Research on Eco-Towns in Japan - UNEP

3. Case study1: Kawasaki Eco-Town
3-3-2 Local Initiatives
Large heavy-chemical companies have played an important role in developing the Kawasaki
Eco-Town. In 1990s, Kawasaki Coastal Area faced structural changes, and the necessity to
change its industries was urgent. During two decades from 1980 to 2000, the number of
factories decreased by 52 percent, the number of employees to 53 percent, and total
amount of shipment by 40 percent. The companies in the area underwent a major
restructuring, thorough energy saving and development of cleaner technologies in order to
address the downward trend.
Many companies emerged in the environmental sector, such as waste treatment or recycling.
For instance, NKK (JFE of today) found the possibility to use waste plastics as the blast
furnace fuel. The exploration of waste plastic recycling plant for blast furnace began in 1992,
and they succeeded in making commercializing the recycling in 1996. These companies
also pressured the local government to support the environmental industries such as waste
treatment or recycling to keep the businesses successful.
3-3-3 Local Technological Infrastructure
One of the local technological infrastructure is the clustering of various companies
possessing manufacturing technologies in the Eco-Town. They have cultivated over time the
process to develop facilities and technologies to recycle emissions and by-products from
neighboring companies by using it as raw material. They have pipelines, transportation and
information networks. Another characteristic is the geographic closeness to Tokyo and
Yokohama, from where waste generated can be used in the recycling facilities in the coastal
area.
3-4 Approval for Eco-Town Project
The Zero-Emission Concept that United Nations University advocated in 1994 gave a huge
impact on the industrial policies in Japan. In that year, the Ministry of International Trade and
Industry (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of today) propounded “the Basic Concept
for Project to Make Kawasaki City Environmentally Harmonious”, in which the concept is
applied to improve industrial parks. Kanto Regional Bureau of International Trade and
Industry, branch office of the Ministry, launched the project to investigate the feasibility of
industrial park harmonized with the local environment to achieve environmental well-being
and collaborating with local community, and to eventually actualize the Zero-Emission
19