31st July, 2002
Ryuichi Nakamura
Some reasons why I'd like to invite Severn
Suzuki to Japan to meet and speak to the
people here.
31st July, 2002
Ryuichi Nakamura
Dear Severn,
I'm Ryuichi Nakamura, who first thought up
the idea of inviting you to Japan.
I was very interested in your reply to questions
from young Japanese people and very glad
to know that you're excited by the events
which will be organized during your staying
in Japan.
This e-mail is both a message to you and
a message to the young people who are now
working hard to prepare your visit to Japan
and to the local people who will receive
you in their local areas ( Sorry it has to
be such a very long message).
To the last question from Japanese people
to you: "what is your dream for the
future?", you answered that you'd like
to ask the same question of children, youth
and adults. " What is your dream? And
together how can we begin to achieve it?"
I was born in 1955 and am now a parent of
two children, both of whom belong to the
same generation as yourself.
As an adult then of the previous generation,
I'd like to start this letter with my answer
to your question.
My dream is to stop further destruction and
contamination of the earth's environment
and to revitalize forests, rivers and seas.
I'd love to make the earth a place where
future generations will be able to live their
lives in good health. I don't think they'll
need so many material things or so much money
to do so. The only thing you need is a good
natural environment. If there is a clean
and healthy environment, they'll be able
to make a good life by themselves.
The 20th century has been the century in
which the natural environment was destroyed
and polluted most in the history of human
beings. Especially Japan and the U.S.A. have
to take a lot of the responsibility for this.
But actually they're continuing to seek after
material benefits (luxury goods) and monetary
profit, thinking only about their own country's
"national interest". Their "Make-use-of-and-then-discard
Culture" gives top priority to a "near-sighted
economy" through which they are consuming
the forests and natural resources all over
the world, leading to the continual production
of huge amounts of waste.
As the result, Japan has become the top producer
of dioxin, the top emission country of chlorofluorocarbons
and the top destroyer country of the tropical
forests of the world. Our environment has
been contaminated by the chemicals used in
agricultural pesticides and fertilizers,
plastic products, synthetic detergents and
dioxin. Our food such as fish, meat and vegetables
are also contaminated through polluted air,
water and soil.
Severn herself was surprised to know the
fact that more and more Japanese people are
suffering from allergies like atopic dermatitis,
asthma and hay fever.
Japanese mothers are worrying about the fact
that breast milk is now seriously contaminated
by dioxin. They're wondering whether they
should give their babies breast milk or powder
milk. Although they know very well that breast
milk is much better for babies but they feel
uneasy giving their own milk to their babies.
Dioxin has the double the amount of acute
toxicity as sarin. In addition to that, it's
said to be a cancer-causing substance and
endocrine disrupter, which has immunotoxicity,
causes disabilities in the reproduction system
and badly damages the genes.
It's said that babies, who have breast milk
in Japan, which is the most dioxin polluted
country in the world, are receiving from
ten to a hundred times the TDI (tolerance
daily intake) level decided by WHO .
Even in the face of such a serious situation,
the Japanese government has still not committed
itself to environmental problems.
The reason why I'd love to invite you, Severn,
to Japan is that I'd like to change the Japan
I have just described..
In 1950's, when I was born, the era of "high
economic growth" began. At that time
the natural environment all over Japan was
destroyed by development projects based on
a "plan to remodel the Japanese archipelago".
Especially most of the shallow beaches around
Japan became "reclaimed land" and
giant industrial complexes were constructed
on them. This "plan to remodel the Japanese
archipelago" began in the first half
of 70's. Since then, Japanese civil engineering
construction companies have grown to one
of the biggest industry segments in the world.
Japan is a small country but they got their
funding from the taxes of the Japanese people,
the Japanese government has supported the
work of these companies as public projects.
You can imagine just how extraordinarily
large they are when you see four Japanese
construction companies included in the ten
largest priced contracts for general construction
in the whole world for 2001.
These Japanese construction companies cross
national borders and are destroying the environment
in "developing countries" too,
under the name of "development"
or "aid".
Contamination by chemicals like pesticides,
herbicides and PCB has also worsened since
the 50's, when I was born. "Silent Spring"
by Rachel Carson, which alerted the world
to the problem of agricultural chemicals,
was published in 1962. In spite of that,
the use of agricultural chemicals has increased
and now Japan uses more per unit area than
any other country in the world.
