Environment
Stretching from the tropics to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Japanese archipelago is a fantastically varied place. With everything from the coral reef islands to snow-capped mountains, few countries in the world enjoy such as richness of different climes and ecosystems. Although Japan’s environment has been manipulated and degraded by human activity over the centuries, there are still pockets of real beauty left, some quite close to heavily populated urban areas. Nature lovers are likely to be most troubled by the conditions of Japan’s rivers and coasts.
Environmental issues
Meiji period
Environmental pollution has accompanied industrialization since the Meiji period. One of the earliest cases was the copper poisoning caused by drainage from the Ashio Copper Mine in Tochigi prefecture, beginning as early as 1878. Repeated floods occurred in the Watarase River basin, and 1,600 hectares of farmland and towns and villages in Tochigi and Gunma prefectures were damaged by the floodwater, which contained excessive inorganic copper compounds from the Ashio mine. The local farmers lead by Shozo Tanaka, a member of the Lower House from Tochigi appealed to the prefecture and the government to call a halt to the mining operations. Although the mining company paid compensatory money and the government engaged in the embankment works of the Watarase River, no fundamental solution of the problem was achieved. The pollution had decreased since the early 20th centuries.
Today:
In the 1990s, Japan's environmental legislation was further tightened. In 1993 the government reorganized the environment law system and legislated the Basic Environment Law and related laws. The law includes restriction of industrial emissions, restriction of products, restriction of wastes, improvement of energy conservation, promotion of recycling, restriction of land utilization, arrangement of environmental pollution control programs, relief of victims and provision for sanctions. The Environment Agency was promoted to full-fledged Ministry of the Environment in 2001, to deal with the deteriorating international environmental problems
In a 1984 the Environmental Agency had issued its first white paper. In the 1989 study, citizens thought environmental problems had improved compared with the past, nearly 41 % thought things had improved, 31 % thought that they had stayed the same, and nearly 21 % thought that they had worsened. Some 75 % of those surveyed expressed concern about endangered species, shrinkage of rain forests, expansion of deserts, destruction of the ozone layer, acid rain, and increased water and air pollution in developing countries. Most believed that Japan, alone or in cooperation with other industrialized countries, had the responsibility to solve environmental problems. In the 2007 opinion poll, 31.8% of the people answered environmental conservation activity leads to more economic development, 22.0% answered the environmental activity does not always obstruct the economic, 23.3% answered environmental conservation should be given preference even if it may obstruct the economic and answered economic development should place priority than environmental conservation.
The OECD's first Environmental Performance Review of Japan was published in 1994, which applauded the nation for decoupling its economic development from air pollution, as the nation's air quality improved while the economy thrived. However, it received poorer marks for water quality, as its rivers, lakes and coastal waters did not meet quality standards. Another report in 2002 said that the mix of instruments used to implement environmental policy is highly effective and regulations are strict, well enforced and based on strong monitoring capacities.
In the 2006 environment annual report, the Ministry of Environment reported that current major issues are global warming and preservation of the ozone layer, conservation of the atmospheric environment, water and soil, waste management and recycling, measures for chemical substances, conservation of the natural environment and the participation in the international cooperation.
Water shortage
Occurrence of Water Shortage
Previously, Japan repeatedly experienced major water shortages; for example, 1939 in Lake Biwa, 1964 in the year of Tokyo Olympics, 1967 in Nagasaki, 1973 in Takamatsu, 1978 in Fukuoka, and so on. Though occurrence of water shortages has become rare in recent years the shortage in 1994 covered almost all Japan, when approximately 16 million people were affected at least once by suspended or reduced water supply, and agriculture suffered production losses of 140 billion yen.
Effects of water shortage:
Modern society offers comfortable lifestyles and high quality services based on stable water supply. Therefore, suspended or reduced water supply would have a serious impact on everyday home life and social activities as it disables people from preparing meals, using flush toilets and doing other everyday activities. Also, shortage of industrial water results in damages such as reduction or suspension of operations. When shortages of agricultural water occur, farmers save water by means of "water-sharing (method of distributing water in accordance with designated times and turns)", intensification of repeated use and so on, though this requires a lot of labor and cost. For example, at the time of water shortage in 1994, the cost was about three times as much as that in an average year. In addition, when the whole amount of water becomes insufficient, crop growth is reduced or completely hindered.
