-WWC&E 2014)
was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 21 to 26,
2014. Three professors from Osaka University, Keishiro
Hara (Associate Professor at CEIDS), Michihiko Ike andMasashi Kuroda (Professor and Assistant Professor in
the Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental
Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering)attended the conference to present research findings andgather information. The latter two are collaborating in a
CEIDS project. This was the 9th IWA-WWC&E, whichis the worldwide conference of the IWA. It was a verylarge gathering, with over 3,400 participants from every
region of the world—Europe, Africa, South America,
North America, Asia, and Oceania. More often than not,the majority of participants at international conferences
held in Asia are from Asia, so it was impressive to
see every part of the world well represented at thisconference. There were many people from all overAfrica, which is geographically close to Portugal,
and from the countries of South America, which haveremained deeply connected to Portugal since the Ageof Discovery. These close geographical and cultural ties
made us realize just how much Europe is at the centerof the world.

Conference venue entrance

Naturally, as a conference of the International
Water Association, which deals with all kinds of issues
related to water, the topics of presentation and discussion
were very wide ranging. There were presentations on anenormous variety of topics like basic water treatment
technologies for water supplies, sewage systems,
industrial wastewater, and agricultural wastewater;
elemental technologies for improving efficiency;
resource and energy recovery from water treatment
systems; and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Other
presentations focused on operating and managing watersupply and sewerage systems, sustainable public fundingof water infrastructure, communication with customers(water system users) to improve service quality, and3

2. Report from the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2014 (Lisbon, Portugal)

the effective utilization of “bigdata” regarding the managementof the water supply sector. There
was also discussion of comprehensive
research on the appropriate scale andtechnology of water systems, such as
long-term planning of water resource
management focusing on theconversion and transition of water
systems to ensure sustainable use
and the application of resilient,small-scale, distributed water Assoc. Prof. Keishiro
Hara making asystems. In addition, there were presentation
several sessions on the human right to access safe waterand on preventing water-borne infectious diseases. In
Japan, where everyone enjoys easy access to safe water
all over the country, it is hard to appreciate that morethan half the world’s population—some four billion
people—do not currently have ready access to safe
water. This could be rightly called the most serious
problem facing the world. This kind of conference,
which deals simultaneously with such a wide range of
topics, has not been held in Japan, probably because
the scientific and academic societies of the various
disciplines involved tend to meet individually. In lightof this, one very fruitful aspect of participating in thisconference was the opportunity to appreciate the overalltide of international research relating to water—not justthe trends in one’s own specialized field of research.
One of the studies we presented at the conference
was titled “Historical evolution and innovations of waterrelated technologies in Japan – Evidence from journal
papers published over the last 50 years,” co-authoredby the three representatives of CEIDS mentioned
above, together with two other CEIDS collaborators—
Michinori Uwasu (Associate Professor at CEIDS) andMasashi Takekawa (a doctoral student in the Graduate
School of Engineering Osaka University). Japan has
experienced some serious water-environment problems
in the past. Its rapid economic growth and urbanization
after the war gave rise to devastating health problems
such as the outbreaks of Minamata disease and Itai-（2）

itai disease, and also to water quality degradation
due to eutrophication of enclosed bodies of water.
Now, however, the quality of water in most of Japan’s
water catchment areas is preserved to a high standard.
While this basic outline of water environmental issues
in Japan is widely known qualitatively, the study
we presented is groundbreaking because it offers
detailed analysis based on objective data. The
research covers a total of 1,470 reports from the“Journal of Water and Waste” over the 50-year
period from 1961 to 2010. By classifying, statisticallyanalyzing and developing a database of water bodies,pollutants and other problems that need to be tackled,
as well as the research “vision” that each publishedpaper aimed at, we were able to create a clear timelineof research and development trends for water-related
technologies. We found that there were two major
turning points in Japanese R&D over the 50 years—one
around 1970 and another around 1990. This revealed agradual transition from industrial pollution problems
to urban and living environment problems to globalscale environmental problems. Since this historicalevolution of water environmental issues in Japan could
be considered a model for developing countries, we
felt that the opportunity to present our findings to
researchers from all over the world was very valuable.
On the evening of September 25 a gala evening
was held at the Convento do Beato, a magnificent
15th century building constructed by order of Afonso
V of Portugal as a gift to his first wife. The party
began in a very relaxed mood with a live band playing

Scene from the gala evening

4

2. Report from the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2014 (Lisbon, Portugal)

cheerful jazz, but later in the evening the volume
was turned up as many of the conference participants
enjoyed themselves dancing to disco music. Many of
the Latin people took to the dance floor quickly andenthusiastically, but even the shy Japanese, in their own
way, gradually began to move their bodies to the beat.
It really felt like a “one world” moment.

（3）(Masashi Kuroda, Assistant Professor, Division of Sustainable
Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School ofEngineering)

3. Report from EcoBalance 2014 (international conference)
From October 27 to 30, 2014, EcoBalance 2014(11 International Conference on Ecobalance) was
held at the Tsukuba International Congress Center(Epochal Tsukuba) in the city of Tsukuba in Japan’s
Ibaraki Prefecture. This international gathering has
been held biennially for the past 20 years, since theinaugural conference of October 1994. As it happens,
the conference also marked the 10th anniversary of
the founding of the organizing body, the Life Cycle
Assessment Society of Japan, established in October
2004.
According to the proceedings (final version,
revised December 19, 2014), the international
conference featured presentations by researchers fromat least 26 different countries. Proportionally, the mostrepresented regions were East Asia and Europe. From
East Asia there were researchers from Japan, Thailand,
Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, China,
the Philippines, and Singapore. From Europe, there
were researchers from Germany, France (including
Réunion), Switzerland, the U.K., Italy, Belgium, theNetherlands, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, andNorway. In addition, there were conference participantsfrom Australia, Costa Rica, Brazil, the United States,
and Canada.
The conference featured a wide range of sessions.
It began on the morning of the 28th with the official
opening and three keynote addresses. From theafternoon of the 28th through the morning of the 30th

there were parallel sessions (133 oral presentations)and on the afternoon of the 29th there were poster
sessions with 125 presenters. Then on the afternoonof the 30th, to close the conference, there was a panel
discussion titled “EcoBalance+20.” The overall themeof this year’s conference was “Creating benefit throughlife cycle thinking.” Accordingly, there were keynote
addresses and special sessions on that subject, focusing
on the fundamental concept of life cycle assessment(LCA).
One of the keynote addresses, titled “Values oflife cycle thinking,” was delivered by Junko Edahiro,
an environmental journalist, interpreter, and translator.
In her address, Ms. Edahiro touched on the current
status of LCA research and the challenges it is facing,using a causal loop diagram to describe cause andeffect relationships. She based this on the concept of“system thinking,” which aims at solving problems
by considering systems as a whole. She went on
to point out that despite their common conceptual
origins, “system dynamics” and “system thinking” aredifferent. While the former is a numerical simulation
technique that utilizes computers, in the latter casethe overall structure of the system is analyzed using agraphical representation of the system, without relying
on numerical simulation. This allows more people
to participate in “system thinking.” Although strictly
numerical LCA research will continue to be used, theuse of “life cycle thinking” as a concept for makingth5

