They include national campaigns at natural parks and “Junior Park Ranger” that events for children to give them the opportunity to get many experiences from the park ranger. Also, in order to promote “ecotourism,” the government has continued to carry out the following five promotional policies: Ecotourism Charter, Ecotourism Promotion Manual, Ecotour Comprehensive, Ecotourism Awards and Model Projects. In addition, forums and nationwide seminars have been held.

Recently, people’s interest in hot spring and their needs have been growing and diversified. This trend has invited various emerging issues, including people’s increased claim for correct information on the assay of hot springs. In response to such tendency, a bill for the partial amendment of the Hot Springs Law was submitted to the 166th Diet session. The bill proposes to bind hot spring business operators to periodic evaluations of assay of their hot spring water notify evaluation results to users.

Regarding the welfare and proper management of pets, the fundamental guidelines for breeding, feeding and keeping of experimental animals have been established, and the basic policy for comprehensive promotion of the measures to welfare and proper management of pets has been also established. In addition, for the purpose of promoting the appropriate transfer or return of abandoned or stray animals captured by prefectural governments, etc., the database networking system (internet website for searching for stray animals or pet adoptions) has been launched.

### 7. Basis of Various Measures, and Measures Facilitating the Participation of Various Actors and International Cooperation

## (1) Expenditure for environmental conservation

The total amount of the FY2007 expenditures for environmental conservation is 2.949 trillion yen, down 1.8% or 39.3 billion yen from the previous year’s budget.

## (2) Policy measures of the central government

For the purpose of clarifying the direction of Japan’s environmental measures to be implemented inside and outside the country and promoting comprehensive discussions on the “Becoming a Leading Environmental Nation Strategy in the 21st Century: Japan’s Strategy for a Sustainable Society,” which shows guidelines for Japan’s role in the world for the formation of effective international frameworks, the strategy has been organized.

Third Basic Environment Plan, decided upon by the Cabinet in April 2006, explains basic visions of Japan’s environmental measures into the future. It emphasizes the significance of “Integrated Improvements of the Environment, Economy and Society.” The Plan also defines ten policy programs in priority

Table 5-7-1: List of the Expenditures for Environmental Conservation by Field (Unit million yuan)

Field	Budget as of FY2006	Budget for FY2007	Increase/ decrease from the previous year
1. Conservation of the geoenvironment	460,130	491,158	31,029
2. Conservation of the atmospheric environment	303,577	279,711	$ \triangle $ 23,866
3. Conservation of the water, soil, and ground environments	818,302	819,504	1,202
4. Measures for appropriate waste treatment and recycling	144,209	132,112	$ \triangle $ 12,097
5. Measures on chemical substances	12,338	9,819	$ \triangle $ 2,518
6. Conservation of the natural environment and promotion of people's contact with the nature	317,416	285,056	$ \triangle $ 32,360
7. Supporting programs for respective policy measures	78,237	77,575	$ \triangle $ 662
Total	2,134,207	2,094,935	$ \triangle $ 39,272

Note 1: The above figures include special accounts.

2: The figures shown above are exclusive of the budgets which are yet to be allotted to specific programs.

3. The figures by field are all rounded off and therefore do not necessarily add up to the totals.

Source: Ministry of the Environment

fields, wherein the utilization of actual indicators relevant to respective measures as well as the comprehensive environmental indicators have been determined.

## (3) Environmental impact assessment

“Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)” is a procedure to weave environmental consideration into policies and plans which provide the framework for respective projects, for the purpose of avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating any possible material adverse impacts of each project on the environment. The Guidelines for the Introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessment have been established, which show common procedures and evaluation methods of SEA for the higher-level plans, those whose location, size, etc. are under consideration.

Also, for the purpose of ensuring appropriate and thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) implementations, project proponents and local governments have been fully informed of the ministerial ordinances formulated for each type of subjected project revised in FY2006, on the basis of March 2005 revisions made to the Basic Guidelines for EIA.

In accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, the environmental impact assessment procedures were started for