Significance of Learning about Kogai in Japan Today

－ Environmental Pollution Education and the Kogai Museum Network －

Abstract

  In Japan, pollution became a social problem in the 1970s. At the time, educating the public about pollution was associated with the movement for preventing pollution. In the 1990s, many victims of environmental pollution incidents settled their claims through the judicial system. One of the repercussions at the time was the construction of public museums that exhibit information on environmental pollution. The purpose of these museums is to inform the public with correct knowledge about pollution so that it does not occur again. The public environmental pollution museums work to eliminate discrimination and prejudices against pollution. On the other hand, the private environmental pollution museums were established through campaigning against pollution, with the objective of training citizens. The conferences and events for exchanging activities between the public and the private museums have been being held since 2013. Cooperation towards the generalization of environmental pollution education has just begun.