3. Report from EcoBalance 2014 (international conference)

general or approximate comparative judgments is likely
to expand and help respond to rapidly changing social
needs.
The parallel sessions, including special sessions,were held over three days. Special sessions featured
subjects connected with the host city Tsukuba, amajor center of scientific research, as well as researchpresentations on chemical engineering, information andcommunications technology, and research management.
There were also special sessions on three topics
connected to the main theme of the conference, global
food security and corporate practices from life cycle
perspectives; sustainability of materials and industries;
and the practical challenge for sustainable industry.
The general panel sessions also included researchpresentations on a wide range of topics, as listed below.

（2）

3. Report from EcoBalance 2014 (international conference)

researchers. The presentations also stimulated somevaluable discussions. For anyone who wishes tolearn more about presentations at this conference, theproceedings are published online under a Creative
Commons license (CC BY 4.0) at the link below.
(http://ilcaj.sntt.or.jp/EcoBalance2014/program/files/
EcoBalance2014_abstract.pdf)
In December of last year, the next conference,“EcoBalance 2016,” had already been announced, and（3）will be held from October 3 to 6 in Kyoto. We hopeto have another opportunity then to present the fruitsof our research at CEIDS, which aims at connecting
local and community needs with university researchand education.
(http://www.ecobalance2016.org/)(Kazutoshi Tsuda, Assistant Professor, Graduate School ofEngineering)

Poster presentation

4. Report on University of Hamburg-CEIDS Joint
Research Seminar● Estimating the Contribution to Avoided Emissions● Material Flow Analysis● E-waste● Driving innovation● LCA Methodology● Supply Chain Risk Management● City & Building● Behavior & Policy● Policy & Visualization● Agriculture & Foods● Energy● Waste Management & Recycling● Water

Keynote address

biomass in rural communities”“Forecasting electricity consumption of the Japanese
information and communications sector towardgreen ICT”
“Evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions and life
cycle cost of thermoelectric generators for passenger
automobiles”● Kazutoshi Tsuda (Assistant Professor at the Graduate
School of Engineering, Osaka University)“Potential self-supply of local resources towards
regional sustainability: Case study of Shinjo Village
in Okayama Prefecture, Japan”

CEIDS prepared a total of five researchpresentations for the poster sessions, which sparked
some enthusiastic discussions and exchange of views.
The authors and titles of the five poster presentations
are as follows.

Although these poster presentations featured casestudies of local initiatives in such places as Takatsuki
city, Osaka, and Maniwa city and Shinjo village, bothin Okayama, the idea of LCA research providing
scientific support of wide-ranging local development
projects attracted considerable interest from overseas● Yukari Fuchigami (project researcher at CEIDS)“Analysis of environmental loads and benefits of abio-coke production factory: A case study in Osaka”● Yusuke Kishita (Assistant Professor at CEIDS)“Toward sustainable energy business using woody
6

On October 3, 2014, a joint research seminar
between the Center for Environmental Innovation
Design for Sustainability (CEIDS) and a group of
professors from the University of Hamburg in Germany
was held at Osaka University’s Suita Campus. For over
two hours, starting at 3 p.m., researchers from CEIDS
made presentations on their activities and engaged
in discussions with members of the German group.
The three visitors from the University of Hamburg
were climate change specialist Jürgen Scheffran(Professor in the Institute of Geography), economics
specialist Andreas Lange (Professor in the Facultyof Business, Economics and Social Sciences), andmathematics specialist Ingenuin Gasser (Professor in
the Department of Mathematics, as well as Vice
Dean for Internationalization and Support for Young
Researchers). The opportunity for interdisciplinary
discussions with these specialists in a variety of fields
was a great inspiration to all the participating academicsof CEIDS.
In response to the research and education
presentations by the CEIDS members, on the topics
listed in Table 1, the German visitors fired numerous
questions in rapid succession. Professor Keishiro
Hara offered an explanation of meso-level research,a concept developed by CEIDS. As a framework formeso-level research, CEIDS has proposed a “VisionMeso-Seeds” model. This model features a vision for asustainable society (e.g., low-carbon society) and various
technological seeds (e.g., solar power generation). It
emphasizes the importance of appropriately designing
the intermediate sphere (meso level) that connects these
two elements. (For more details, see Reference [1].)It seemed that through their presentations, the
CEIDS professors were able to share their belief inthe necessity and importance of meso-level research inrealizing a sustainable society and for environmental
innovation with the Hamburg professors. On the other
hand, the CEIDS group was also confronted with someprobing questions. For example, given that the expressed

Scene from seminar7

4. Report on University of Hamburg-CEIDS Joint Research Seminar

visions are very abstract, how can they be rendered into
reality? The Germans pointed out another associatedproblem: while taking a participatory approach tofleshing out a vision into reality is considered important,such a thing is too complex for ordinary citizens.
These arguments, both related to research problems
for realizing environmental innovations, are likely toserve as valuable hints for the further development ofour meso-level research concept. On a different note,
we heard that the University of Hamburg’s Institute of（2）

Geography, to which Professor Scheffran belongs, haslaunched a Master’s program on the subject of climatechange. This topic served as a springboard for an
exchange of information on the subject of educational
programs.
Finally, at the end of the joint seminar, we
discussed the idea of future research collaborations
between the University of Hamburg and CEIDS, andagreed to explore the possibilities. Despite the fact thatthe exchange was very brief, in part because the German
visitors were constrained by a very tight schedule, wewere able to pack in a lot during the short time together.
The sense of fulfillment seems to be visible on the facesof the participants in the commemorative photo.
(Yusuke Kishita, Assistant Professor, CEIDS)

Reference:[1] Keishiro Hara, Michinori Uwasu, Hideki
Kobayashi, Shuji Kurimoto, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Yoshiyuki
Shimoda, Yasushi Umeda, “Enhancing Meso Level Researchin Sustainability Science - Challenges and Research Needs,”
Sustainability Vol. 4 , (2012), pp.1833-1847.

