This study reviews the use, regulatory trends and changes in scientific findings and standard values regarding Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), which are currently attracting attention both domestically and internationally. Currently, PFAS is a shift towards managed as “total PFAS” although there are industry stakeholders advocating for a prudent approach to swift regulation. In addition, in recent years, very low toxicity assessment values, such as TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake), for PFAS have been adopted on the basis of epidemiological studies, prompting a need to reassess toxicity assessment methodologies should be conducted. The discussion on total PFAS would be a good opportunity to consider risk assessment and management approach for other chemicals as well.

In Japan, various efforts on disaster risk reduction have been strengthened as we repeatedly experienced serious disasters. However, they have not been sufficiently effective, which could be resolved by increasing the frequency and strength of direct interventions. In the field of public health, methods of intervention to promote behavioral changes for health and disease prevention, known as “health communication,” have been studied for many years and have shown success. This session focused on the possibility of drastically reducing earthquake disaster risks through application of the methods of intervention developed in the discipline of health communication. In the session, three speakers presented the basic frameworks of risk communication, health communication, and bosai (strengthening preventive and mitigation measures against disaster) communication, respectively, where the last one attempted to integrate the knowledge in other disciplines and to propose a way toward disaster-resilient society. In the latter half of the session, we had a panel discussion where the importance of bosai literacy and accumulation of knowledge, among others, were reiterated.

When a disaster occurs, negative side of surveys, so-called “survey pollution” often becomes a significant issue. This issue not only pertains to researchers’ responsibilities and ethics but also impacts the quality and sustainability of research. However, its definition and responses have yet to be sufficiently discussed. To address this, a planning session was held at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis Japan, where four researchers presented on the realities of survey pollution. The presentations began by reviewing the concept and historical background of survey pollution, followed by accounts of individuals who experienced its effects and researchers who adopted approaches to integrate themselves into the local community. The session concluded with critiques of researchers’ blind goodwill, errors in objectivity, and the weaknesses of research ethics reviews. Addressing survey pollution requires a fundamental approach to reducing the burden of excessive and overly complex surveys. Additionally, researchers must prioritize consideration for participants and build trusting relationships. Further academic discussions on the definition and management of survey pollution are essential to address this pressing issue effectively.

Approximately 13 million m³ of soils contaminated with radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident is currently stored in an interim storage facility. The final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture is scheduled to be completed by 2045. While the Ministry of the Environment has focused on fostering nationwide understanding of its policies, the next phase—selecting a candidate site for the disposal facility—will require new approaches and insights. This session reviewed recent findings from research using diverse methods to explore public acceptance. We also discussed potential challenges in applying these findings to real-world scenarios, specifically in terms of social implementation, and considered future directions for research.

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey conducted among companies that handle chemical substances and are members of the Japan Chemical Industry Association. This survey focused on the results of risk assessment, which is the basis for the formulation of a business continuity plan (BCP). In this study, we hypothesized that an effective BCP can be formulated based on an appropriate risk assessment. The questionnaire asked about disaster experience, the status of BCP formulation, the types of risks targeted in the BCP (earthquakes, tsunamis, wind and flood damage, lightning, snow damage, volcanic eruptions, infectious diseases, etc.), the target recovery period, and the expected frequency of occurrence of each risk. The survey results showed that the main risks targeted in the BCP were earthquakes, tsunamis, wind and flood damage, and infectious diseases, but there were differences from previous studies in terms of the target recovery period and expected frequency of occurrence. Future research should conduct a detailed investigation into the rationale behind these settings to provide the necessary information for the formulation of BCPs.

The Society Award was presented on November 16, 2024 at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, Japan. Award-winning speeches are summarized. It introduces the struggles of risk communication practices that have been engaged in from the perspective of utility companies. After describing the uncertainties involved in risk, trans-scientific judgement is now needed, and it expresses expectations for the Society for Risk Analysis, Japan.

In the governance of risk and technology, public participation and deliberation are increasingly emphasized. The Discourse Quality Index (DQI) is often used to assess the quality of deliberation; however, linking its abstract indicators to specific topics and discussion data remains challenging. Despite many analyses using the DQI, practical procedures and implementation issues have received insufficient attention. Focusing on the ‘content of justification’ which concerns references to common good, this paper shows practical procedures and challenges involved in bridging DQI’s abstract concepts with concrete cases and individual statements, drawing on two deliberation experiments: one on the treatment of removed soil outside Fukushima and another on local agreement concerning the resumption of the Hamaoka nuclear plant. In both studies, central issues were extracted from prior research and linked to existing common-good concepts to operationalize the ‘content of justification.’ Challenges identified include difficulties in reaching consensus among interdisciplinary researchers on what constitutes key aspects of the common good, misalignments between extracted elements and points in discussion, and difference in coders’ understanding and depth of interpretation of coding criteria.