xxvi
Harmony with Nature
Figure 17 compares the conditions of the sky and sea in Kitakyushu City in the
1960s and the present. Various parts of Japan, especially around the Pacific Ocean
belt zone, experienced terrible pollution in the past. Fortunately, nature has regained
its beauty, and with its newfound status as an environmentally-advanced global city,
Kitakyushu City has since been visited by many foreign delegations. Its experiences
have come to be known as the Kitakyushu model and have inspired urban planning
in more than 60 countries in Asia.
The main objective is not only about regaining beauty. Nature has taken over to
the extent that wildlife such as storks and the Japanese crested ibis have returned to
Toyooka City and Sado, respectively. Schools of ayu (Japanese trout) can also be
found swimming upstream in rivers in Tokyo such as the Tama-gawa River.
Figure 18 reveals the transformations that the Genbe-gawa River in Mishima
City have undergone. The river is located about a 10 minutes’ walk from a station
that is 40 min from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train. Visitors can enjoy watching
fireflies there, and it is no surprise that tourists visiting Mishima City have doubled
to 7 million over the past decade. As a result, previously vacant stores and shuttered
(ghost town) shopping districts have disappeared. Mishima City is a successful
example of how to strike a balance between an economy and society in harmony
with nature.
Fig. 17 The beautiful sky and the sea that have been revived by overcoming the pollution of the
1960s. (Provided by Kitakyushu City)
Preface: From “Vision 2050” to “New Vision 2050”
Harmony with Nature
Figure 17 compares the conditions of the sky and sea in Kitakyushu City in the
1960s and the present. Various parts of Japan, especially around the Pacific Ocean
belt zone, experienced terrible pollution in the past. Fortunately, nature has regained
its beauty, and with its newfound status as an environmentally-advanced global city,
Kitakyushu City has since been visited by many foreign delegations. Its experiences
have come to be known as the Kitakyushu model and have inspired urban planning
in more than 60 countries in Asia.
The main objective is not only about regaining beauty. Nature has taken over to
the extent that wildlife such as storks and the Japanese crested ibis have returned to
Toyooka City and Sado, respectively. Schools of ayu (Japanese trout) can also be
found swimming upstream in rivers in Tokyo such as the Tama-gawa River.
Figure 18 reveals the transformations that the Genbe-gawa River in Mishima
City have undergone. The river is located about a 10 minutes’ walk from a station
that is 40 min from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train. Visitors can enjoy watching
fireflies there, and it is no surprise that tourists visiting Mishima City have doubled
to 7 million over the past decade. As a result, previously vacant stores and shuttered
(ghost town) shopping districts have disappeared. Mishima City is a successful
example of how to strike a balance between an economy and society in harmony
with nature.
Fig. 17 The beautiful sky and the sea that have been revived by overcoming the pollution of the
1960s. (Provided by Kitakyushu City)
Preface: From “Vision 2050” to “New Vision 2050”