Commemorative photo outside the conference room

Table: Outline of presentations by CEIDS teaching staff

Topic (presenter)

Presentation theme

Research and Educational Activities at
CEIDS, Osaka University(Keishiro Hara, Associate Professor)

Impacts of climate change and response strategy(Hiromune Yokoki, Ibaraki University)
The necessity for meso-level research, a concept developed by
CEIDS, for realizing environmental innovation, and an explanation of
the concept behind the“Vision-Meso-Seeds”(VMS) model proposed
as a fundamental framework for this purpose.

Mission of CEIDS for Education(Michinori Uwasu, Associate Professor)

An interdisciplinary sustainability education program for Master’sprogram students, developed by CEIDS.

Development of Numerical Simulation Numerical simulation model for assessment of atmospheric and water
System for Multi-scale Environmental environments, suitable for a wide range of spatial scales, from theAssessment
entire earth, to districts, and even indoor spaces.
Hikari Shimadera (Assistant Professor)
Removal and Recovery of Selenium
from Waste and Wastewater by Using
Selenium-metabolizing Bacteria
Masashi Kuroda (Assistant Professor)

The state of development of technology for removing selenium fromsolid waste and wastewater utilizing microorganisms, and examples of
its application, as an illustration of seeds-style meso-level research.

Computer-aided Scenario Design for Design support methodology for scenarios relating to sustainability,
Sustainability
and the scenario of electric power demand in the Kansai region in
Yusuke Kishita (Assistant Professor)
2030 as an example application of this.

8

5. International exchange: Academic exchange seminarwith Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The 17th Osaka University-Shanghai Jiao Tong
University Academic Exchange Seminar was held from
November 2 to 4, 2014, at Shanghai Jiao Tong
University (SJTU). On the first day, a reception washeld at SJTU’s Xuhui Campus. On the second day, there
were session meetings on various fields of researchat the Minhang Campus. These seminars, which are
based on an academic exchange agreement between
the universities, are held almost every year, with thetwo universities alternating as host. Since the first suchexchange in 1995, on the field of welding materials
engineering, the scope of the seminars has gradually
expanded to other fields. Currently, the exchanges
span the sciences and humanities to cover virtually
the whole spectrum of academic disciplines. This
year the sessions dealt with a total of eight fields. In
addition to materials, global architecture, information,
physics, optics, environment, and history, a new field,
combustion engineering, was added.
The environment session that the Center for
Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability(CEIDS) participated in included three members of
CEIDS, Prof. Shuji Kurimoto, Assoc. Prof. KeishiroHara, and myself (Assist. Prof. Hikari Shimadera), as
well as Assist. Prof. Masashi Kuroda of the Departmentof Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering,
Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University,and three Master’s students from the Graduate Schoolof Law and Politics—Yue Gao, Zhoupei Li, andTian Zeng. These three Chinese students, all currently
enrolled at Osaka University as overseas students,
seemed very pleased at the chance to join the seminar.
The seminar also gave us the opportunity to meet up
again with Prof. Zhenjia Zhang and Prof. Wenhua
Wang of SJTU’s School of Environmental Science andEngineering, as well as Assoc. Prof. Huiyu Zhao of the
SJTU’s KoGuan Law School, who each gave a lecture
to the environment session at the 16th seminar held theprevious year at Osaka University.
As outlined in the table below, a total of 17
presentations were made at the environment session

meeting of this year’s seminar. The broad range of
topics included water environment purification andresource recovery using microorganisms, analysis oflarge-scale atmospheric pollution due to fine particulatematter (PM2.5), legal provisions and public participation
initiatives to promote environmental conservation in
China, use of biomass resources for fuel and industrial
processes, and chemical processes for environmental
remediation and resource recycling. While the presentersat the previous session meeting were all professors,
graduate students also gave a number of presentations
at this year’s seminar. For the students, the opportunity
to make a presentation in English was itself of greatvalue. Unfortunately, it was not possible to engage inany substantial discussion after each of the presentations
due to time constraints, but there were some active
exchanges during the break periods.
Including my report, there were only twopresentations on atmospheric pollution. However, due
to growing concerns about air pollution problems,
including the impact of PM2.5, in China, my presentation
attracted a good deal of interest. I was particularly
pleased to have an in-depth exchange with Assist. Prof.
Zhen Cheng of SJTU’s School of Environmental Scienceand Engineering, whose presentation was about theanalysis of air pollution in the Yangtze River delta. For
one thing, we share the same field of specialization—air
pollution—and we both conduct numerical simulationsof the atmosphere. I continued exchanging information

Commemorative photo before the session meeting95. International exchange: Academic exchange seminar with Shanghai Jiao Tong Universitywith Prof. Cheng after the seminar, and even discussed
the possibility of joint research with him.
I believe that before Japan and China cancooperate to remediate environmental problems, it isfirst necessary to develop a common recognition ofproblems amongst researchers in both countries. For
the next research exchange seminar, set to be hosted（2）

by Osaka University, I would like to see the seminardevelop into something more than just an occasion for
exchanging information—a platform for developing
international joint research initiatives between the two
universities.
(Hikari Shimadera, Assistant Professor, CEIDS)

Table: Session program
Afternoon break

Opening
Zhenjia ZHANG (Prof., SJTU)
address#10#1

Masashi KURODA (Assist. Prof., Osaka Univ.) Removal
and Recovery of Selenium from Waste and Wastewaterby using Selenium-metabolizing Bacteria

Hua ZHANG （Postdoc, SJTU） Highly selective andefficient hydrogenation of fatty acids to fatty alcohols
using Zn and Pt/C catayst

#11

#2

Hikari SHIMADERA （ Assist. Prof., Osaka Univ. ）Performance of Air Quality Modeling System for PM2.5
Simulation

Guodong YAO （ Postdoc, SJTU ） Potential green
reductants in metal smelting based on carbohydratebiomass#12

Xiaoyun XU （PhD student, SJTU） Removal of low
concentration mercury by biochars ： A potential ofbiochar for the remediation of Hg-contaminatedsediments#13

