Japanese Efforts to Solve Environmental Problems with a Focus on the Transport Sector

This chapter features the history of major trend of environmental problems and the countermeasures taken in Japan from general matters to transport field. The first era was late 1950s and 1960s when Japan had developed its heavy industry as an economic engine and accordingly faced nuisance problems originated from manufacturing factory emission into air, rivers, and sea. It was substantially improved after the industries were closed by the court judges that the factories in the regions were responsible for the overall pollution. The second was an era of urbanization in 1970s and early 1980s when population had migrated to metropolitan areas where serious pollution influencing citizens’ health was caused by domestic wastewater and garbage and also by road traffic exhaust gas emissions. They were improved by new regulations in gradients of products such as soap and in emission standard for car engine in 1980s and 1990s. The third era is 2000s when global environment was raised as to be solved issues as country’s responsibility to the global society. Hatoyama initiative to reduce CO2 emission by 25% by 2050 was proposed and the government is being tackling to meet the target. In the field of transport, Japan has been very successful in stopping the increase of CO2 emission in late 1990s and 2000s by tradition of railway use habit as well as by introduction of top runner regulations and low emission preferential tax, which stimulated consumers’ market to choose low-carbon cars.