For much of the 20th century, economic growth was fueled by cheap oil-based energy supply. Due to... more For much of the 20th century, economic growth was fueled by cheap oil-based energy supply. Due to increasing resource constraints, however, the political and strategic importance of oil has become a significant part of energy and foreign policy making in East and Southeast Asian countries. In Japan, the rise of China’s economic and military power is a source of considerable concern. To enhance energy security, the Japanese government has recently amended its energy regulatory framework, which reveals high political awareness of risks resulting from the looming key resources shortage and competition over access. An essential understanding that national energy security is a politically and economically sensitive area with a clear international dimension affecting everyday life is critical in shaping a nation’s energy future
depriving this concept of whatever analytical precision it may have in order to make it fi t the ... more depriving this concept of whatever analytical precision it may have in order to make it fi t the Japanese context? That said, this book has many merits. It is a clear, meticulously researched study that makes an important contribution to the literature on state-society relations in Japan. The study’s combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, moreover, will make it relevant to a broad swath of social scientists. In short, I learned a great deal from this study and recommend it to anyone interested in state-society relations in Japan.
For much of the 20th century, economic growth was fueled by cheap oil-based energy supply. Due to... more For much of the 20th century, economic growth was fueled by cheap oil-based energy supply. Due to increasing resource constraints, however, the political and strategic importance of oil has become a significant part of energy and foreign policy making in East and Southeast Asian countries. In Japan, the rise of China’s economic and military power is a source of considerable concern. To enhance energy security, the Japanese government has recently amended its energy regulatory framework, which reveals high political awareness of risks resulting from the looming key resources shortage and competition over access. An essential understanding that national energy security is a politically and economically sensitive area with a clear international dimension affecting everyday life is critical in shaping a nation’s energy future
depriving this concept of whatever analytical precision it may have in order to make it fi t the ... more depriving this concept of whatever analytical precision it may have in order to make it fi t the Japanese context? That said, this book has many merits. It is a clear, meticulously researched study that makes an important contribution to the literature on state-society relations in Japan. The study’s combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, moreover, will make it relevant to a broad swath of social scientists. In short, I learned a great deal from this study and recommend it to anyone interested in state-society relations in Japan.
Japan’s New Ruralities: Coping with Decline in the Periphery, 2020
Renewable energies have the potential to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emission... more Renewable energies have the potential to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide an economic basis for the sustainable development of rural areas. Facing typical peripherality issues such as socio-economic decline, poor accessibility, limited political autonomy and tightened budgets, rural communities in Japan are pressed to venture into new institutional arrangements in order to fulfill their statutory duties. Increasing self-sufficiency has therefore emerged as a key strategy for local governments, including energy self-sufficiency. This chapter analyzes some key trends in Japan’s recent energy transformation and energy policy, in particular government policies linking renewable energy to local development, and local-level conflicts related to increases in renewable energy generation. Case studies highlight the diversity of challenges and the need for locally-specific solutions that lead to healthier communities. However, the analysis suggests that structural preconditions and current government policy rather than technology bear the responsibility for prevailing market and governance structures. Renewable energy strategies are potentially successful when technologies and scale match local economic and social needs. Success therefore requires an informed, motivated, and capable local government open for engagement with a broad actor-network including external sources of advice and funding through government subsidies or socially responsible investors.
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