Analysis of Japanese Style Risk Communication in Waste Processing Industry. A. Ori, H. Yashiro, M. Ueda, and M. Taguchi, Tokyo
In order to promote Risk Communication, it is important to consider the culture, customs, legal system, and political climate in which the communication takes place. The Japanese Government and industry are traditionally slower in delivering and debating information to/with the public when compared to the USA. An information disclosure law was finally established in 1999, and recently, public awareness of "Right to know" has been on the increase in Japan, to the extent that the government and industry are being asked to be more accountable. Also, in 1999 a PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) system, based on the US’s TRI, was enacted in Japan. This law obliges Japanese corporations to supply information about themselves to the public, and the issue of how to handle risk communications with local publics has become somewhat pressing. Despite this, Japan’s basic thinking on Risk Communication has been imported from the US and there has been insufficient consideration of Japan’s culture, customs and legal system in the development of "Japanese-style risk communications". In recent years, problems such as dioxin and illegal waste disposal have resulted in a measure of distrust of the waste processing industry, and we look at how Risk Communication has been handled in this industry up till now, looking at both success and failure cases. Through this case study analysis the state of Japan’s Risk Communications, and the issues affecting it, are reviewed and proposals on how to advance Risk Communication in Japan are made.
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