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Japan for Sustainability Newsletter #172
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December 29, 2016
Copyright (c) 2016, Japan for Sustainability
Japan for Sustainability (JFS) is a non-profit communication platform to
disseminate environmental information from Japan to the world, with the
aim of helping both move onto a sustainable path.
See what's new on our web site: http://www.japanfs.org/en/
E-mail: info@japanfs.org
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In the December 29, 2016 issue of the JFS Newsletter:
- Citizen Science: How Anyone Can Be Involved in Solving Environmental
and Social Issues
- Disaster-Affected Ishinomaki -- Present Status (Part 2)
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Citizen Science: How Anyone Can Be Involved in Solving Environmental and
Social Issues
There are various environmental and social issues, the solutions to
which require the cooperation of the public as well as the expertise of
professionals. As an active practitioner in environmental fields,
Representative Director Hiromi Kobori of the General Incorporated
Association of the Biodiversity Academy--also a distinguished professor
at Tokyo City University--keeps a watchful eye on trends in citizen
science, because it has the potential to help the public contribute to
society in a more scientific manner.
Japan for Sustainability interviewed Prof. Kobori, asking her to describe
citizen science along with its potentials and future tasks, and give us
some case examples. This month's JFS newsletter introduces citizen
science.
Defining 'Citizen Science'
Have you heard of "citizen science"? This concept has existed since the
time of Aristotle, the fourth century BC Greek philosopher, and has been
defined variously. In recent years, a definition as "citizen involvement
in scientific research" has taken root globally. The position of
"scientist," however, has been formally established and developed into a
professional job since about the 19th century. Therefore, opportunities
for citizen involvement in science have long vanished. Probably many
people would rather avoid the subject of science altogether.
Recent developments in information technology, however, have provided a
technical system that allows citizens to contribute to science on a
daily basis. When trying to ascertain specific trends triggered by
various influences from environmental changes such as global warming,
biodiversity loss, earthquakes and natural disasters, in conducting
surveys, researchers and administrative offices have a limited
data-collection capacity. In this respect, monitoring with the purpose
of accumulating long-term data with broad geographical diversity plays
an important role. When large numbers of citizens are engaged in
crowdsourcing to collect data using GPS locator-equipped cell phones,
vast amounts of data can be easily assembled.
Case Examples from Overseas
Let's look at some specific examples of citizen science.
In the Republic of the Congo, even women who cannot read can join a data
collection project by helping to provide photographic data on illegal
hunts and logging in forests. Researchers then analyze the data and
create maps that are utilized in managing forest conservation. As this
case shows, even people disadvantaged in literacy can contribute to
science.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/excites/projects/excites-projects/intelligent-maps/intelligent-maps
In Europe, lively exchanges of information occur between the public and
scientists via the Internet. Previously, data collected by the public
were viewed with skepticism due the allegedly low degree of accuracy. As
projects collaborating with the public have expanded, however,
peer-reviewed research papers written based on citizen science have
increased year-by-year in the United States, giving the highly effective
use of citizen science more prominence.
http://theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/about/
Citizen Science in Japan
In Japan, citizen science has a long history, and various examples exist.
Well-known ongoing cases include: a sea turtle survey which gathers
data annually on numbers of sea turtles laying eggs on beaches across
Japan and was launched in 1960s and 70s as a pioneering case of
collaboration between scientists and citizens in Japan; and a dandelion
mapping survey in the western part of Japan, which started in 1974.
The Ministry of the Environment of Japan has embarked on a national
project called "Monitoring Sites 1000" to collect basic environmental
information through long-term (100-year) monitoring of about 1,000 sites
representing various ecosystems nationwide. The project aims to detect
qualitative and quantitative deterioration at early stages in Japan's
ecosystems. The project's website introduces many citizens groups across
Japan participating in this project.
The Center for Ecological Education, a Japanese non-profit organization,
has launched the "Garden Wild Life Watch," a nationwide survey targeting
private home gardens, including porches and balconies. With the aim of
conserving biodiversity, it is an ongoing joint project involving the
Ministry of the Environment, businesses and universities, and is the
first attempt of its kind in Japan.
Garden Wild Life Watch
http://www.wildlife.ne.jp/ikimono/(in Japanese)
Recent Citizen Science Initiatives in Japan
The average temperature in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture has risen by
0.9 degrees Celsius in the 23 years since 1986 due to various factors,
including the heat-island effect. The temperature there is rising at a
pace three times as fast as temperatures around the world, where global
warming is the cause.
