To date, most research works related to pitcher irrigation have focused mainly on the irrigation efficiency of the pitchers rather than correlating the irrigation efficiency with the physical characteristics of the pitchers. This study was carried out using pitchers with 3 different sizes. Volumetric water contents of soil were measured at different points and termed as observed values. The hydraulic conductivity of all the pitchers showed the same value of approximately 7×10^-11ms^-1, whereas the daily discharging rate of water varied from 1.6×10^-4 to 6.0×10^-4 m³. Moreover, soil water contents were predicted based on the physical characteristics of the pitchers by using HYDRUS-2D. Analysis of variance showed that the observed and the predicted values of soil water were highly correlated (R²=0.86). Therefore, the pitcher irrigation method investigated in this study can be considered as an efficient tool to irrigate the crops in arid land environment.

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We conducted a detailed analysis of existing survey documents on specific energy consumption in the commercial sector in Japan. This research focused on four factors affecting specific energy consumption: secular changes, district heating and cooling, primary energy conversion factor for electric power, and survey sample size. Analysis in this research also employed completed facility data (ELPAC data). This enabled use of data for individual buildings. The results revealed the degree to which specific energy consumption can vary due to these factors. However, actual variation in the documents was too large to be explained by these general factors, and thus it will be essential in the future to examine the reliability of each document and conduct proper document selection when using specific energy consumption data.

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This paper carries out cross-national and regional comparative analyses on the effects of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Official Development Aid (ODA) in disseminating renewable energy power generation. CDM plays an important role in accelerating dissemination of wind and biomass power in China, India and Brazil, while ODA contributes to disseminating of wind and photovoltaic power in Africa from the view point of access to energy in remote areas. In order to accelerate dissemination of renewable energy developing countries should analyze performances of public and private funding mechanisms first, and then should establish appropriate policy and financial framework cooperating with developed countries.

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The Analysis of the installation susidy of the residential photovoltaic in the local government and the analysis of the questionnaire survey that used the WEB monitor were conducted. As a result, the installation subsidy of local governments was executed by 61% of prefectures and 35% of the towns and villages, but these measures were not acknowledged enough by the resident. The installation intention of the photovoltaic generation was related to obligation fees of an initial investment, the amount of income by selling of electricity to a power company, and the estimation of installation intention. But, it was considered that the local government had to make efforts to the spread enlightenment. It was considered that the local government had better reduce the unit price of the installation subsidy, and use the subsidy for a lot of subjects.

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This study aims to identify the factors influencing the introduction of photovoltaic power generation system (PVsystems) in Japan and to explore the key influencing factors including uncertainty and the "PV waste problems". It will cause negative effects to PV systems introduction. For these ends, we conducted a questionnaire survey to collect the PV users', researchers', and local government officials' views and thoughts on these matters. Specifically, the respondents were asked to evaluate the magnitude of the influence of the factors, its attitude, and its uncertainty.

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There are some cases of urban heat island impact on the thermal environment in medium scale city, although the mechanism of the mega city has been identified by several researchers. This paper examined the impact of land use and land cover on the thermal environment through an analysis of the observed ambient temperature at twelve points with the same condition. As a consequence, it was shown that one of the most significant causative factors of temperature increase is decrease of green area and increasing of medium and high building and impervious surface. This result implied that vegetated zones should be maintained in urban areas in order to realize sustainable urbanization.

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We developed a numerical model which can evaluate the outdoor heat stroke risk as a regional mesh map, and then simulated that risk in the Osaka city area during the 2007 summer. The calculation resulted in regional difference of the heat stroke risk within the Osaka city subdivided into 500-m mesh. That risk strongly had a positive correlation with the average sky view factor of meshed district due to daytime radiative influence. Differences not only in district-structure parameters (e.g., sky view factor ) but also in climate characteristics were attributed to regional differences of the risk. Our simulation method by regional mesh calculations combining a mesoscale meteorological, urban, and human scales was available for regional heat stroke prediction.

