A Political History of the Environment in Japan: Perspectives on Intergovernmental Relations in Waste Management and Recycling

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01454
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: MORI Michiya 立命館大学, 政策科学部, 教授 (40380141)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 環境政治 / 事例研究 / 政府間関係 / 廃棄物 / リサイクル / 資源循環

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While mainly analyzing politics over waste management and recycling through multiple case studies, this study aimed to answer the following question: How can we understand Japanese politics during the postwar period in terms of the environment and intergovernmental relations? As an example of dealing with disaster waste after the Great East Japan Earthquake, it became clear that the central government and local governments have been more active than before, and this has been continuing. To consider this kind of situation, this study also attempted to create a typology to understand public administration over time.

Free Research Field

政治学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

環境政治の先行研究では、時々において顕在化した事例に焦点を合わせる傾向があるのに対し、本研究はそれらを包摂しうる分析枠組みを提示したこと、特に通時的な理解を深める道筋をつけようとしたことに意義がある。また、この取り組みには、環境政治という切り口から戦後を捉えることができれば、政治経済的な側面を中心に描かれきた戦後とは趣の異なる史的な見方を獲得しうるという意義も含まれている。