Ten years after the publication of "Silent
Spring", United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment, which was the first
international conference to deal with environment
problems, was held in Stockholm, but I was
only a high school student at the time and
wasn't interested in it at all. I became
aware of environmental problems two years
after the UN conference after seeing a movie
about Minamata Disease at the age of 19..
A company which was producing artificial
fertilizer and plastics, discharged waste
which wasn't properly processed into the
sea, where the fish and shellfish absorbed
the methyl mercury contained in the discarded
waste, and the people who ate such fish and
shellfish got Minamata disease. More than
two hundred thousand people have suffered
from the disease. Among them, more than one
thousand three hundred people have died.
What shocked me more than anything was the
victims of fetal Minamata disease, who got
exposed to methyl mercury in their mothers'
womb. Most of them, who were born at almost
the same time as myself, in the 1950's, were
unable to stand up and walk.
When you come in November I would like to
take you to meet the people in Minamata.
. To tell you the truth, my mother is from
Kumamoto Prefecture where Minamata is located.
Accordingly it would not be surprising at
all if I myself had been born as a victim
of Minamata disease. It seems we can't really
take problems seriously until they happen
to someone in our vicinity. Then I began
reading books about various kinds of pollution
of the environment which I hadn't been interested
in at all until then.
I found out that our government put "economic
growth" ahead of people's health and
lives and that they were trying to push their
policies without giving any attention to
the environment on which future generations
will have to depend for their lives. I was
afraid what would happen to the environment
in the future if the modern generation continued
with such terrible lifestyles. That was 6
years before you were born.
18 years later, in 1992, as a 12 year-old
girl, Severn, you appealed to adults saying
"Are we even on your list of priorities?
・・・Well, what you do makes me cry.".
I was already middle- aged man and was now
on the side which should be taking responsibility
for protecting the environment. I took your
speech not as a message from one individual
but as a message from the whole future generation.
I thought they were trying to send a message
to us, who were continuing destroying environment
as they were unable stop it by themselves.
It's natural for you to condemn Japanese
people because most of them haven't dealt
with this problem seriously so far. Even
though I was concerned about the future of
our environment 27 years ago, I include myself
with those who should be condemned. No effective
policies against environmental destruction
have been taken so far in Japan at least.
Since 1970's there were some people who alerted
people to the environmental problem and U.N.
also has argued about it repeatedly but the
Japanese government has continued its destruction
of the environment in order to get the immediate
benefits.
In other hand, developed countries like Northern
Europe or Germany, which are more aware of
the problems of environmental destruction,
have been steadily changing since the Rio
Summit. In Denmark, they now sell drinks
in bottles instead of steel or aluminium
cans. There is a deposit system through which
bottles are made for reuse and people can
get the cost of the bottle back when they
return it. On average, one bottle can be
reused 50 times and 99 % of the bottles are
returned. Bottles that cannot be used anymore
are recycled to make new bottles. These countries
don't have nuclear power plants, which leave
radioative waste to the future generation,
they impose a carbon tax on fossil fuels
and are trying ardently to promote alternative
sources of energy like wind farms.
When I think the situation in Japan, I'm
astonished. The basic policy and the attitude
towards the environment in Japan hasn't changed
at all in the last decade. This may reflect
Japanese people's lack of awareness of environmental
issues but Japan is a country where most
of the politicians are neither committed
to introducing environmental protection policies
nor concerned about promoting environmental
education. Why does the Japanese government
do nothing to improve the root causes of
dioxin emission? Why don't they introduce
a deposit system? Why don't they regulate
environmental hormones? Why do they put so
much of the people's money into nuclear power
plants instead of alternative sources of
energy? Why don't they stop their public
projects and development assistance projects
in other countries, which are destroying
the natural environment.．．．．．
When any attempts are made to try to solve
these issues, the big economic organizations
and powerful political parties, which control
both the industrial and political worlds
are always against them. A typical example
of a public works project that causes "
environment destruction is the construction
of dams. As you know, the world is tending
towards an end to dam construction. Also,
in Japan, there are many kinds of problems
with concrete dams in addition to the environmental
problem. And there are many people trying
to promote "green dams" by regenerating
the forests in the upper parts of the rivers
and then to control flooding by keeping the
banks in good maintenance. Many people have
come to believe that we should learn to coexist
with rivers instead of constructing dams,
but in spite of this dams are still being
constructed.
There is the river named Kawabe River near
Minamata. It's one of the most beautiful
rivers in Japan and it's in danger of destruction
by the erection of a huge dam. I'm thinking
to take you to Kawabe River, too. All of
the environmentalist groups in Kumamoto prefecture
through which Kawabe River runs, are opposing
the dam but "Why doesn't the Kumamoto
Prefectural Assembly oppose it, too?"