Wenbing WANG（PhD student, SJTU）UV photolysis forenhanced phenol removal at presence of
2,4,6-trichlorophenol（TCP）#14

Jia DUO（PhD student, SJTU）Reduction CO2 to formic
acid with Fe under hydrothermal conditions#15

Ruixue WANG （PhD student, SJTU） Application ofpyrolysis process and pyrolysis mechanism for recycle
renewable resource from polarizing film of waste liquid
crystal display panel#16

George Chira KIRUMBA （ Master's student, SJTU ）Comparison of Different Macrophytes in the Degradationof Atrazine and Alachlor in Aqueous Solution#17

Zhe LV （Master's student, SJTU） Pilot Scale Test of
Eco-Dam for In-situ Remediation of Polluted Aquaculture
Water in Yangcheng Lake

Morning break#3#4

Qi GAO （Lecturer, SJTU） Problems and Prospect of
Public Participation in Environmental Matters in China ：Commentary on the Relevant Revision of Environmental
Protection Law
Huiyu ZHAO （Assoc. Prof., SJTU） The evolvements ofChina’s EIA and present challenges

Lunch
#5

Yue GAO （ Master's student, Osaka Univ. ） Water
Pollution In Hangzhou#6Zhoupei LI（Master's student, Osaka Univ.）Situation ofEnvironmental Information Disclosure and PRTRs in
China

#7

Tian ZENG （ Master's student, Osaka Univ. ） Brief
Research on Environmental Public Interest Litigation ofJapan and China#8

Keishiro HARA（Assoc. Prof., Osaka Univ.）Analysis of
the overall benefits of introducing Bio-coke fromperspectives of life cycle CO2#9Zhen CHENG （Assist. Prof., SJTU） Characteristic s oftypical haze events in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Closing
Wenhua WANG（Prof., SJTU）
address10

6. Visit from King Faisul University, Saudi Arabia for a presentationon CEIDS’research and education activities
On Wednesday November 12, 2014, a delegationof nine researchers from King Faisul University in
Saudi Arabia, together with officials of the Royal
Embassy of Saudi Arabia, paid a visit to Osaka
University’s School of Engineering. The Center for
Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability(CEIDS) took the opportunity to offer a presentationof its research and education activities, as well as toengage in discussions with the visitors. In addition
to CEIDS staff, a number of other people from the
School of Engineering participated in the encounter,
including Prof. Kiyoshi Fujita of the Center forInternational Affairs, Graduate School of Engineeringand representatives from the Division of Materials
and Manufacturing Science at Mitsubishi Electric’s
Research Laboratory of Manufacturing Converging
Technologies, and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo’s Metal
Joint Research Chair for Welding & Joining. Each ofthese also offered presentations on their wide-ranging
research and education activities.
From CEIDS, Assoc. Prof. Keishiro Hara gavea presentation that analyzed individual elemental
technologies in terms of their relationship with social
needs and a vision of the future that society is seeking.
He stressed the importance of a process for shaping
a sustainable society by positioning these elemental
technologies appropriately within the kind of social
system that people and communities want to create, andon this basis he explained the value and potential of themeso-level research that CEIDS is pursuing. As a concrete
example of this, he presented a case study of the life
cycle assessment (LCA) of thermoelectric technologythat Osaka University is doing R&D on, explaining indetail the argument for linking the contributions madeby elemental technologies to shaping a low-carbon
society with a vision of a low-carbon society achieved
by appropriately applying such technologies. Both inJapan and abroad, thermoelectric elements are regarded
as a highly promising technology for converting waste
heat directly into electricity. Since urban waste heat is amajor issue in Saudi Arabia, this assessment case study

is of great relevance, and the Saudi visitors expresseda desire to maintain a dialogue with Osaka University
on this topic.
Looking ahead, as the fruits of CEIDS’ mesolevel research become more widely diffused throughout
society, it will be necessary to more clearly define
the possibilities of this research methodology andits challenges. International exchanges like this one
give us access to diverse opinions and perspectives
and they make us more aware of the importance ofinternational collaboration. Although CEIDS has so far
engaged in international exchanges quite widely within
Asia and with Europe and North America, we hope tocontinue expanding and strengthening our international
collaboration and exchange efforts.
(Keishiro Hara, Associate Professor, CEIDS)

Research exchange between representatives from King Faisul
University, Saudi Arabia and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
and representatives of Osaka University

11

7.“Sustainability D-Lab”launched in FY2014 as an
Interdisciplinary Research and Education subject
Totsukawa samurai and tenchugumi (armed group),
and for its hot springs villages. Unfortunately, Typhoon
No. 12 of September 2011 wreaked devastation on
Totsukawa-mura, accelerating the area’s decline intourist numbers and local population. The participantsin the field study trip to the Kannogawa district visited
five mountain settlements quite distant from the centerof the Totsukawa-mura municipality. The impact of
population decline and aging here is great. In light of
this, the focus of this year’s class was to investigate
ways (physical and non-physical) to overcome thechallenges facing the Kannogawa district, and to create
prototypes of proposed solutions.
The classes were centered on a field study trip
from November 7 to 9, with preparatory lectures andpractical training before the field study and prototype
creation after the trip. The preliminary lectures, held at
the “Co-creative Design Laboratory for Sustainability,
UMEKITA” of CEIDS, provided an introduction to
the history and resources of the rural communities andto the specific conditions in Kannogawa. The students
also carried out group work (problem identification andformulation). There was a guest speaker, Mr. Akihide
Hirano (deputy director of NPO Regional RenaissanceAgency and secretary of a cooperative aimed at reviving
the rural district of Itoshiro in Gifu), who talked about
the practical aspects of local revival, covering topics
such as revival of mountain communities using microhydroelectric power, use of biomass, and rethinking
local communities.
The students on the field study trip were hosted
by Mr. Isao Okada of the Kannogawa Happy Bridge
Project (HBP), a cooperative promoting rural exchange
experiences, and Mr. Ryoichi Masutani and Mr. Akinari
Kamiya of the Totsukawa-mura Tourist Promotion
Bureau. On the first day of the trip, we asked Mr.
Okei Mori, Mr. Takahiro Mori, and Mr. Takehiro andMrs. Masako Ueda to speak, respectively, on threethemes, in accordance with the issues formulated byeach student team: lifestyle and culture in mountainsettlements, memories of disaster times, and the future