What causes water shortage?
The increase of population, washing, cooking, showering, factories using of water, all these needs water and these water comes from the water that was spread out to each country. But the water wasn’t being spread out evenly to country.
| Japan, which uses the water of the world |
| Led by imports of food, Japan depends on imports for many goods. The quantity of water that is necessary for the production of the food that Japan imports is said to be the equivalent of tens of billions of cubic meters of water per year. Japan will be affected by any intensification of world water problems. Because of Japan's development, the country has a broad range of experience and technology related to water. Japan also provides a great amount of water-related technical and financial assistance to developing countries. Consequently, Japan too has an interest in world water problems and believes it has a need to play a positive role. Quantity of water necessary for the production of main imports |
All these stuffs need waters too!
Quantity of water used domestically in Japan:
The graph above shows how much waters were used per year. Through my investigation, I noticed that water used in agriculture is too much as they import more stuffs then agriculture.
FOOD SHORTAGE
With the global food crisis beginning to bite in one of the world's most powerful economies, more than 80 per cent of Japanese said that increasing prices were having an impact on their household spending. Many shoppers said they were switching to cheaper brands or buying in greater bulk.
Among the most seriously affected are Japan's brewers. “I went to another supermarket, and then another, and there was no butter at those either. Everywhere I went there were notices saying Japan has run out of butter. I couldn't believe it — this is the first time in my life I've wanted to try baking cakes and I can't get any butter," said the frustrated cook.
Japan's acute butter shortage, which has confounded bakeries, restaurants and now families across the country, is the latest unforeseen result of the global agricultural commodities crisis.
A sharp increase in the cost of imported cattle feed and a decline in milk imports, both of which are typically provided in large part by Australia, have prevented dairy farmers from keeping pace with demand.
While soaring food prices have triggered rioting among the starving millions of the third world, in wealthy Japan they have forced a pampered population to contemplate the shocking possibility of a long-term — perhaps permanent — reduction in the quality and quantity of its food.
A 130% rise in the global cost of wheat in the past year, caused partly by surging demand from China and India and a huge injection of speculative funds into wheat futures, has forced the Government to hit flour millers with three rounds of stiff mark-ups. The latest — a 30% increase this month — has given rise to speculation that Japan, which relies on imports for 90% of its annual wheat consumption, is no longer on the brink of a food crisis, but has fallen off the cliff.
According to one government poll, 80% of Japanese are frightened about what the future holds for their food supply.
Last week, as the prices of wheat and barley continued their relentless climb, the Japanese Government discovered it had exhausted its ¥230 billion ($A2.37 billion) budget for the grains with two months remaining. It was forced to call on an emergency ¥55 billion reserve to ensure it could continue feeding the nation.
"This was the first time the Government has had to take such drastic action since the war," said Akio Shibata, an expert on food imports, who warned the Agriculture Ministry two years ago that Japan would have to cut back drastically on its sophisticated diet if it did not become more self-sufficient.” JUSTIN NORRIE, TOKYO April 21, 2008
Effects of food shortage:
Food shortage could be due to the change of weather, natural disaster, an increase of population as well as not enough land space.
