Browsing by Author "Kuwako, Toshio"
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Conference Paper Justice of Sharing Information as Commons After the Nuclear Disaster in Fukushima(2013) Yoshitake, Kumiko; Kadohata, Yoshiko; Kuwako, Toshio"The term 'commons' refers to common space shared or managed by people. Included in this space are various institutions and infrastructures foundational to human lives. We also count information regarding contents of shared space as commons because people cannot choose appropriate actions for their well-being without sufficient knowledge. The explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, had a significant impact on people who lived in and around Fukushima Prefecture. The most serious of many difficulties that ensued after the disaster was the issue of sharing and managing information about radiation and its influence on peoples health. Parents have experienced substantial anxiety about the possible effects of contamination on themselves and on the younger generations; their frustration has been exacerbated by the lack of specific information regarding this issue. Such information should be regarded not only as personal but also as common and of public interest. Regarding 'informed consent,' it is usually thought that a medical diagnosis and recommended treatment are to be treated as confidential patient information. In the case of Fukushima, however, threats to health arising from an environmental factor could, arguably, mandate the sharing of information regarding health risks with all people living in an affected area. The aim of this study is to acknowledge the integrity of sharing environmental and health-related information through the questionnaire to residents of Minami Soma City, Fukushima. An additional objective is to determine how to construct an appropriate sharing system for common information."Conference Paper A Study of a Regeneration of Urban Commons Through the Nature Friendly River Management and 'Finding Home Place'(2013) Kato, Masami; Takada, Tomoki; Umetsu, Kimio; Kuwako, Toshio"The Nature Friendly River Management: NFRM is the present guideline of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan. It considers biota well growth environment a river originally has; conservation and creation of various natural landscapes; contemplation of the nature of the entire stream; and harmony with peoples lives, history and culture in the region. Some of the rivers in rural areas have been successfully restored by NFRM, and they help regenerate commons of the region. Zempuku-ji River, running through the central part of Tokyo, has been restored by NFRM, but restoration of the urban river seems not an easy challenge. Since urban rivers have been modified and yielded so much to man-made environments, people do not have many chances to closely feel and touch their local ecosystems. Although citizens participation is critically important process to build a consensus in order to lead a successful NFRM, not many people pay attention to urban rivers. This study focuses on two thoughts which use words Furusato or Home Place to share with various people. First, Ernest Callenbach, the author of ECOTOPIA, suggested that cities can be much more ecological and awareness of a sense of 'Home Place' is the first important step for city people to understand urban ecology. Second, Toshio Kuwako, a philosopher, proposes a method of 'Finding Home Place', a work shop in the field to lead participants to rediscover the historical and cultural values as well as problems of the region through it. A citizens group has been engaging to NFRM activities along Zempuku-ji River. There participate civil engineers, university professors and students, ecological and environmental activity groups and local community. This study examines NFRM in an urban river from two viewpoints of 'Home Place' to see whether their approaches are effective paths to regenerate urban commons."