In Yokohama, the Wild Bird Society of Japan has enlisted the cooperation
of citizen volunteers and municipal staff in collecting data on birds
appearing in the Yokohama Nature Sanctuary, a public forest area. These
are compiled in a database on observation records of birds migrating to
the sanctuary. Using the data in these observation records, the Kobori
Laboratory at Tokyo City University has identified changes in patterns
of migratory birds visiting the Yokohama area. The lab team picked out
six bird species that come to the sanctuary every winter, and analyzed
the related data for the 23 years since 1986. They chose the dusky
thrush (Turdus eunomus), Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus), pale
thrush (Turdus pallidus), black-faced bunting (Emberiza spodocephala),
hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) and Eurasian bullfinch
(Pyrrhula pyrrhula).
Their research revealed apparent changes in migration timing patterns of
all six species during the past 23 years. The day they first appear in
Yokohama in autumn has shifted nine days later on average. The day they
are last seen in Yokohama in spring has shifted 21 days earlier. In other
words, the period of their stay in Yokohama has decreased by one month
on average.
Professor Kobori says, "We had expected that they might be staying in
Japan shorter than before but we were surprised to see how much shorter:
by one-month! Observing birds around us provides us knowledge about
global environmental changes." Similar surveys are ongoing at several
sites across Japan. According to these surveys, the same trend can be
seen among migratory birds flying south to Hokkaido in northern Japan
and Kyushu in southern Japan for the winter. These examples of projects
show that by integrating rich, accurate data acquired through the
citizen participation with the analytical prowess of professional
scientists, new scientific knowledge can be obtained.
Challenges Facing Citizen Science in Japan
As the citizen science projects described above show, it has become
possible for investigations to target broader areas and longer time
spans using the vast amounts of "big data" that can now be easily
collected. The participation of citizens in interdisciplinary scientific
fields has yielded other outcomes as well, by fostering multiple
abilities among citizens, such as their capacity to understand and
ability to take action for environmental management.
On the other hand, there are various challenges in conducting citizen
science projects to gain scientific knowledge from the data and survey
results collected by citizens.
Many people used to make a habit of keeping various journals in older
times and this helped preserve numerous and scientifically useful data
in Japan. One example of such records is a log of the days when cherries
were blossoming in the 12th century. In the Edo Period (1603-1867),
people recorded observations on the climate, flora and fauna according
to the solar calendar and associated norms of choosing kimonos to wear
that were appropriate to the season. National institutions and citizens'
groups are continuing large-scale research projects even now. The
existing data collections in Japan are compatible with the level of
those in European countries and the United States, so why are these data
sets not fully utilized?
One of the major reasons has been inadequate project design, failing to
establish concrete purposes or clear visions of the desired research
outcomes for the project. In any citizen science project, setting
specific goals on what to gain from the project is indispensable.
The next step will be to create comprehensive designs for projects. To
gain good research results, many factors need to be considered in the
design and planning of the project, for example, the kind of project
needed, adequate spatial scales and research periods, final project
goals (either grasping current conditions or testing hypotheses),
research methods, data analysis methods, and venues and methods for
presenting the results. Without a comprehensive design, it is difficult
for a project to obtain scientifically sound research results.
Citizen science also presents difficulties to operating and managing
large-scale projects, which are indispensable for crowdsourcing large
masses of data. These include mobilizing and securing enough
participants, especially younger people; gaining necessary
grants/funding; integrating projects into larger scales, from local to
regional/national levels; and grasping the social aspects of the
citizens' needs and knowledge levels.
Conclusions
Despite the aforementioned barriers, we can expect further proliferation
of citizen science and its contributions to science, education and
society. Professor Kobori emphasizes the future prospects of citizen
science, saying, "Citizen science has substantial potential for
promoting further scientific innovation in our society. Science has
stood apart from the citizens for so long, unfriendly and hard to
understand. In Japan, not a few people want to avoid science due to
disillusionment from scandals such as data fabrication by some
scientists, the collapse of the nuclear power safety myth as a result of
the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011, and so on.
"On the other hand, advanced information technology has opened a new
door for citizen science. It will enable citizens to contribute to
scientific research, deepen their education by themselves, and utilize
the research results in nature conservation activities and solutions to
other challenges facing society. I look forward to seeing further
development of citizen science in Japan as well."
Written by Yoko Kurahara
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Disaster-Affected Ishinomaki -- Present Status (Part 2)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035718.html
In the November 2016 issue of the JFS Newsletter, we reported on the
situation of Ishinomoki immediately after the disaster of the Great East
Japan Earthquake (which struck on March 11, 2011) and the Hamayu project,
which started from support activities on the Oshika Peninsula by a group
called The Third Stage. That article was based on an interview with
Tatsuya Sugiura, who launched the volunteer group to support
reconstruction efforts for disaster survivors in the town of Ishinomaki.