The Center for Environmental Innovation
Design for Sustainability (CEIDS) launched its new“Sustainability D-Lab,” as a subject in the “Research
on Local Safety and Security and Management
Practices for the Commons” project. A “D-Lab” isa type of educational program, originally developed
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
aimed at training personnel to help solve the many
diverse problems of developing countries throughmanufacturing and design. It stems from the ideas ofintermediate technology and appropriate technology,
which have been advocated since the 1980s toemphasize the importance of products and designs
that can be maintained by local people themselves, as
opposed to technically sophisticated, complex solutions
that nobody can effectively utilize. Accordingly, the“D” in “D-Lab” stands for a number of concepts,
such as “development” (development of products
and communication), “dialogue” (dialogue between
local people and technologists), and “dissemination”(dissemination of products and ideas).
This class embodies the specificity and social
applicability of the previous year’s “FY 2013 Totsukawamura (Tosukawa village) Commons Discovery Student
Seminar,” and consists of lectures dealing with reviving
rural communities, study design, field study of surveyed
areas, and joint design work and presentations. The
aims of the class are to understand the state of ruralcommunities in Japan by thinking and working together
with local people, and by cultivating the ability toidentify and formulate problems and synthesize solutions(the ability to design solutions to problems). A total of
12 students from a variety of departments at Osaka
University participated in this year’s class. They weredivided into teams of four for group work and visited the
Kannogawa district of Tsukawa-mura. Totsukawa-mura,located in the far south of Nara Prefecture, is the largest“village” municipality in Japan by area. In addition to its
abundance of mountains and forests, it is renowned for
the World Heritage Kumano Kodo (the Kohechi routeof the ancient pilgrimage trail), for its history, featuring
12

7. Researcher Interview No. 4,“Methodology and Practice of Future Design”

（2）

the Kannogawa HBP, we helped local volunteers in theircommunity work to clean the former Imoze Elementary
School, which now serves as the main meeting venueof the local community. We then visited the Kohechi

of forestry, agriculture, and mountain settlements. At
night, we stayed in a farmhouse minshuku (Japanesestyle B&B), where we enjoyed a wood-fired bath andlocal cuisine. On the second day, under the guidance ofInterview survey at Kannogawa

Community maintenance work (with local volunteers)

Table: Schedule during the visitsNov. 7,afternoon

Team ATeam B

Team CInterview survey on “lifestyleand culture ” in Uchino,
KannogawaInterview survey on“memories
of disaster times”in Uchino,
KannogawaInterview survey on“the futureof forestry, agriculture, andmountain settlements”in Miura,
Kannogawa

Strolling around the farmhouse minshuku
Interview survey with the Kannogawa Happy Bridge Project (HBP)
Lodging at farmhouseminshuku
Nov. 8,morningandafternoon

Community work (cleaning the former Imoze Elementary School)
Strolling in the Imoze and Sugise
settlements of Kannogawa, andVisit to Kohechi route of the World Heritage Kumano Kodo (Miura
strolling on the Kohechi route ofToge side): Strolling and visiting the windbreak forest
the World Heritage Kumano
Kodo (Obako Toge side)
Lodging at farmhouse minshuku

Nov. 9,morningandafternoon

Participation in Shinto ritual (to honor the mountain god) at Yamaten, Kannogawa
Interview survey on“life in a mountain settlement”
Farm work experience
Tea meeting with ladies of the settlement (interview survey)

13

Interview survey on“the futureof forestry and mountainsettlements”in Sugise,
Kannogawa7.“Sustainability D-Lab”launched in FY2014 as an Interdisciplinary Research and Education subject（3）our respect. We then joined the locals in their traditionalcustom of throwing (and picking up) mochi ( rice cakes). Next, we tried our hand at harvesting soybeans, andthen over tea we listened to a talk by two ladies of thesettlement, Mrs. Toshiko Matsuba and Mrs. Ikuko Tsuji.
Team C also listened to Mr. Masashi Tsuji speaks about

route of the World Heritage Kumano Kodo. On thethird day, at the settlement of Yamaten in Kannogawa
we took part in one of the most important religious ritesof the local people, paying respect to a mountain god.
First thing in the morning we climbed up to a shrine
dedicated to the mountain god, made offerings and paid

Developing prototypes through group work

Commemorative photo with Mrs. Ikuko Tsuji and Mrs. ToshikoMatsuba, who kindly assisted us

Presentation of a concrete prototypCommemorative photo at the final presentation with officials
from Totsukawa-mura

14

7.“Sustainability D-Lab”launched in FY2014 as an Interdisciplinary Research and Education subject（4）the two officials say that they wished that the people ofKannogawa and Totsukawa-mura could have heard
the presentations. For the future, we want to refine theprototypes, taking into account the feedback received,and present them in Totsukawa-mura. Furthermore, wewould like to develop them to the stage where they
could be handed over for next year’s crop of students
to work on. The students hope to make use of theirexperience for future research presentations, while the
CEIDS staff will incorporate the experience in theireducational work.
The content of the students’ proposals fromthis project will not have any immediate impact on
the problem of Totsukawa-mura and Kannogawa’s
declining population. Nonetheless, through this class,the students learned how to identify problems thatthey wish to solve by actually going into the field andcommunicating directly with local people and seeing
and thinking about things for themselves. Even more
importantly, they learned how to link these challenges
to concrete and practicable proposals and they cameto understand the difficulty, pleasures, and value of
doing all these things in collaboration with colleaguesof different disciplines and year levels. I believe it isof great value for students to move outside the comfort
zone of their own departments and expertise and toengage in discussion from multiple viewpoints.
We would like to express our sincerest thanks toeveryone from the municipality of Totsukawa-mura,
everyone from Kannogawa who welcomed us on our
visit, and to everyone from Kannogawa HBP, whichkindly hosted us on our study trip.