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Based on a survey investigating companies' action for climate change, we analyzed their performance in addition to their financial information. Then, we analyzed a correlation between companies' financial performance and their climate change management performance and did multiple regression analysis so as to prove that climate change management is no longer a cost for companies but a benefit. Each analysis was conducted on Japanese, United States and United Kingdom companies. We could see that climate change management performance was positively correlated with their financial performance, and that it was affected by the national situation.

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This paper observed the current stats of climate change related information disclosure of Japanese firms and identified the issues and institutional countermeasures. The specified issues were as follows: Contents of climate strategy-related information; Disclosure of financial impacts and physical risks related to climate change; Disclosure of greenhouse gas performances of supply chain, subsidiaries and affiliated companies; Accuracy and completeness of disclosed climate change-related information. In addition, the factors and institutional countermeasures were considered. In summary, introduction of regulation system of firm's climate change-related information disclosure, specification of disclosure guidelines in response to the characteristics of each business sector, and improvement of social systems encouraging climate change-related actions were identified as effective approaches.

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This article compares and analyses Japanese and European policies on fuel economy regulation, which of those are the highest fuel economy standards in the world, and have been formulated based on co-regulation. In Japan, fuel economy regulation has developed through a cooperative process involving government, industry and academia participate, and requiring regular revisions over a number of years. In contrast, European regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, which have involved various actors with different interests, have attempted a variety of different approaches, including industry self-regulation, voluntary agreements between the European Commission and the industry, and the application of EU law.

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This research explores effective and efficient financing for adaptation through analyzing the effectiveness and performance of financing systems for adaptation using the case example of Vietnam, which is vulnerable to climate change. In particular, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) financing systems are explored. This research shows that in Vietnam, the Bilateral ODA financing systems that finance national and provincial actors are more effective than other financing systems (the Bilateral ODA financing systems that finance local actors, and the GEF financing systems). The needs of adaptation, high ability to access funds and implement adaptation, centralized as well as top-down governance systems, and strong relationships with bilateral aid agencies in Vietnam are considered to affect the evaluation of the financing systems.

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Concerning CO₂reduction effect from the road transportation sector, the method for evaluating multiple effects of CO₂ reduction countermeasures was constructed. The model made in this research combines automobile fuel consumption model, annual mileage evaluation model and automobile stock quantity stochastic model. This model can calculates the CO₂ emission of road transportation of Japan. Using this model, we evaluate the difference of the reduction effect in two cases; first case is the case in which CO₂ reduction countermeasures individually evaluated and piled up each effects; second case is the case in which the mutual influence of the CO₂ reduction countermeasures considered. From this calculation, the difference of both reduction effects was occurred, and this model is effective for the evaluation of the more accurate CO₂ reduction effect.

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This study clarifies the factors affecting CO₂ emission change at steel industry and machinery industry in U.S., Japan, China, and Germany. We apply logarithm mean Divisia index to decompose the change of CO₂ emission and CO₂ emission per added value from 1995 to 2005. We show that CO₂ emission had been reduced from 1995 to 2005 due to carbon intensity decrease and energy efficiency improvement in U.S. and Germany. Additionally, we find China had been reduced CO₂ emission per added value due to energy efficiency improvement.

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In this paper, willingness-to-pay(WTP)s for low-carbon-oriented tours were analyzed based on a questionnaire survey. The survey revealed that: the estimated WTPs tend to be larger according to awareness of environment and tourism-based regional development, and frequency and extent of the travels; multi regression analysis showed that attribute of male, older than 60years, and much weight in travel costs give negative effects, while consciousness for environment, history, culture, promotion of tourist sites and awareness for renewable energy give positive effects. Therefore this indicated tourism policies with respect to these factors would be important.

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Human health damage due to global warming has been quantified in existing LCIA researches, however the climate model they used was consistent with IPCC Third Assessment Report, and the damage of diarrhea was not considered. The purpose of this research is to develop a new framework to quantify the human health damage based on change of relative risk of diseases caused by climate change published by WHO. The total damage of diseases (malaria, diarrhea, cardiovascular, malnutrition, coastal flood and inland flood) of A2 scenario was calculated at 2×10^-7 DALY/kg-CO₂ approximately. The damage of diarrhea was the biggest. And the damage of inland flood and cardiovascular had a long-term effect.