I found out the reason for that in an article
in the newspaper. The article says, "The
company contracted to construct the dam made
a contribution of four-hundred and fifty
million yen to the political party that decided
the policy". As long as this party continues
to take these contributions, Kumamoto Assembly
will never be able to oppose the construction
of the dam.
This year we had the exposing of a big scandal
surrounding Muneo Suzuki, a representative
at the National Diet. But although the voice
of the nation was that "political contribution
by companies that are contracted to do public
projects should be banned", the LDP
(liberal democratic party) objected to it..
They were afraid of vast decreases in "contributions",
so they opposed. It is only the electorate's
consciousness and responsibility in voting
that can make a change from money-based politics
but it has always been said that an election
agenda of environmental issues will never
sway the Japanese electorate. As so few voters
take account of environmental issues in the
elections, we end up with many Diet representatives
who are indifferent to environmental issues.
In developed countries like Northern Europe
or Germany, where people are more conscious
of environmental issues, it's not rare to
have a poll-rate of more than 90% in national
elections, but in Japan it's only about 50%.
"Make my voice heard through voting
and social activism" as it was phrased
in Recognition of Responsibility by University
Students of America are very important words
for the Japanese people.
I haven't so active in appealing to society
or haven't let my voice be heard so much
until a few years ago, but when I considered
the environmental issues, I began to think
that I should speak out about these important
things as much as possible. Two years ago,
I put the speech you made when you were 12
years old into "The Wind of Ecology",
the booklet which my company published. This
year, we included the speech you made when
you were 21 years old. Your speeches always
inspire me.
I'ｍ a president of a company, so when I
speak socially, people say that what I say
is much too political. There's one story.
My company imports coffee directly from the
organic coffee-producers in Central and South
America based on Fair Trade. We send our
booklet, "The Wind of Ecology"
to the consumers（customers）in Japan. In
that booklet, my article mentioned that "Japanese
company destroyed forests and strip-mined
the mountains to exploit heavy metals, which
in turn caused contamination and pollution
of the environment. Local people organized
a group of organic coffee producers to stop
that exploitation and chose an alternative
way of living other than destructive exploitation."
One customer who read this article protested
about it. A relative of his worked at an
affiliate company of THAT Japanese company.
He said to me "Your company slanders
it's customers. I will never buy coffee from
you!" This is a rare case since if customers
think like that, they usually don' t protest
but just stop ordering our coffee.
I'm sorry for the staff in my company but
I'd like to keep writing, speaking and appealing
as long as my company doesn't go under.
"My life-style and the action in my
daily life " as you say includes not
only making each person's life-style more
ecological but also includes how we relate
to the societies we live in. That is the
most impressive thing for me when I read
"Recognition of Responsibility by University
Students of America".
You wrote like this in "Promoting a
culture of democracy, social justice, and
peace" which is the one of "responsibility"
a. Learn about international social, political,
and environmental issues, and recognize how
they are interconnected
b. Advocate for the basic human right to
clean, fresh air and water.
c. Make my voice heard through voting and
social activism.
d. Respect everyone's right to free speech
and opinion.
e. Support efforts to use non-violence in
conflict resolution.
f. encourage my workplace to minimize damage
to human and natural environments.
g. Invest my savings in a socially and environmentally
responsible manner.
Also, you wrote: "The United States
represents less than 5% of the world's population,
but uses 40% of the world's energy,・・・We
are, without doubt, the country with the
largest ecological footprint." and "I
also recognize and believe that infinite
growth of our economy and GDP does not mean
the increase of human well-being or happiness".
I really agree with this.
Like you, I have also contacted with the
indigenous people in Middle and South America.
I have learned so many things from them.
Their culture is to "cooperate and share".
It is a peaceful culture, which treasures
the relationships between humans, and between
humans and nature. I think that now more
than ever, we really need such peaceful cultures,
which will leave the beauty of nature for
future generations.
In September this year, we will hold the
international congress for a sustainable
society in Ecuador. The participants from
Central and South America, Japan and Europe
will discuss many things; about agroforestry,
alternative energy like hydroelectric power
on a small scale, the problem about the debt
and destructive exploitation which is torturing
developing countries, local money and so
on.
This congress will be held in Cotacachi County.
This is the first municipality, which declared
itself an "Ecological County".
The governer of this county is an indigenous,
Kitua. They think that development is "not
an economic one which puts the first priority
on things and money, but one which will increase
the quality of life and the richness of spirit".
