Designing a circular cities declaration for Japan building on the European Union's case study.

Japan is progressing towards its circular economy (CE) goals as many of its cities have adopted circular city (CC) policies and programs, although further progress is constrained as a result of the lack of a common framework. A novel framework was proposed with the "European circular cities declaration" (ECCD) (2020), consisting of a list of 10 principles committing to integrate circularity into the city's design, development, and management. As a foremost finding, and building on the authors' previous studies of Japan's CE and CC, this work shaped a circular cities declaration (CCD) for Japan following a triple-axis methodology; It (1) evaluates the ECCD as a baseline, (2) adapts it to Japan's unique socio-economic landscape, and (3) considers the three pillars of sustainable development, offering practical guidance for governments facing similar challenges. This environmental management tool goes beyond the EU one providing a model of hybrid governance and monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The resulting declaration is intended for the government to facilitate a transition from insulated CE policies to holistic CC ones, but also for businesses, academia, and communities; Thus, it may aid in endorsing a cities' common framework and shared vision to harness the potential of CC to address environmental issues, foster innovation and collaboration toward a resilient future in Japan.

The rising phenomenon of circular cities in Japan. Case studies of Kamikatsu, Osaki and Kitakyushu.

Japan has a culture of appreciating nature, but Japan is the 7th biggest waste producer of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, as it only recycles 19,6 %, deposits 1 % in landfills, and incinerates the rest. Japan also has one of the lowest rates (20 %) of renewable energy of OECD countries, and recently has decided to reactivate nuclear power plants. In contrast, cases of local circular economy initiatives are increasing in Japan. This suggests an opportunity for progress towards more ambitious circular economy goals. Circular Cities (CC) embrace the principles of the circular economy (CE) by managing resources to minimize waste, maximize efficiency, and promote sustainability. The idea of circular cities is taking hold in the country. This work assesses in a top-down approach CC from a general perspective considering the current state of the art, and then, its application to the Japanese scheme to be contrasted within three particular case studies. CC in Japan represents a holistic and sustainable approach that enhances well-being and the economy by using CE principles. It incorporates Japanese cultural attributes and the necessary stakeholders' involvement to maximize closed loops, reduce resource consumption, and establish a regenerative society. The paper recognizes current progress towards circularity in Japan's cities, towns, and villages, even though they may not call themselves "circular cities" per se. The paper proposes a definition for circular cities specifically for Japan. It analyses three case studies: Kamikatsu, Osaki, and Kitakyushu, urban areas with very different circumstances as examples of circular cities, with the final goal to provide recommendations to policymakers to help increase the circular cities phenomenon.

Circular economy and zero-carbon strategies between Japan and South Korea: A comparative study.

The global population is increasing, as is the demand for basic materials. At the same time, key resources are in short supply, and the extraction and use of raw materials have major environmental implications, for instance, increased CO2 emission. In a Circular Economy (CE), resources and products are divided, leased, reused, repaired, refurbished, and recycled, extending product life cycles, reducing waste, and generating additional value. Government entities in Japan and South Korea are designing and implementing policies to facilitate the transition to a CE and achieve carbon neutrality. The paper compares Japanese policies and actions with those of South Korea, identifies challenges and options for improvements in each country, and lessons that they can share. The paper reviews CE and low carbon policies in the two countries and compares how those, but also public interest and initiatives differ between them. It provides recommendations to address observed shortcomings and capture opportunities to connect CE and zero-carbon strategies. The article is expected to interest Japanese and South Korean policy-makers, companies, and academics.