forestry. The most lasting impression of the field trip in
the minds of the students was the pride and affection
for Kannogawa underlying almost everything that the
locals talked about, as if to say, “Yes, it’s inconvenient
to live here, but nonetheless we love this place and wish
to stay.” Before the study trip, many students felt that
increasing the population of the settlement was the mostserious challenge to face, but after hearing the locals
speak, their perception of the problem shifted to more
concrete concerns, connected more closely to the real
lives of the locals.
In the latter half of the classes, after the field
trip, the students pursued group work at UMEKITA
lab. with each group creating its prototype solution
for the problem it set for itself. Team A developed atool to use when harvesting, binding, carrying, anddrying soy beans, with the aim of reducing the burdenof agricultural work on elderly people. The focus ofTeam B originated from their interview survey, when
they heard a local report that the most inconvenient
aspect of disasters was the loss of refrigeration due
to electric power outages. This prompted the group to
propose a Kannogawa version of an existing device—a“non-electric refrigerator.” Team C proposed the use ofterraced rice fields for a local community revitalization
project, as a way of applying local resources to revive
the local community. We invited Mr. Masutani and
Mr. Kamiya, Totsukawa-mura officials, to the final
presentation of the students’ work on December 16. The
students explained their specific proposals to improve
the lives of the people living in Kannogawa based on
the previously described challenges, from the viewpointof students and as village outsiders. In response tothese proposals, the two officials from Totsukawa-mura
made connections to some of the work currently being
done by the municipality, and they offered constructive
feedback in the form of agreement, corrections, andadditional information. Given that that the work wasdone in limited class time, there were many elementsof the students’ proposals that need to be improvedor that cannot be feasibly applied without further
development. We were very encouraged, though, to hear

(Yukari Fuchigami, Project researcher, CEIDS)

15

8. Striving collaboratively to create a future society - collaboratingwith local government bodies in Future Design research
relationships with Suita City (Osaka) and other local
government bodies and various stakeholders. Suita
City has participated with us steadily over the past
years in a joint research group focused on meso-levelresearch, and this partnership has proved fruitful at avariety of levels, such as the City having jointly hosted
symposiums with CEIDS. The continuity of this socialuniversity partnership or social dialogue effectively
creates a platform for meso-level research.
We are now starting to apply the meso-levelresearch methodology and practice that we haveestablished thus far to new research challenges.
Together with other researchers in Japan, such as
Tatsuyoshi Saijo (Professor, School of Management,
Kochi University of Technology; Visiting Professor,
CEIDS) and Reiko Aoki (Professor and Executive Vice
President, Kyushu University), we are pioneering a new
field of research, which we call “Future Design.” (Fordetails, see pp. 9-11 of Newsletter No. 6) The essential

Over the past few years, the Center for
Environmental Design Innovation for Sustainability(CEIDS) has worked to cultivate a new kind of
methodology for realizing a sustainable society. In
this methodology, we evaluate the knowledge andelemental technologies that are produced on a daily
basis by universities and research institutes in termsof their relevance to humans and to social systems,
and by appropriately placing and developing them insociety. In other words, this research attempts to link
the seeds of all kinds of research and the seeds ofelemental technologies with the vision of a sustainable
society. This is what we define as “meso-level research”
and apply to a wide range of research initiatives.
Since this kind of research analyzes and assesses the
positioning of research and technology seeds within
the context of a social system, it is very important that
it is pursued with social experiments and interaction
with society. Based on this recognition, we have forged

Scene from a joint research group meeting at Suita City Hall
(Dec. 1, 2014)

CEIDS seminar with invited guest Mr. Ritsuji Yoshioka of Yahaba
Town (Dec. 23, 2014)16

8. Striving collaboratively to create a future society - collaborating with local government bodies in Future Design research（2）point of meso-level research is to link promising seedsof research to a desirable vision. But how do we createor select a “desirable vision” or “future vision”? At
present there is no methodology or social mechanism
by which people holding widely divergent views canshare or appropriately select a vision. And, despite thefact that the selection of a future vision and decisionmaking of current generations will have a major impact
on future generations, those affected future generations
cannot participate in the decision-making of the present.
This may seem to be an obvious observation, but fromthe point of view of intergenerational equity, it is very
problematic.
At CEIDS we have started to pursue researchfounded on a recognition that methodologies that reflect
the viewpoints and priorities of future generations in
the debates and decision-making of present generations
are essential. We hope to enable a broad range ofstakeholders to design and select a future visioncollaboratively, as well as promote social mechanismsthat support such debate and decision-making processes(which we call “social devices”), which are going tobecome more and more important over time. The aimof Future Design is to develop methodologies that
effectively enable current and future generations todesign a future society together, with the participationof a diversity of stakeholders, and to explore social
mechanisms and systems to support such collaborative
design. In the course of our brainstorming at CEIDS
we wonder about how we can form a group that canconsider the interests of future generations today. Whatkind of fundamental information and future scenarios
need to be presented in order for people participating
in debates and decision-making now to concretely andappropriately shape and conceive of a future society?
How should such debates be facilitated? Thus we aretackling this research from a variety of perspectives. In
addition to the theoretical research, we are conducting
an actual Future Design project for Suita City, based oncooperation with local government bodies (Suita City inthis case) and with the participation of a large diversityof stakeholders.

On December 1, 2014, we held a research groupmeeting at Suita City Hall. Members of CEIDS met
with staff from Suita City’s environment, roads andparks, and sewerage and wastewater departments, for
an exercise in Future Design with the supposition ofparticipation of various generations and stakeholders.
On Saturday February 28, 2015, CEIDS and otherOsaka University representatives are scheduled tojoin with Suita City staff, as well as ordinary citizens,students, and company representatives for a Future
Design exercise on the subject of environmental
planning in Suita City. Holding workshops like this,with a broad spectrum of participation, on a continuingbasis allows us to steadily deepen our Future Design
research efforts. At the same time, we are starting towork on joint research with local government body
representatives to explore social mechanisms thatenable the ideas and concepts generated in the processof developing a vision of the future to find their way
into public policy.
Here is another case study. On Tuesday December
23, 2014, we invited Mr. Ritsuji Yoshioka from thedepartment responsible for water supply and seweragein the town of Yahaba in Iwate Prefecture for a seminarat CEIDS’ Umekita offices (Co-creative Design
Laboratory for Sustainability). The seminar focused on
the future of water supply services and managementin the town of Yahaba, which is facing the prospectof population decline in the years ahead. The aim wasto create a future plan and vision, not only throughdebate within the municipality, but also through active
communication with local inhabitants. The processof debate and selection through which these local
citizens, known as “water supply supporters” (literallytranslated from Japanese words), may determine themost appropriate water supply system produced somevery interesting results. In fact, this initiative of
Yahaba Town’s was featured on a national primetime
TV report on the NHK program “Close Up Gendai,”under the title “Water supply crisis due to advancing
deterioration” (broadcast October 16, 2014), and was
also covered widely in other media. The key figure17