They also say that this destruction and pollution
of the natural environment, which is the
basis of life for future generations, is
not sustainable and it's CERTAINLY NOT development.
The history of Japanese development is one
which put it's first priority to things and
money, destroyed and polluted natural environment（not
only in Japan itself, but also in the developing
countries）and lost the richness of spirit
and soul.
But, the number of young people who want
to save the earth is increasing in Japan.
The number of young people who want to work
to saving the earth and don't want so much
for money. Many young people who are the
organizers of Severn's Tour in Nov. think
like that. In order to save the earth, we
have to change Japan and ＵSA, which have
been destroying the natural environment the
most. "Fortunately", we live in
one of those countries. I don't want to make
your tour in November just another event.
I'd like to make your tour the occasion and
the opportunity to change Japan truly.
The groups which will receive you throughout
Japan are committed to various environmental
problems; a group campaigning for the deposit
system, organizations belonging to the movement
opposing dams, organic farmers and fishermen
who are committed to environmental issues,
a group which built small natural energy
power plant to help solve global warming,
the movement for preservation of nearby forests,
the movement for the conservation of forests
in developing countries by more cooperation
on a Fair Trade basis, the movement to solve
the problems of debt and poverty in the developing
countries and people who are committed to
environmental education・・・
I hope that your visit and the tour will
be the occasion to make connections and network
among all these groups, movements and individuals.
I'd like if we could exchange opinions and
information with each other and even to start
it before your visit. Also I'm hoping that
after your leaving Japan, we can continue
this networking and cooperating with each
other when it is needed.
We each have to re-think and improve our
life-style to solve the environmental issues
but we need the cooperation of many people
to solve the structural problems which can't
be solves only by changing life-styles. I
sincerely hope to change fundamentally the
environmental policy in Japan. In order to
do that, I'd like to increase the number
of Diet representatives who are eagerly committed
to the environmental issues. And in order
to increase the number of such representatives,
I'd like to increase the number of people（citizens）who
can see the importance of tackling environmental
issues. If people from all generations, all
occupations, do as much as they can do, I
think it is possible to truly change Japan.
I'm sure that your visit will be the chance
we needed.
Severn, you told us the importance of getting
out into nature. "If we don't know nature,
how will we want to protect it? We'll forget
why it is important, and will unfortunately
think we don't need it, anymore." I
agree with you. But, silly politicians keep
destroying nature, which can teach us its
importance. The more polluted the ocean and
rivers become, the less people go there.
It's vicious circle.
Already, we can't find many fish in the rivers
in Japan. The dams are constructed on the
beautiful rivers where many of the fish are,
and so the number of fish is decreasing.
Huge buildings in the city, the dams, the
roads and the Bullet trains traveling through
our villages, bank protection works on the
rivers and harbor protection works at the
sea. Public projects, which use so much concrete
and asphalt, are continually destroying nature
under the name of "economic growth".
70% of all the forests in the world have
already disappeared and Japan is especially
responsible for that. If the situation is
no change, almost all of the forests on earth
can disappear in 50 years. We can also say
the same thing about the coral reef and mangrove.
The vanishing forests, the decrease in the
levels of underground water, life forms becoming
extinct (plants, animals etc.), dioxin, environmental
hormones, the increasing use of chemicals,
the destruction of the ozone layer, global
warming・・・ What will it take before Japanese
people rise up and begin to do something
to protect the earth and the life of their
children? Just how much needs to be sacrificed
before Japanese people will see the importance
of doing something? Will most Japanese people
do nothing until they can actually see their
children or their grandchildren beginning
to suffer before them?
If we could stop supporting the political
parties which receive the political contribution
from big businesses that got contracts for
Public Works Projects, and their representatives
whose priority is only money rather than
life and if Diet representatives who care
about the environment were to become the
majority, we would be able to make big changes
in the environmental policy. We would also
be able to increase the amount of environmental
education in the schools. If good environmental
education is given, people will realize about
things that are more important than immediate
benefits. I believe that a change in environmental
policy, environmental education and individual
life-styles will give birth to the possibility
that future generations can continue to live
on.
My dream is to stop further destruction and
contamination of the earth's environment.
To regenerate forests, rivers and seas. I'd
love to regenerate the whole earth and make
it a place where future generations will
be able to live healthy lives, and to do
it soon before it is completely destroyed.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope that
Severn's visit and tour will be an occasion
and a chance to change Japan.
Ryuichi Nakamura