# Chapter One

# Actions Taken by Individuals towards

# the Building of a Sustainable Society

## Summary of Chapter One>

Given that many of today’s environmental problems originate from daily life and ordinary business activities, individual measures aimed at tackling these problems must carefully be made to cover all aspects of our daily lives and activities. This chapter draws attention to the daily activities of individuals. While showing the specific environmental loads arising from our daily activities, it points out that if the individual actions in daily life were to evolve into a larger movement, other actors could be influenced and become instrumental in the transition to a sustainable society.

## Section 1: Changes in the Socio-economy that Affect the Actions of Individuals

### 1. Post-war Changes in Japan’s Socio-economy and Environmental Problems

In the post-war years between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, priority was placed on restoration of the economy. With the expansion of productive activities and the rise in incomes, various products, such as the so-called "three sacred treasures" consisting of the electric washing machine, the electric refrigerator, and the black-and-white television, became a part of daily life. Along with these changes, areas in Japan that suffered from pollution also increased nationwide, and the destruction of nature proceeded on a national scale, destruction that included the loss of nature in communities and reclamation of tidelands and shallows.

In the mid-1970s, with the economy shifting towards steady growth, the number of single-person households increased, more women entered the workforce, dining-out and use of processed food such as pouch-packed food increased, and new services such as door-to-door delivery were started. Due to the two oil crises that took place around this time, certain progress was made in energy conservation. However, the environmental load that accompanied ordinary business activities and daily life increased, and urban and domestic pollutions became evident.

Since the “bubble economy” in the mid-1980s, expenses

Diffusion Rate of Durable Consumer Goods in Households

1: For home electric appliances, figures shown here are actual figures up to FY 2000, estimated figures for FY 2001, and projected figures for FY 2002 and 2003.

2: For color TVs, figures are the diffusion rate of owning two or more sets.

3: Car ownership rate represents ownership per household.

Sources: Compiled by the Ministry of the Environment based on Overview of the Demand and Supply of Electricity edited by the Electricity and Gas Industry Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy; and Market Trend Survey: Passenger Vehicles, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.

for durable consumer goods, such as the purchase of more than two televisions or vehicles per household, and spending for the service industry, such as for leisure and recreation, showed remarkable growth. With the globalization of economic activities, the socio-economic system of mass production, mass consumption and mass disposal expanded worldwide and tangible signs of global environmental problems became evident.

### 2. Relationship between Socio-economy, Daily Life and the Environment in Recent Years

Changes of the socio-economy in recent years impacted the environment in various ways, in both positive and negative manner.

The trends of families with fewer children and an aging population have led to an increase in the number of house-