Abstract
A questionnaire survey was created to examine the main issues confronting Japanese companies engaging in and promoting environmental activities in developing countries. The questionnaires were mailed in June and July of 1998 to 491 companies and organizations. Of the total companies, 143 (29. 1%) replied. 45 companies (32% of the total replies) have been engaged in international environmental cooperation activities on a volunteer basis. Economic assistance were the most consistent demands (70%) made to the Japanese government in promoting such activities. 43 companies (30% of the total replies) have been engaged in environmental businesses overseas. 32% replies answered that outcomes have been almost as expected. 43% were thinking that it is not currently attractive, but may become so in the future. Especially for the question on the environmental business opportunities in developing countries, approximately 60% of the total companies displayed confidence in answering that they can be fully established (6%) or can be established to a certain extent (53%). About the question of whether the Japan's official economic cooperation is useful in operating environmental businesses in developing countries or not, only 2%, of the total companies answered that they are already utilizing them, and 46% were not sure.