8. Striving collaboratively to create a future society - collaborating with local government bodies in Future Design research（3）9-1. CEIDS Research Project (5): Geometric modeling using measurement data Introduction （2）behind this citizens’ participation initiative in Yahaba
was our guest Mr. Yoshioka. In the seminar, he gave atalk titled “Policy formation in a society of declining
population and the silent majority - aiming to create atown with a future people can feel confident in,” after
which there was a lively discussion. We decided to plana Future Design exercise with the supporters of Yahaba
Town (the first workshop is scheduled for March 27,2015), and we also had some valuable exchanges onmatters such as methods for conveying information

effect, but also for scenic beautification. In fact, large
numbers of roadside trees can be seen in and around thecampus of Osaka University. At the same time, roadsidetrees are planted not just along heavily trafficked roads,
but also in environments that are already crowdedwith electricity poles, lampposts, water mains, andvarious other things. As a result, maintenance of trees
is becoming a serious issue. Generally, maintenance ofroadside trees is managed by public employees who
regularly go out to visually inspect them and record
their findings on paper. This is laborious and risky,since the documentation can be easily lost. Thus, many
local governments are grappling with the problem of
how to efficiently manage their roadside trees.
In our latest study, We are developing a system
for managing roadside trees using a laser scanner toregularly measure the trees. The scanner we used forthe study is called a Mobile Mapping System (MMS),
consisting of a vehicle fitted with a laser scanner andGPS. A main feature of an MMS is the ability tomeasure trees at normal driving speed, without causing
any obstruction on the road. Since trees are planted
along the sides of roads, an MMS seems to be an

and methods of facilitation. Since some personnel from
Suita City also sat in on this seminar, it was a precious
opportunity for an exchange of views between different
local government bodies.
CEIDS is keen to continue building its experience
with this kind of collaboration at the local government
body level and developing general-purpose andpracticable Future Design methodologies and platforms.
(Keishiro Hara, Associate Professor, CEIDS)

9-1. CEIDS Research Project (5): Geometric modelingusing measurement data Introduction
making manufacturing processes more efficient, bycomparison with design data and simulation of the
shapes of real objects. In this study I conducted researchon creating polygon models from mechanical parts
made of sheet metal. The typical method for creating apolygon model from volume data is to consider the CTdata as a scalar field and then compute the isosurfaces
based on it. However, since CAD models for sheet
metal parts are generally expressed with a surface
model of normal thickness, another step is necessary.
In this study w solved this problem by computing themedial axis (surface) that passes through the centerof the geometrical form from the CT image. Studies
focused on the neutral axis have been a staple subjectof research for some decades now, but in our study
we developed an algorithm for correctly computing
non-manifold polygons for geometrical objects that are
branched as a result of welding or a similar process.
(See Fig. 1.)

Introduction
I have been conducting research on methods for
manipulating 3D geometric models with computers.
Recently, the focus of my research has been toincorporate the real objects, obtained using measurement
devices such as CT scanners and laser scanners, into a
computer to find solutions to various problems in the
medical and engineering fields. The information on
objects acquired with these kinds of measurement
devices are essentially collections of points and pixels,
which cannot be used as they are. To use this data
effectively to solve problems it is necessary to extract
the necessary parts from the data and to identify
the meaning of those parts. It is then necessary toconvert them into geometrical forms that can be usedwith software such as CAD packages that work withpolygon data. The technology for solving these kinds ofproblems is geometric modeling, which is my specialty.
In this paper, I offer an outline of the research I havedone and what I’m currently working on.
Polygonization of thin-plate mechanical objects
scanned by a CT scannerIn the manufacturing industry, a process known asreverse engineering creates CAD models of geometricmodels of real objects. Reverse engineering aims at

Extracting roadside trees from urban datausing a laser scanner
Roadside trees are being actively planted in urban
districts, not just for the sake of environmental benefits
such as absorbing CO2 and mitigating the heat island
18

optimum solution for measuring roadside trees. One
problem with using measurement data from an MMS for
maintenance of roadside trees is that since the collected
data will also include objects such as electricity poles,
traffic lights, and the buildings and pedestrians thatare passed, it becomes necessary to automaticallyextract just the trees from all this data. Our research
focuses on the geometrical characteristics of trees todevelop a technique for extracting the trees using the
local distribution of point clouds. If the roadside trees
can be extracted, it will also be possible to survey the
distance between trees, tree height, and interferencewith electricity poles and other objects. We believethat in the future this kind of regular measurement
can be employed for various kinds of environmental
assessment and risk management tasks relating toroadside trees. We also think that this technology mightserve as a good way of assessing scenery, for example
by measuring greenery levels.
Summary
I presented here a simple outline of some of theresearch I have done on the use of measurement data forgeometric modeling, as well as research I am currently
working on. I am conducting geometric modelingrelated research in a variety of other fields too, such as
anthropology and medicine. Although these fields arevery diverse, the common challenge is the extractionof necessary information (geometric model) from thegiven data. At the same time, each field has its own
particular technical problems, which my research alone
may not necessarily solve. I look forward to continued
collaboration with specialists in different fields to try
and solve a variety of problems, and hopefully along
the way I can contribute something to the advancementof geometric modeling technology.
Reference:
T. Michikawa and H. Suzuki, “Polygonization ofVolumetric Skeleton with Junctions”, Computer-Aided
Design, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp.822-828, 2013.

Fig. 1 Creating the medial surface from volume data for sheet
object (Source: Michikawa, 2013)(Takashi Michikawa, Assistant Professor, CEIDS)
19

