From industrial revolution to an environmental revolution:

Lessons from Japan’s Kawasaki

Samangie WETTIMUNY

The land of the Sakura, Mount Fuji, and the Golden Pavilion, the land of miniature rock gardens, accented by pine trees and ponds, the Land of the Rising Sun,

Japan, has always been a pioneer in introducing latest cutting-edge technologies to the world. What is remarkable, however is that despite its massive economic and industrial achievements, the country has been successful in maintaining harmony between the environment and technology as well. Among thousands of areas the country has excelled in, the eco friendly town planning system is one that is unique and exceptional.

One of the best examples of an eco friendly town is Japan’s Kawasaki city. Considered as a model city, the Kawasaki city has today evolved into and continues to develop as an environmentally conscious, advanced technological city. At a time when Sri Lanka too is paying much attention to more methodical town planning systems the lessons Japan’s Kawasaki city has to offer are indeed of great value.

In February, Japan commemorated the first anniversary of 3/11- the day the massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country claiming thousands of lives and property. In the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant accident following the 3/11 catastrophe, the country’s focus shifted from nuclear power to conservation and renewable energy. Thus today, at a time when Japan is focusing on the renewable energy concept, the Kawasaki city is important as this is a town functioning on renewable energy.

Also called the Industrial City, Kawasaki is located at the center of the Tokyo metropolitan area in the Northeastern corner of Kanagawa prefecture, bordered to the north by the Tama River and the Tokyo metropolitan area, to the South of Yokohama city, to the west by the Tama Hills and to the east by Tokyo Bay.

In the 60’s and 70’s the city played a pioneer role in Japan’s industrial revolution and as a result experienced massive environmental degradation. But today the city has been able to dispel its previous image as an “Industrial Zone” and has evolved into and continues to develop as an environmentally-conscious, advanced technological city. The counter measures taken by different bodies – business communities, citizens and local authorities have been fruitful.

The city is mainly known for eco friendly power plants. The Kawasaki biomass power plant, Kawasaki Natural gas power plant, Ogishima solar power plant, Ogishima wind power plant, Kawasaki thermal power plant, Ukishima solar power plant and Ukishima municipal solid waste disposal centre are well known among them. The city has three science parks namely Kanagawa science park, Shin-Kawasaki Sozo no Mori Science Park, Techno Hub innovation Kawasaki which function as venture incubators, foster entrepreneurs and support the establishment of business enterprises. There are energy conservation measures to conserve energy. Also environmental impact assessments and measures to cope with global warming.

Mayor of Kawasaki city , Takao Abe, who since assuming office in 2001 has led the way for environmental policies unifying citizens, businesses and administration, says the city is highly concerned about anti pollution measures and advanced scientific technology as an essential strength and advantage. “Environment policy has been carried out in terms of energy saving, new energy and resources recycling. As a result Kawasaki has acquired diverse environmental technology and expertise. When dealing with environmental issues a vast amount of environmental technology and know-how has been accumulated within Kawasaki city.”

CC Kawasaki

A major problem faced by any country is tackling the issue of industrial emissions. Amid the growing sense of crisis concerning the problem of global warming, Kawasaki is marshalling the city’s resources under the slogan “CC Kawasaki” in order to achieve a sustainable community on a global scale by promoting a virtues cycle integrating both the environment and the economy.

The city also has advanced their efforts to distribute products, technologies, and services which contribute to the reduction of CO2 from the perspective of the whole life cycle in order to promote global warming countermeasures utilizing the environmental technology, which is one of the city’s characteristics and strengths.

The ‘CC Kawasaki energy park’ (Carbon Challenge Kawasaki) concept currently being promoted involves organic linkage of various renewable energy facilities for the classification of the entire city as an energy park, and this has led to Kawasaki city being nationally and officially recognized as a next generation energy park. The city’s massive solar and biomass power plants, the largest such facilities in Japan, serve as testing sites for a variety of renewable energy facilities.

Lazona Kawasaki Plaza

Togakuin, which is also known as the Tsutsuji Temple.

The three pillars Kawasaki presents to promote harmony and realize a sustainable society through a virtuous cycle between the environment and the economy are a good example for other countries as well.

Three pillars

The first pillar is promotion of environmental measures using Kawasaki’s unique strengths such as use of natural energy, resource recycling etc.

They have introduced a virtuous circle for ‘environment’ and ‘economy’ to build a Kawasaki CO2 reduction model to reduce CO2 emissions with the use of advanced technology. The second pillar is promoting international contributions through environmental technology. The city has a concentration of industries with internationally recognized environmental technologies. The city has been able to contribute to measures against global warming on an international scale in combination with these industries.

The third pillar is promoting CO2 reduction through collaboration of a variety of actors -joint effort by citizens, businesses, and local authorities to develop effective measures for CO2 reduction. What is praiseworthy is citizens’ participation and enthusiasm in keeping their city clean and eco friendly. The citizens of Kawasaki are well aware of their responsibilities and believe that beautifying a city cannot be solely done by a government or city administration.

Kawasaki Eco Town plan

Kawasaki eco town plan is a fine example to other cities as well. This Kawasaki town plan was launched with the intention of making a model town where the environment and industry would coexist in harmony.

What is special in eco town plans are that companies are encouraged to adopt resource cycling in their production activities as much as possible , and industrial waste and bi-products are effectively reused as raw materials. Taking full advantage of the concentration of the steel, chemical, petro chemical, cement and other industries in the coastal area, collaborative efforts among facilities and companies within the eco towns have been made, resulting in the effective use and regeneration of energy and resources at a high level.

The Kawsaki zero emission industrial complex too has been developed as a state-of-art model facility. Kawasaki city also plans to transform the Kawasaki coastal area into an industrial complex in order to allow the revitalization of industry, the revitalization of city, the restoration of environment.

Lessons

In order to make a global contribution through environmental technology, the city of Kawasaki is promoting research and development concerning environmental technologies in collaboration with Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies and other concerned organizations. The city is also planning to establish the Kawasaki environmental research institute to serve as a new base of environmental research.

As an attempt to overcome pollution, a common research framework involving cooperation is established to promote studies on environmental technology among industries, universities, research facilities and the citizens.

The importance is that Kawasaki city has gained massive industrial development while being environmentally friendly. The city’s initiatives to reduce green house gas emissions has been fruitful as they have been able to reduce green house gas emissions within the city by at least 25%.Through the reuse of waste plastics for blast furnace, through ventilation systems operated by hydro electricity, concrete setting frame production from waste plastic, and material production for ammonia from waste plastics, the city has contributed to the international reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Today Kawasaki city is an international industrial and R & D (Research and Development) city with a great number of global companies and R & D institutions that own cutting edge technologies for environment and other fields.

Sharing knowledge

The Kawasaki city administration is ready to share their knowledge and expertise with other countries. The city administration is highly concerned about deepening cooperation and exchanging knowledge with overseas organizations in the environmental field. It works in collaboration with UNEP, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Embassy of Denmark. The city shares their knowledge mainly through transfer of environmental measures and technologies abroad.

Kawasaki has learnt lessons from the past and has lessons to give us. As its governor Abe says “Capitalizing on Kawasaki’s past experience with pollution and cutting edge environmental initiatives to date, the city of Kawsaki plans to widely disseminate information on superior environmental technology and products within Japan and overseas.”

Paying special attention to the Asian countries, the city administrators have reached out to entrepreneurs in Asia to start up business and international contribution/industry exchange by environmental technologies through establishing international business facilities.

Kawasaki city is a living example of Mahatma Gandhi’s advice “Be the change you want the world to be!”

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