An Evaluation of Japanese Environmental Regulations

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Environmental Policy Evaluations in Japan: Concepts and Practice

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 1-17

3. Ex Ante Policy Evaluation of the Vehicle Type Regulation

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 19-50

4. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Enforcing Installation of Particulate Matter Elimination Devices on Diesel Trucks

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 51-70

5. Does Environmental Regulation Affect on Outside of the Regulated Areas? Empirical Analysis of Japanese Automobile NOx-PM Act

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 71-85

6. An Economic Welfare Analysis of the 1,000-Yen Expressway Discount

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 87-121

7. The Evaluation of “Comprehensive Management Under the Act on the Rational Use of Energy” as a Measure to Combat Climate Change for the Hotel Industry

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 123-143

8. Economic Impacts of the GHG Tax on the Japanese Economy: Short-Term Analysis

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 145-173

9. The Impact on the Japanese Economy of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Role of Economic Models

   • Toshi H. Arimura, Kazuyuki Iwata

   Pages 175-187

10. Back Matter

    Pages 189-191

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Focusing on air pollution, energy efficiency and climate change, this book provides an introduction to Japan’s environmental policies and regulations, and offers economic analyses and RIAs (Regulatory Impact Analysis) of environmental regulations implemented or planned by the national and local governments. The opening chapter reviews environmental economics and outlines the current status of RIAs in Japan. Chapter 2 analyzes the NOx-PM Act, which prohibits the use of old and polluting vehicles in metropolitan areas. Chapter 3 examines a Tokyo metropolitan government regulation which requires installation of pollution control equipment in older trucks that fail to meet emission standards. Chapter 4 traces the impact of the NOx-PM Act on the used car market and used vehicle exports. Chapter 5 presents an economic analysis of a highway toll reduction, revealing an unexpected negative social impact: it increased traffic congestion and associated environmental problems. The final three chapters address policies and regulations related to energy efficiency and climate change Chapter 6 evaluates the effectiveness of Japan’s Energy Conservation Act, originally introduced in 1979 and amended numerous times to address climate change. Chapter 7 anticipates the impact of a proposed economy-wide carbon tax, using input-output analysis to assess short-term economic impacts in each sector. Also presented here is an examination of the effectiveness of a reduced carbon tax for energy-intensive industries, with a discussion of the impact of the proposal on households. The final chapter discusses the role and limitations of economic models for evaluating Japan’s mid-term GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission target during the post-Kyoto period. This is the first book to evaluate Japanese environmental policies from an economic perspective, using a variety of current quantitative approaches. Its findings and suggestions will benefit students, policy makers and government officialsin developing and developed countries where the public faces similar environmental problems.

• Air Pollution
• Energy Efficiency
• Japanese environmental regulations
• Regulatory Impact Analysis
• Transportation
• air pollution and air quality
• climate change
• Climate change management

• Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

  Toshi H. Arimura

• Takasaki City University of Economics, Faculty of Regional Policy, Kaminamie, Takasaki, Japan

  Kazuyuki Iwata

Policies and ethics