This month, we continue with the latter part of that interview by
reporting on other projects on the peninsula and on the launch of The
Third Stage.
Disaster-Affected Ishinomaki -- Present Status (Part 1)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035699.html
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Hamakon Project
The Hamakon project started in response to a request from fathers,
mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers in the coastal communities. They
said "Mr. Sugiura, we really thank you for your support. We have one
final request for you. Could you help our sons and grandsons find brides?"
We had heard that some fishermen in coastal communities wanted to
encounter someone who could be their future brides. Finding a bride is a
common problem for men in these communities. So we planned events to
meet women from outside the communities. We imagined that such events
might lead to more new brides for coastal communities, and more children
being born, which would produce more successors for the fishermen, and
in the future a bigger population. This is why we organized these
"Hamakon" matchmaking events twice, once in 2013 and once in 2014.
("Hama" indicates "beach" or "coastal community" and "kon" indicates
"marriage.")
Hamakon has resulted in one couple getting married. The other day they
announced the birth of a baby, and we are planning a party to celebrate.
Many fishermen were too shy and lacked opportunities to meet woman on
their own. Hamakon helped to increase the number of men who are active
in finding a bride. The events led not only to actual marriage but also
to positive attitudes and their own efforts to find a marriage partner.
I could say that our project has changed people's attitudes.
I think those who are not good at communication are often those who do
not know themselves well. They are not good at keeping a conversation
going and seldom fall in love. So we started with encouraging them to
write their own profiles and ask themselves "What are my interests?" or
"What kind of person am I?" We encouraged them to know themselves well,
including their interests, strengths and weaknesses.
This makes it easier to find a topic of conversation, whether it be
driving or listening to music, or whatever. As they know themselves
better, they find it easier to express themselves.
One of them said his hobby was playing Pachinko (which has been
described as a "vertical pinball" game). I jokingly suggested that he
should describe it as a ball game (laughter), but at any rate, the
process gradually increased the topics of conversation.
Launching "The Third Stage"
Among the Japan Emergency NGO (JEN) projects, the Oshika Peninsula
("Oshika Hanto" in Japanese) project was one of the last ones left
operating. There was still a lot of work left to do, but JEN's Ishinomaki
office was closed at the end of October 2015, as JEN was intended to
deal with emergency assistance.
At this stage, my colleague Arai and I talked a lot about our future plans:
"What are we able to do?" "What do we want to do first?" "Between
what we are able to do and what we want to do, what makes the most sense
and fits in best with our objectives?"
We strongly wanted to set the stage for people to be motivated to get
involved in finding or creating places where they feel safe and secure.
So we launched a group called "The Third Stage."
As we saw it, at the first stage, they had life before the earthquake
disaster; at the second stage, they had difficult life after the disaster.
That was the basis of our idea of establishing The Third Stage as a
general incorporated association (legally-registered society in Japan),
hoping that people would take a passionate step forward together
and initiate change with us at the third stage.
We launched the group on January 20, 2016. The date is my late mother's
birthday. When we talked about starting in January, I was selfish to
choose that date.
We now have two main projects. One is the independent living support
project. Involved with disaster survivors in temporary housing and at
their homes in Ishinomaki City, we work under contract to support their
independent living. The other one is the Oshika Peninsula project. It
includes the activities on the Oshika Peninsula such as "Yorain Oshika"
(Drop In Oshika), "Oshika Peninsula Network Committee" and "Let's Go to
the Beach !" (i.e., to the coastal community).
Independent Living Support Project
We are working on the Independent Living Support Project in an effort to
stay close to people who cannot move on to the next step, and encourage
them to think about the future. That's why we now focus on people living
in temporary housing.
In Ishinomaki, there are still many difficulties and delays in reconstruction.
It would be crucially important for disaster survivors to move from
temporary housing and start more independent living as a big step toward
the next stage. While supporting these people, we decided to establish
The Third Stage.
We are working with people who are now living in temporary dwellings,
specifically, those who have not yet made future plans. With temporary
houses now being consolidated, these people eventually have to move
somewhere else to live, so they need to start thinking about where to go,
what to do there, what work to do, and so on. But many still face
obstacles in planning for the future, so we are helping them identify
the obstacles.
Some say, "I don't know what to do." In such cases, we show them
specific means and systems that they can use, or encourage them to go
with us to public service offices. This gives them a chance to consider
their future.