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Tokyo Metropoli Government created a maintenance plan for a emergency jetties in preparation for the future Metropolitan Epicentral Earthquake. However, in the regional disaster prevention plan of Tokyo Metropolis, it is not set that a specific plan for an operation about transportation of sick and wounded using a ship. In this study, when we assume to carry out the transportation of sick and wounded, we study jetties that can be used as a base of transportation for them and the purpose is to obtain a suggestion about possibility and plan of transportation for them. As a result, we elucidated at the beginnings of the earthquake, 4 jetties out of 72 jetties which is maintained by Civil Service is useful as a base of transportation for them.

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Recently, the precautionary principle has been used for policymaking on chemicals with scientific uncertainty. This paper take the REACH regulation for the European Environmental regulation, and consider the precautionary principle for policy making process. When applying a precautionary principle to a chemical substance policy, it judges passing through a stage, after considering it as a control subject candidate. Progressing towards readjustment was suggested in such a process.

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Reviewed is the development by Japanese local governments of electronic meeting rooms in response to water pollution accidents. Also, the contents of the electronic meeting rooms in the field of environment are reviewed. The contents of the Electronic Meeting Room on Dioxin Release Accident in Fujisawa City are reviewed. The roles of the electronic meeting room in Fujisawa (EMRF) include as follows: Fujisawa city can access to the local information through EMRF, EMRF offers opportunities for Fujisawa city and the company concerned to learn a broader scope of citizen' views and concerns on the accidents and necessary responses and, the citizens can receive information clarifying their questions and concerns through EMRF. Also, the challenges and opportunities for wider use of electronic meeting rooms are discussed.

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At the Tohoku Earthquake occurred on March 11,2011，it is announced that commuters unable to get home reaches at least about 116,000 people in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. A necessity of alternative transportation which complement land transport at the time of the disaster is recognized again. In this study, we examined the design of system for placing the disaster prevention jetties regarding the use of the time of disaster from the operator and the user perspective. As a result, it is emerged that the government who is an operator of the disaster prevention jetties has not been set a specific plan for operation at present. In addition, it is emerged that the users have not been recognized the existence and the function of the disaster prevention jetties.

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This paper, based on the results of the questionnaire of environmental activities given to small firms in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, aims to find out the awareness and realities of their environmental activities. The result shows that the small firms think positively of the necessity of environmental activities. As to some environmental activities with the communities, few firms think negatively of them and most are willing to work with them if the conditions are met. However, even jf they try to practice environmental activities, they have various obstacles such as the limits of human and economic resources or the ignorance of how to do it, and therefore, many firms gave up. Also, regardless of the size, firms with high environmental awareness have practiced some environmental activities.

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Flowers give people relieves and enrichments, and also the symbol of richness in mind. This research is conducted on the learned data from flower beds at Huis Ten Bosch by comparing perennial bed and annual bed to study now perennial beds bring both scenic and economic merit. Scenic merit is proven that, because forms and variety of perennial plants are so diverse that the landscape is more diversified than annuals. The comparison of used areas shows that perennials maintain scenic quality by using 60% area of the annuals. Its economical merit is proven that the cost of perennial beds at construction is 1/3 of annuals and 1/5 in yearly maintenance. Perennials are proven to be both scenic and economical as they grow larger to form more natural scenes, also as the cost of construction and maintenance reduced. The merit is proven to grow larger as years pass by.

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Based on the Expanded Chongqing with Full-map and related survey data, the coastal Chongqing space in its early opening are studied. Information about its city gates, piers, and buildings is collected and their scale, orientation, distribution, quantity, types, and geomorphic circumstances are analyzed. We conclude that the coastal Chongqing area in its early opening was composed of three different spatial levels surrounding the piers, temples, and the center gate. The piers and city gate were connected directly to integrate the entire coastal Chongqing area, which was characterized by social, ideological, and cultural features reflecting the military affairs, Feng shui (geomancy), and religious beliefs.

