Japan's Environmental Crises by Mugita Kurosaki

Japan began experiencing environmental problems in the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912) when the mining started at the Ashio Copper Mine in the town of Ashio, Tochigi Prefecture. It was a problem because the chemical substances were flowing into the nearby Watarase River when the copper is taken out. As a result, large number of fish were killed and caused great damage to local crops too. The government did eventually act after citizens of the town and politician like *Shōzō Tanaka* protested for change by enacting Mine Poisoning Prevention Order. However, it had no significant effect on how the mining facility produced copper.

When the time approached the Showa period (1926-1989), Japan upgraded its industrial infrastructure and developed heavy industrialization since the end of World War II. Showa is also a time when emissions started spreading nationwide. In fact, due to factories being built on the waterfront for easy transport on and off from the ships, it was easier for factories to dispose chemical substances into the water like what happened at the Ashio Copper Mine. In many cases, the consequences weren’t limited to animals and crops, but it affected people too. New diseases such as Minamata Disease and Yokkaichi Asthma spread throughout the population and led many to suffer from various symptoms.

Today, in the Reiwa period (2019-present), the Environmental Investigation Agency believes that plastic pollution is a major concern to many Japanese people. According to World Economic Forum, it said that “Each year, Japan generates around 9.4 million tonnes of plastic waste. Around 67% of Japan’s plastic waste is incinerated, which the EIA says releases harmful toxins, with 8% ending up in landfill,” which shows that Japanese people uses a lot of plastic in their everyday lives. However, this is only increasing the risk of climate change. Climate change occurs when greenhouse gas is emitted into the atmosphere. Once emitted, it causes temperature to rise globally due to greenhouse gas molecules constantly being absorbed by the heat. Therefore, due to past and present human behavior, Japan has come to experience extreme weather every year. Natural disasters have become even more active too.

The recent disaster happened on July 3, 2021, when a landslide caused by torrential rain washed up houses and people in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture. As of April 2022, 27 people have been confirmed dead, and one person is still missing, according to Yahoo Japan News. For now, more of these kinds of disasters are expected in the future too. However, that may change depending on how people respond to climate change in the next couple of years. There may be a slowdown in greenhouse gas emissions and natural disasters to be avoided if more people become serious about taking action against climate change.

So far, Japan has taken action in many ways. Across the nation, some industries have begun using recyclable materials to make household items like toothbrushes and plastic forks. These items have already been on sale in stores and are available for use in hotels and convenience stores. Also, a new law went into effect just a month ago requiring businesses in Japan to cut down on disposable plastic items. According to NHK World News, it said that “The law applies to retail shops, hotels, restaurants and other businesses that provide 5 tons or more of single-use items per year. They must now either charge for plastic items, or offer alternatives made from other materials,” which shows that plastic use in Japan has gotten strict. As more actions are happening, Japan is slowly changing the environment to be a better direction. People's efforts would also allow the country to stop experiencing an environmental crisis from happening too.

Source Citations (ordered alphabetically by title):

“Ashio Copper Mine Incident.” *NHK for School*, https://www2.nhk.or.jp/school/movie/clip.cgi?das\_id=D0005403277\_00000. Accessed 1 May 2022.

“Japanese Environmental Pollution Experience.” *Ministry of Environment*, Government of Japan, https://www.env.go.jp/en/coop/experience.html. Accessed 1 May 2022.

“The First Oral Argument Is Expected to Be Held on May 18, Shizuoka District Court Numazu Branch.” *Yahoo Japan News*, Yahoo Japan, 12 Mar. 2022, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2cde425ae3571a9754dc2ca6f21e094dd719f1f4. Accessed 1 May 2022.

Fleming Sean Fleming, Sean. “Zero-Waste Shopping Comes to Japan.” *World Economic Forum*, 22 Sept. 2021, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/zero-waste-shopping-japan/. Accessed 1 May 2022.