Others say, "I'll think about it later." We tell them, "It's better to
prepare now for the future." They should at least recognize the need for
future plans.
There are also people who won't listen to us, or with whom we have
trouble getting in touch. However, we always think about communication,
based on our experience doing needs surveys and assessment surveys in
temporary housing facilities, as well as our job experience involving
human interactions.
If we can talk with someone for one minute, we can continue talking for
10 minutes. The first one minute is important. Thus, we create the
atmosphere and attitude which make the person feel comfortable to talk,
while putting out our antenna. When we receive an answer, we carefully
grasp what he or she is saying, and move the conversation forward. This
is an effective way to elicit a story from someone.
When we say goodbye to someone, we always use our special closing line
--- "We will visit you again. Never forget our faces and well-fed bodies!"
(We are rather large in size.) This makes people smile and say "I won't."
Saying goodbye with a smile will have a positive effect on the next
meeting. People will smile at us, saying "You are here again!" or "Oh,
you are the one I met the other day." We don't ask them to remember our
names; we just ask to remember our faces and physiques. The body type,
one of our characteristics, is our business tool (laughter).
Basically, we are working on the Independent Living Support Project on
weekdays, and the Oshika Peninsula Project on weekends. The activities
on the Oshika Peninsula area are being conducted through various
organizations and networks.
Yorain Oshika ("Drop In Oshika" in the local dialect)
The Yorain Oshika project is an organization for mutual assistance among
local residents. I am involved with the organization as a board member
(youth group manager). The organization has over 80 members including
the representative and deputy representative who are from the generation
of our parents. Being a generation between our parents and children, I
strive for improving activities. As a board member, I participate in the
meetings and promote interaction by connecting the organization with
those in other areas and projects.
Yorain Oshika holds events such as ochakko-kai tea gatherings and bus
tours in its social activities organized by the fureai (interaction)
working group. The tasukeai (mutual assistance) working group promotes
activities of people helping each other in need, for example with mowing
grass, taking out garbage, or accompanying someone on doctor visits.
It is not about just giving. We are neighbors who co-create a comfortable
community. We help each other, learn from one another and grow together.
We share various ideas and capabilities, accommodate a comfortable place
in which people appreciate each other, and enhance our valuable local
resources.
Oshika Peninsula Network Council
I am the representative and chairperson of the Oshika Peninsula Network
Council. The council has over 30 institutional members, including
municipalities, companies, organizations, police departments and so on,
that have connections with Oshika Peninsula communities. We can learn
from each other as equal partners by discussing common issues on the
peninsula and challenges facing participants. We can share what other
people close to us are doing and discuss what can be done together or
with help, maximizing the abilities of each participant. All of us love
Oshika Peninsula. So we think together and work together for the
communities of the Oshika Peninsula.
Some new organizations that did not have any previous connection in the
Oshika Peninsula have been able to get to know people by participating
in the meetings. Nowadays we see more and more activities jointly
conducted by members who initially made connections at the council
meetings. One of the common issues is cleaning up Prefectural Road Route
2 on the Oshika Peninsula. A total of seven clean-up events were held to
pick up litter.
This activity was also started by the two of us -- my partner Arai and
me -- and now 70 to 90 people join us. We work together to deal with
issues for building communities where people can lead secure lives.
Let's go to the beach!
The Hama e iko (meaning, "Let's go to the beach!") project is a new
project that was started to offer opportunities to interact and exchange
views for building a community for the future. The project is based on
the local people's wishes to convey their gratitude to people who have
given a helping hand in various ways, such as support and volunteering
from all over the country when the earthquake occurred, and to keep on
interacting with many more people. It is a place to talk deeply about
many topics, such as the attractiveness of working in the fisheries, the
resources of the Oshika Peninsula including the local people and the
natural environment in spring, summer, fall, and winter, as well as the
recovery.
The Oshika Peninsula, located on the eastern edge of Ishinomaki City,
consists of a sawtooth coastline, surrounded by many small and big
islets. It juts out into the sea -- one of the world's three major
fisheries, where the Kuroshio Current and the Oyashio (or Kurile)
Current meet -- and so it has a catch of a variety of fish and shellfish
throughout a year. In such an environment abundant in nature, we have
conducted our project 20 times so far, hoping to offer opportunities to
interact with local people and experience their jobs and lives, so the
participants can see, hear, and feel many things, then talk about it and
have a warm feeling through connecting with people.
We have organized such opportunities many times, hoping that local
residents could run it themselves as their own project. On the other
hand, by the effort of the local people, they have returned to their
former, busy lives, which has made it difficult for them to organize the
events on their own. So now we have joined them and work together.
