To promote pro-environmental behavior, there is a growing trend of applying behavioral science approaches in public policy. This study aimed to improve waste separation rates in the offices of the Fukushima prefectural government by developing and testing nudge labels that incorporated simplification, reminder, and question-form message. Four departments in the building were selected for the experiment: two departments (one environmental and one non-environmental) were assigned to the intervention group where nudge labels were displayed, while the other two departments (one environmental and one non-environmental) served as the control group. The rate of plastic contamination in burnable waste was measured and compared between the groups. The results showed that the intervention group reduced the contamination rate by 6 percentage points, or approximately 38%, compared to the control group. Moreover, this reduction effect further increased two weeks after the intervention ended. These findings suggest that intuitive clarification of the rules, reminder and question-form message can enhance compliance with pro-environmental behavior.

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Accelerating the introduction of renewable energy is a pressing issue for building a decarbonized society. While Japan has been heavily weighted toward solar power generation, small-scale hydropower plants can generate new employment, tax revenues, and profits. Such plants can be operated stably with relatively little capital if appropriately designed and constructed with a certain water volume and river dropoff. This paper examines the Tannan region of Fukui Prefecture, a mountainous region suffering from depopulation. We use an input?output table to convert a small hydropower plant’s effect on the local economy into monetary terms, showing that small-scale hydropower generation can help revitalize the local economy. Furthermore, small hydropower plants in Japan often use foreignmade generators, and the payments for these generators go overseas; however, they also add significant value to the communities where they are located.

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In response to global warming, China has made great efforts and implemented strict regulatory policies to reduce carbon emissions. This study extends the spatial Durbin model to assess the carbon reduction impacts of three types of environmental policies using 17 years of provincial panel data from China. The critical outcomes are as follows: First, carbon emissions and various environmental regulations have shown a simultaneous growth trend, and carbon emissions vary significantly between regions. Second, the links between different types of environmental regulations and carbon emissions differ. Specifically, stricter command-andcontrol regulations could reduce carbon emissions. However, only moderate levels of marketbased and voluntary environmental regulations could effectively reduce emissions. Finally, the carbon reduction effects of environmental regulation show spillover characteristics, indicating that environmental policies in the surrounding area would also affect local carbon emissions. These results offer a theoretical basis for optimizing the policies to maximize the carbon reduction effect and develop an optimal policy mix that resolves the tension between economic expansion and environmental protection.

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This research is taking Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, as a case study, the objectives of this study are: 1) to understand and organize the history of agricultural development from the early Taisho era to the present day by dividing it into periods through a literature review; 2) to analyze the increase and decrease of agricultural land due to development in each period using maps from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, and to clarify the relationship between the period of development of agricultural land and its degradation with reference to the locations of present-day abandoned agricultural land; and 3) to integrate the results of 1) and 2) and to examine the causes and social background of abandonated agricultural land. In conclusion，the decline of the rural landscape centered on rice paddies did not begin in recent years, but the agricultural landscape has been continuously changing since the Taisho Era due to the conversion of upland field into paddy fields. The factors contributing to the decline in rice paddies differed from period to period.

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Whether geographical isolation fits the conventional rural concept is discussed globally, including Japan. This study examined asset management problems of older adults in local communities, such as vacant houses and abandoned farmland, and clarified the support impact from people inside and outside the local government’s jurisdiction for farmland management. Data were extracted from one-person or couple households aged 70 + using social survey data from Nichinan Town, Tottori Prefecture, an isolated Japanese community. These data were analyzed using regression. The results showed that the residents received extensive support both within the jurisdiction of the local government, primarily from a few close relatives, friends, and acquaintances, and from outside the jurisdiction, including a few relatives living at a relatively close distance. The analysis revealed that supporters outside the jurisdiction of the local government might reduce residents’ perception of burden toward farmland management. This suggests that support from outside the local government may affect residents’ asset management. These findings from Japan can help determine a land management approach in diverse rural societies transcending geographical isolation.

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