K. Takao . B.T. Bower
A salient characteristic of the decisions concerning management of Tokyo Bay is
that each decision has been made with respect to a single use, without any overall focus and without an institutional mechanism which enables explicit consideration of
interactions among proposed uses and the possible tradeoffs between and among those
uses. Essentially all decisions about the utilization of the bay in the past had a common feature, i.e., little attention - if any at all - was paid to the ecosystem of the bay.
The present situation can be characterized as one in which there are two general
types of attitudes with respect to utilization of Tokyo Bay. One type emphasizes uses
of the bay, such as water-oriented recreation, which are basically non-exploitative; the
other emphasizes exploitative uses, such as land reclamation and waste disposal. While
non-exploitative uses are, and have been, drawing more and more attention of the
metropolitan inhabitants than in the 1960-1980 period, there are still strong developm'~ntal pressures, i.e., for exploitative uses, as exemplified in current and proposed
projects.
In the past, particularly during the years of rapid economic growth in the '50S and
'60S, the waters and shores of Tokyo Bay were intensively utilized for industrial development. Shallow water was reclaimed, with the substitution of industrial operations
for the traditional commercial fisheries and local water-based recreational activities.
The objective was to promote development of the local economies.
By the mid-1980s, it was clear that various factors made unlikely the continuation
of the same pattern of development. One, there is little shallow water remaining in Tokyo
Bay. Two, almost all types of heavy industries are more or less losing importance in
the Japanese economy, or at least are not growing. Three, new types of industrial activities, such as manufacturing of computers and their software, do not require large
tracts ofland and do not need to be adjacent to navigable waterways. Four, the proportion of the Japanese economy represented by the manufacturing sector has decreased
relative to the proportion in the services sector. Thus the demand for space for offices
and commercial activities has increased substantially.
Five, the nature of waterborne traffic has changed and continues to change. For example, the average sizes of cargo vessels and tankers have increased, although the era
of the supertanker may be over. The proportion of cargo handled in container ships
continues to increase. These trends mean that a limited number of piers and wharves
with deep water and modern equipment are used intensively, while old-fashioned
wharves with shallower water and old equipment are used much less intensively. Six,
increasing per capita income and increasing leisure time have resulted in increased
demand for recreational opportunities. A significant portion of that demand is for
water-oriented recreation.
Given the above trends and the demands for utilization of the bay, a qualitative delineation of some possible conflicts can be made. The following is a list of possible, but
not exhaustive, conflicts in the use of Tokyo Bay:
• Land reclamation vs. marine transport;
• Land reclamation vs. fisheries;
• Marine transport vs. recreational boating;
• Water-based recreation vs. commercial fishing;
• Water-based recreation vs.liquid wastes disposal; and
• Among various water-based recreational activities.
A salient characteristic of the decisions concerning management of Tokyo Bay is
that each decision has been made with respect to a single use, without any overall focus and without an institutional mechanism which enables explicit consideration of
interactions among proposed uses and the possible tradeoffs between and among those
uses. Essentially all decisions about the utilization of the bay in the past had a common feature, i.e., little attention - if any at all - was paid to the ecosystem of the bay.
The present situation can be characterized as one in which there are two general
types of attitudes with respect to utilization of Tokyo Bay. One type emphasizes uses
of the bay, such as water-oriented recreation, which are basically non-exploitative; the
other emphasizes exploitative uses, such as land reclamation and waste disposal. While
non-exploitative uses are, and have been, drawing more and more attention of the
metropolitan inhabitants than in the 1960-1980 period, there are still strong developm'~ntal pressures, i.e., for exploitative uses, as exemplified in current and proposed
projects.
In the past, particularly during the years of rapid economic growth in the '50S and
'60S, the waters and shores of Tokyo Bay were intensively utilized for industrial development. Shallow water was reclaimed, with the substitution of industrial operations
for the traditional commercial fisheries and local water-based recreational activities.
The objective was to promote development of the local economies.
By the mid-1980s, it was clear that various factors made unlikely the continuation
of the same pattern of development. One, there is little shallow water remaining in Tokyo
Bay. Two, almost all types of heavy industries are more or less losing importance in
the Japanese economy, or at least are not growing. Three, new types of industrial activities, such as manufacturing of computers and their software, do not require large
tracts ofland and do not need to be adjacent to navigable waterways. Four, the proportion of the Japanese economy represented by the manufacturing sector has decreased
relative to the proportion in the services sector. Thus the demand for space for offices
and commercial activities has increased substantially.
Five, the nature of waterborne traffic has changed and continues to change. For example, the average sizes of cargo vessels and tankers have increased, although the era
of the supertanker may be over. The proportion of cargo handled in container ships
continues to increase. These trends mean that a limited number of piers and wharves
with deep water and modern equipment are used intensively, while old-fashioned
wharves with shallower water and old equipment are used much less intensively. Six,
increasing per capita income and increasing leisure time have resulted in increased
demand for recreational opportunities. A significant portion of that demand is for
water-oriented recreation.
Given the above trends and the demands for utilization of the bay, a qualitative delineation of some possible conflicts can be made. The following is a list of possible, but
not exhaustive, conflicts in the use of Tokyo Bay:
• Land reclamation vs. marine transport;
• Land reclamation vs. fisheries;
• Marine transport vs. recreational boating;
• Water-based recreation vs. commercial fishing;
• Water-based recreation vs.liquid wastes disposal; and
• Among various water-based recreational activities.