9-2. CEIDS Research Project (6): Development of analysis
and assessment methods for realizing sustainable cities
no longer apply. Now that the country has been plunged
into an era of intermittent population decline, it’s notjust that the concept of cities must be reexamined. We
have reached the stage where it is necessary to study
ways to actually reorganize Japan’s cities.
Since the time of my doctoral studies I have set
out to research the sustainability of cities. Even now I
am thinking about what kinds of measures are neededto achieve sustainable cities. While my approach varies
according to the theme, here is an introduction to someof the research I am working on at CEIDS.
1) Assessing “city convenience” in Suita City
The notion of a “compact city” has been proposed
as a model for a sustainable city. I’ll omit the details, but
a compact city today is basically a city with a structurethat allows people to live close to their workplace andto access most of their needs for life by walking, andwhich is linked to other cities by a public transport
network. A declining population will make it difficult
for the large sprawling cities of today to maintain theirsize and preserve the conveniences of life that we enjoy.
To realize a compact city, it is necessary to increase
the density of railway, bus, and other public transport
nodes in districts’ central cores, but in view of Japan’ssocial and economic condition, it is hard to imagine
creating new cities. There seems to be no alternative,
therefore, to reorganizing existing urban centers. Given
this scenario, the most obvious and efficient approach
would be to utilize areas that are already quite dense
and that offer a high level of convenience as core
locations. It therefore follows that we need to determine
the locations of current stores and the accessibility to
trains and buses, and to evaluate them from the pointof view of immediacy and accessibility. (See Fig. 1.)
On the basis of this data, I am analyzing areas thathave the potential to become central core nodes, withcertain modified criteria such as using assessmentsthat exclude railway-related indicators in order to put
more weight on bus transportation, and assessmentsof cases in which the proportion of elderly people isFig. 1 Assessment of convenience in Suita City (left: 2010,
right: 2040)

Fig. 2 Responses to relocation/migration plan in Kochi City (N = 428)

Cities are now the setting of most human activity,
essential places where people must live and survive.
Already, more than 90% of people in Japan reside incities, with this figure expected to increase further inthe years ahead. Yet, cities are beset with a host ofenvironmental, economic, and social problems. One
particularly serious challenge facing Japanese cities
is that of declining population. Japan has been forced
into a drastic review and policy turnaround on the issueof cities and urban planning, because the underlying
assumptions of a growing population and economic
development that prevailed in the decades after the war
20

9-2. CEIDS Research Project (6): Development of analysis and assessment methods for realizing sustainable cities（2）high in future population estimates, because people’s
walking speed decreases as they age. On the other
hand, we cannot neglect subjective assessments basedon what people choose and how they live. Even if aplace is highly convenient in objective material terms,
in reality it could be unsafe, or it might not provide
desirable services and shops for residents. For thisreason, I conducted questionnaire surveys on lifestyle
convenience and living environment, and compared theresults to that of assessments of hard infrastructures.
In addition, I am organizing the data from my researchfindings and creating correlative links so that it can beused as a resource for urban planning formulation, forexample to present to government bodies.

in the event of a tsunami they would definitely migrate,or that they would migrate under certain conditions.
For an individual to change their home and workplacerequires a great deal of energy. Through this study, I
analyzed the conditions for migration, which I think canbe used to propose a plan that could at least somewhat
mitigate the risk of disaster.
Cities have been shaped over many generations by
the forebears of the people who live in them, and they
will also shape the lives of their descendants for many
generations to come. As I wrote at the beginning, I wantto purse research that takes the massive demographic
turning point we are now facing as an opportunity tohelp shape cities, towns, and localities that are pleasant
to live in and appealing. For this purpose, while
continuing to conduct exhaustive assessments like thatof the first study presented here, I am also planningto participate in real urban planning and development
projects. Since cities are complex systems, their study
needs to be approached from a wide variety ofviewpoints. I’ve been pursuing this kind of research incollaboration with researchers from other fields, as wellas people from the government and private sectors. So
maybe I will have the opportunity to work with you in
my research. If so, I look forward to your cooperation.
Since most of us are residing and living in cities, I
would be very happy to have the opportunity to hear
your personal thoughts on the current state and future
vision of our cities.

2) Volume study and attitude survey on city
relocation in Kochi City
While the occasion of the Great East Japan
Earthquake in 2011 helped many people appreciateanew the importance of interpersonal ties, it also
stimulated considerable rethinking about the locationof cities. I strongly believe that, particularly in cities atrisk of massive devastation due to a tsunami following
a major earthquake, relocation of the city should beconsidered as an option when thinking about a visionof the future. When it comes to relocation, however,people’s circumstances vary, so a policy of gradual,
progressive relocation over time should be considered,as opposed to a mass relocation. In fact, when I
conducted a questionnaire survey in Kochi City, more
people agreed with a plan to allow people to decide on
relocation individually than with a plan for everyone
to be relocated en masse under a national or local
government directive. Also, more people agreed witha plan to relocate before an earthquake than after. (The
option that the highest number of respondents agreed
with was for everyone to decide individually to relocate
before a tsunami. A total of 65.2% agreed with thisoption (those answering “Definitely agree” and “Tendto agree”), compared to 11.9% who disagreed (thoseanswering “Definitely disagree” and “Tend to disagree”).
(See Fig. 2.) In total, 73.1% of respondents stated that

(Hiroyuki Takeda, Lecturer, Management of Industry andTechnology, Graduate School of Engineering)21

10. News from CEIDS
1 Co-authored paper selected as “editor’s
choice” article by journal
The article below, co-authored by a CEIDS
researcher, was selected as an “editor’s choice”
article by the English-language journal Environmental
Development (Elsevier).
(http://www.journals.elsevier.com/
environmentaldevelopment/editors-choice/)

Edited & Published byCenter of Environmental Innovation Design for
Sustainability (CEIDS)
6F Advanced Science and Innovation Research Building D,
2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
TEL : 06-6879-4150 FAX : 06-6875-6271
Email : ceids-jim@ceids.osaka-u.ac.jp
URL : http://www.ceids.osaka-u.ac.jp/index.html

Kazutoshi Tsuda, Bi Hong Low, HayatoTakahashi,
Keishiro Hara, Michinori Uwasu, Yasushi Umeda(2014 )Potential Accounting of Regional Biomass Resource
Circulations in Japan : A Prospective on Regional RuralUrban Partnerships, Environmental Development, Vol.
9, pp. 24-42
This paper, which analyzes and assesses biomass energy
diffusion potential through the promotion of a ruralurban partnership in Japan, from both a technologicaland systems perspective, was rated highly for its
multifaceted analysis.
2 Exhibition at the 18th Suita City Environmental
Education Fair
The 18th Suita City Environmental Education
Fair was held on Saturday January 31 at the May
Theater in Suita City. CEIDS presented an exhibit
titled “University research and education for realizing
a sustainable society - from a collaborative initiative
between Suita City and Osaka University.” CEIDS is
pursuing a close research and education alliance with
Suita City, and this exhibition is one expression of thispartnership.
http://www.city.suita.osaka.jp/home/soshiki/
div-kankyo/kankyoseisaku/oshirase/_60307.html.

22