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This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the demolition of Kyo-machiya among the variants obtained from the GIS database constructed on the data collection in the Kyo-machiya survey which had been conducted for 5 years. As a result, those variants were shown to be significant such as depth, condition of building, condition as Kyo-machiya, whether vacant or not, density of Kyo-machiya nearby, and density of vacant Kyo-machiya nearby. It indicated the importance of regional efforts for reservation as well as maintenance of an individual building. Also, the demolition had nothing to do with the factory and wholesale as a traditional business, but it had newer relation with restaurant business.

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In this study, the external space of government buildings in Nanjing, Republic of China (ROC), are analyzed as research objects. The composition elements, approach characteristics, and their composition relationship of these buildings are evaluated. Analytical results show that as compared to the same type of traditional spaces, the external space of Nanjing government buildings features symmetrical, regular, open, and sparse spaces of Western classical gardens, wherein the external space is designed around the axis of the building and the dimensional and plane elements are arranged symmetrically. This spatial pattern is mainly characterized by " a front garden with a rear building. "

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This study aims to indicate that the impact of vacant lands affects environmental neighborhood and the policy of local government deals the vacant lands. And this study has been applied to about 80 cities in Japan. First, this study has analyzed the ordinance for management of vacant lands at the local government. The findings have revealed that the ordinance is amounted to 70% of the subject cities. The trend of the ordinance is that the landowner has responsible for the abandonment state, the ordinance defined that the abandonment state are overgrowth weed. And the abandonment state causes the affects environmental neighborhood that insanitary, fire, security, appearance and induces to dump rubbish. The measures with local government for the vacant lands are mainly that administrative guidance. Thisstudy has indicated that the guidance is not worked when landowner is disappearing.

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In this study, the subjects on the operation of the designated manager system in the regional parks of the whole country were clarified through the comparison of the application conditions of the first period with ones of the second period. The results of the comparison showed that less than 20% of local governments include the profession of park management to each application qualification. A number of the extra-departmental organizations decreased at the second period, but the proportion occupies about 50%. A few specialists participate in the selection committee in the local governments. The achievement of the first period isn’t reflected in the evaluation of selection of the second period in most local governments. The budget amount of proposal is occupying from 20% to 30% in the evaluation of the second period.

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We set up the following theoretical hypothesis that has never been studied so far; the altruistic transmitting information (ATI) in internet envionment improves social skill, real human relations, and quality of life (QOL). It was investigated and analyzed statistically based on questionnaire surveys of university students in the information sciences, and the hypothesis was analyzed by the structural quation model. The results appeared to verify our hypothesis, and ATI gave them the stronger improvement effect, in comparison with all-inclusive transmitting information. Moreover, it was suggested that ATI in interest had one's place as a bridge with altruistic behavior in the real world.

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A questioner survey is carried out to find out the university students' responses to and consciousness of mobile phones recycling. About 64 % of students surveyed are aware that valuable metals including rare metals are used in mobile phones. However, only 25% of the students actually take actions for recycling their mobile phones. 67 % of the students possess their mobile phones with them. They continue to use their mobile phones for non- communication purposes such as digital cameras and game players. And they possess the mobile phones to keep their personal memories such as their photos saved in the phones. The results of survey indicate that the existing recycling system is not fully informed. Concern with personal information leak is not a major reason for not taking actions for recycling. Effectiveness of economic incentives for improving the mobile phones recycling is also surveyed.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of citizen’s domestic water use behaviors on water shortage in Beijing China. Data were gathered form 300 citizens in Beijing by the questionnaires. In China, after the 2000’s it started that reservation of the head by NanShuiBeiDiao, rainmaking and promotion of nature conservation. The following results were obtained: 1) Citizens are saving water positively, however, after South to North Water Transfer（NanShuiBeiDiao）construction is completed, it is anxious about water shortage , 2) Although it has the price increase of water rates by the policy, the amount of water use is not decreasing.

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The purpose of this paper is to examine the two maathematical model for optimal riding plan on bicycle. Both models include three characteristics: rider's power, bike type, and slope, and under a target time constraint, rider choices the riding plan to optimize his/her objective function. One is the model to minimize his/her exhausting level (Yamamoto, 2008). The other is our new model to minimize his/her power level. Theoretical analysis and sumilating some numerical examples on computer show the properties of both optimal riding plans.

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