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Eco-Cities in Japan: Past and Future

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  • Morris Low

Abstract

This paper outlines the emergence of eco-cities in Japan from a much needed historical perspective. Since Japan's rapid industrialization in the late nineteenth century, there has been an emphasis on economic growth at all costs. Despite the introduction of the concept of the Garden City in Japan in the early twentieth century, industrialization continued unabated. After a disastrous World War II, the nation rebuilt and enjoyed rapid economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s. Japan is still coming to terms with the cost of that economic growth. The paper examines three cities: Minamata, Kitakyūshū, and Kawasaki. Minamata has transformed itself from being a polluted city to a green tourism destination. The city of Kitakyūshū embraced an eco-town strategy in 1997 to promote a structural shift away from heavy industries to green industries. That year, Kawasaki (close to the Tokyo Metropolitan area), too, was designated an eco-town and Minamata received the same title in 2001. This paper identifies key features of eco-cities/eco-towns in Japan, the importance of retrofitting, and examines the roles of citizens, the government, and the private sector. What is surprising is the international orientation of Japanese eco-cities. These cities represent not only Japan's future, but also its efforts to deal with its industrial past.

Suggested Citation

  • Morris Low, 2013. "Eco-Cities in Japan: Past and Future," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 7-22, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:cjutxx:v:20:y:2013:i:1:p:7-22
    DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2012.735107
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shahid Yusuf & Kaoru Nabeshima & Shoichi Yamashita, 2008. "Growing Industrial Clusters in Asia : Serendipity and Science," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6429.
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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Caprotti & Cecilia Springer & Nichola Harmer, 2015. "‘Eco’ For Whom? Envisioning Eco-urbanism in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 495-517, May.
    2. Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir & Ayyoob Sharifi & Mohammad Hajian Hossein Abadi & Zahra Moradi, 2023. "From Garden City to 15-Minute City: A Historical Perspective and Critical Assessment," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Nguyen, Minh-Hoang, 2019. "Examining 50-year Time Series Data of Kitakyushu City, Japan: An Aggregate Microeconomic Approach for Environmental Kuznets Curve," Thesis Commons a25wt, Center for Open Science.
    4. Carmen Antuña-Rozado & Justo García-Navarro & Pekka Huovila, 2019. "Challenges in Adapting Sustainable City Solutions from Finland to Different Contexts Worldwide: A Libyan Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, May.
    5. Yigitcanlar, Tan & Lee, Sang Ho, 2014. "Korean ubiquitous-eco-city: A smart-sustainable urban form or a branding hoax?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 100-114.
    6. Wang, Chao & Zhan, Jinyan & Xin, Zhongling, 2020. "Comparative analysis of urban ecological management models incorporating low-carbon transformation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    7. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Manh-Tung Ho & Hong-Kong To Nguyen & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2019. "The trilemma of sustainable industrial growth: evidence from a piloting OECD’s Green city," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Vuong, Quan-Hoang, 2020. "From children’s literature to sustainability science, and young scientists for a more sustainable Earth," OSF Preprints nvg2q, Center for Open Science.
    9. Li Song & Xiaoliang Zhou, 2021. "Does the Green Industry Policy Reduce Industrial Pollution Emissions?—Evidence from China’s National Eco-Industrial Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, June.

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