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The First Environmental Activist in Japan: Tanaka Shōzō
Protecting Nature for Present and Future Generations
The Japanese are said to have a harmonious relationship with nature, expressed through their reverence for the changing seasons and the beauty of the natural world. According to the conventional view, they are more respectful and protective of the natural environment than Americans or Europeans and avoid harming non-human beings.
However, in recent history, such an idealistic image has been tarnished by disasters such as the Fukushima nuclear accident. Japan, like any other country, exploits nature for profit. What’s more, this is not a recent phenomenon. The damage caused by the exploitation of nature in Japan has been well documented by specialists in Japanese studies as well as historians specializing in Japan.
This fact is also known to scholars outside Japanese studies. For example, in Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (2005), Jared Diamond reminded his readers of the threat of deforestation during the Tokugawa period. Japan survived this threat thanks to political control.
In terms of environmental protection, the country has faced many challenges from ancient times to the present. Some of them also led to the emergence of local activism. One of the most famous…