Economy
Until today, Japan’s economy is the second largest in the world although there are economy crisis. As of 2009, only the USA has a higher GNP. The Japanese currency is the Yen. For three decades, Japan experienced rapid economic growth, which was referred to as the Japanese post-war economic miracle. With average growth rates of 10% in the 1960s, 5% in the 1970s, and 4% in the 1980s Japan was able to establish itself as the world's second largest economy. However, in the second half of the 1980’s sliding stock and real estate prices caused the Japanese economy to overheat in what was later to be known as the Japanese asset price bubble. The ‘’bubble economy’’ came to an abrupt end as the Tokyo Stock Exchange crashed in 1989. Growth in Japan throughout the 1990s was slower than growth in other major industrial nations, and the same as in France and Germany. From 4.5% per annum in the 1980s, real GDP rose just 1.5% p.a. in the 1990s and 0.8% p.a. in the 2000s. The problems of the 1990’s may have been exacerbated by domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic growth throughout the 1990’s were not very successful and when the global economy slowed in 2000-2001 the Japanese economy was in a serious economic situation. The economy began to recover under the policies of Junichiro Koizumi and revived strong growth in global trade, raising an average of 2.1% a year in 2003-07. Subsequently, the global financial crisis and a collapse in domestic demand saw the economy shrink 1.2% in 2008 and 5.0% in 2009.
Industries:
Japan’s Industry is concentrated in several regions, in the following order of importance: the Kantō region surrounding Tokyo, especially the prefectures of Chiba,Kanagawa, Saitama and Tokyo (the Keihin industrial region); the Tōkai region, including Aichi, Gifu, Mie, and Shizuoka prefectures (the Chukyo-Tokai industrial region); Kinki (Kansai), including Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, (the Hanshin industrial region); the southwestern part of Honshu and northern Shikoku around the Inland Sea (the Setouchi industrial region); and the northern part of Kyushu (Kitakyūshū). In addition, a long narrow belt of industrial centers is found between Tokyo and Fuku Industry is concentrated in several regions, in the following order of importance: the Kantō region surrounding Tokyo, especially the prefectures of Chiba,Kanagawa, Saitama and Tokyo (the Keihin industrial region); the Tōkai region, including Aichi, Gifu, Mie, and Shizuoka prefectures (the Chukyo-Tokai industrial region); Kinki (Kansai), including Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, (the Hanshin industrial region); the southwestern part of Honshū and northern Shikoku around theInland Sea (the Setouchi industrial region); and the northern part of Kyūshū (Kitakyūshū). In addition, a long narrow belt of industrial centers is found between Tokyo and Fukuoka, established by particular industries, that have developed as mill towns.
The fields in which Japan enjoys high technological development include consumer electronics, automobile manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing,optical fibers, optoelectronics, optical media, facsimile and copy machines, and fermentation processes in food and biochemistry.
oka, established by particular industries, that have developed as mill towns.
The fields in which Japan enjoys high technological development include consumer electronics, automobile manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, optical, optoelectronics, optical media, facsimile and copy machines, and fermentation processes in food and biochemistry.
Agriculture:
Only twelve percent of Japan’s land is suitable or cultivation, due to this lack of arable land, a system of terraces is used to farm in small areas. They import more stuff than growing crops, as they could use the land to build commercial buildings, housing, factories and many more. Manufacturing, construction, distribution, real estate, services, and communication are Japan's major industries today. Agriculture makes up only about two percent of the GNP. Most important agricultural product is rice. Resources of raw materials are very limited and the mining industry rather small
Exports:
Japan's main export goods are cars, electronic devices and computers. Most important trade partners are China and the USA, followed by South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Germany.
| Japan's Exports by Commodity, 2005 (US$ million) | |
| Foodstuff | 2,893 |
| Raw material | 6,734 |
| Chemicals | 53,058 |
| Manufactured goods | 67,109 |
| Machinery | 253,144 |
| Transport equipment | 137,882 |
| Others | 74,866 |
| Total | 595,686 |
These are the stuffs that Japan exports out for us to use. You could see most stuff that Japan exports out at the Japan House. They export stuff out for our convince meanwhile, they could also earn some money!
Imports:
Japan has a surplus in its export/import balance. The most important import goods are raw materials such as oil, foodstuffs and wood. Major supplier is China, followed by the USA, Australia, Saudia Arabia, South Korea, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
| Japan's Imports by Commodity, 2005 (US$ million) | |
| Foodstuff | 50,434 |
| Raw materials | 31,802 |
| Mineral fuels | 132,097 |
| Manufactured goods | 49,145 |
| Machinery | 118,513 |
| Transport equipment | 18,713 |
| Others | 115,984 |
| Total | 516,688 |
