Research on Eco-Towns in Japan - UNEP

3. Case study1: Kawasaki Eco-Town
human society’s economic activities, culture, and lifestyle. The activities of JAES21
include research on the relationship between environment and society, publication of a
monthly bulletin, workshops and conventions on environment and society, and
dissemination of findings of such activities to other countries. Recent projects include
environmental education seminars for business persons, eco-tour to Hasemura Village
(Nagano Prefecture), and green economy study group.
2. Kawasaki Citizens’ Group to Think about Waste Problems
This group is an organization that specializes in waste problems, and consists of 20 groups
in Kawasaki City established in 1992. Their projects include giving proposals for waste
treatment in sound material-cycle ways and issuing a leaflet “If we change, then the stores
will change” for stores and supermarkets in 1994 and 1997. They carried out the project to
draw up citizens’ plans to prevent from generating and burning waste from 1997 to 1998,
and completed the plan in March 1999. This plan enjoyed high popularity among citizens
and municipalities all around Japan.
They have continued their projects to promote the citizens’ plan since 1999. There are three
projects: the council to make use of the plan with Kawasaki City Environment Bureau,
issuing a handbook to recommend composting of raw garbage and holding the workshops,
and drawing up the handbook to spread green consumer.
3. Japan For Sustainability (http://www.japanfs.org/index_j.html)
Japan For Sustainability (JFS), established as a non-profit organization in August 2002, is a
platform for environmental communication. JFS provides a variety of information on the
environment and sustainability, covering not only current developments but also traditional
wisdom, craftsmanship and practices of day-to-day life as well as local activities, from Japan
to the world via web site and e-mail magazines. The organization puts about 30 articles in
English on their website every month and sends out a digest of these articles every week.
There has been a sharp increase of access to their website from 7300 in August 2003 to
19000 in June 2004. It also circulates the JFS Newsletter every month. The number of
subscribers to receive the monthly JFS Newsletter has increased from 2260 in August 2003
to 5020 in August this year. The number of the countries to which JFS Newsletter is sent has
also increased from 117 in August 2003 to 164 in August this year.
3-8 Partnership among Stakeholders
“The Liaison Center for Revitalizing Kawasaki Coastal Area” set up in 2001 is the basis of
25