As the first year to operate The Third Stage, this year we are engaged
in our activities with three main aims (listed below), focused on
receiving educational tours including the theme of disaster prevention
education, targeting mainly businesses and schools. This is the first
attempt in Ishinomaki City, under the idea of "Let's go the beach in the
Oshika Peninsula to learn from the community power that has overcome the
disaster!"
1. Experience good living on the Oshika Peninsula with its resources of
people, food, and nature; reconsider how we tend to take things for
granted in everyday life; understand the preciousness of life and
things around us; and foster a sense of gratitude.
2. Learn the importance of fellowship and the strength of teams based on
community power that has developed from mutual aid and public
assistance in the process of overcoming a disaster; develop an
awareness that working as a team can make the most of each individual.
3. On the Oshika Peninsula (which was closest to the epicenter of the
Great East Japan Earthquake), learn about earthquakes and disasters,
think about disaster prevention, develop an awareness of your own
roles and actions, and build your ability to make your own choices.
We would like to start accepting the general public in the next year.
Concluding Message
People had worries about the future of their own communities even before
the earthquake, and the same kinds of concerns exist after the earthquake.
With as many people as possible, including those living in temporary
housing and on the Oshika Peninsula, we want to continue to move ahead
together to help people find or create a places where they feel safe and
secure, at home, in the community, at work, at school, and in their own
lives.
I deeply appreciate that, after the Great East Japan Earthquake, many
people came here from other prefectures and places, working as
volunteers and creating many opportunities. To make good use of those
opportunities together, I strongly believe that we need to work with
local people, and this is what we actually do.
Years ago, I felt no attraction to Ishinomaki, so I left for Tokyo. I
thought I would find a good life for myself there. But later, I returned
to my home town of Ishinomaki with the idea that I wanted to make it
more attractive, or perhaps I had simply failed to discover its charms.
Then the earthquake happened. Now, having experienced the earthquake and
also because of my own realization that it was up to me to discover the
appeal of the place, I feel strongly that I want to create opportunities
to move people's hearts, and during the process, to work with the local
community to discover the attractions of the place.
Junko Edahiro (Chief Executive of Japan for Sustainability ), who I
consider to be like a big sister and who so kindly introduced us in this
article, gave us advice and delicious food during the emergency
assistance activities immediately after the earthquake. But even more
than that, she offered me an opportunity by getting me out of Ishinomaki
for a training. I had been so busy and overwhelmed just after the
earthquake. I was running hard and couldn't stop. My mind was filled
with so many thoughts every day. But the training was the first time
after the earthquake for me to spend some time in a place that didn't
have the rubble and smell of a disaster.
During the training, however, it was very hard to concentrate on any
lecture or task because I couldn't think of anything other than the
earthquake at that time. Ms. Edahiro noticed my situation and calmly
told me, "It's okay not to think about anything." Hearing those words, I
burst into tears, but somehow felt relieved. I had thought that I no
right to feel such emotion, because many people were in a tougher
situation than me.
During that training, I was moved and started to talk about things that
I had kept inside, unwilling or unable to express to disaster survivors
at home. But I wanted to tell others and I wanted others to feel these
things. Since that day, my heart could move on to the next stage. I am
very grateful for that.
I appreciate your kind support for our project as we go into the future.
Edited by Junko Edahiro
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How can disaster survivors and disaster-affected people take crucial
steps forward to their next stage of life? Are there tips here for
people everywhere? Please share your ideas and leave comments!
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035718.html#comment
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Season's Greetings from JFS
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for
the interest, encouraging feedback, and continuous support we have received
from our readers and supporters during the past year.
In the coming year 2017, we intend to keep moving forward and
contributing to efforts to make our world more sustainable.
To this end we welcome your collaboration and feedback at any time.
Please note that our office will be closed from December 30 to January 4
and any requests received during that period will be handled after that
date.
We wish you a happy and more sustainable new year in 2017!
Japan for Sustainability
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[JFS Web Site Additions of the Month]
- "Current Status of Renewable Energy in Japan" page updated.
(2016/12/13)
Link
- This month's cartoon:
"It makes no sense to do that survey here!" (2016/12/09)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/manga/manga_id035705.html
- JFS Newsletter No.171 (November 2016)
Disaster-Affected Ishinomaki -- Present Status (Part 1)
(2016/12/23)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035699.html
Renewable Energy Hopes and Hurdles Amid Full
Liberalization of Japan's Electricity Market(2016/12/13)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035698.html
Food Bank Kansai
--- Providing Surplus Food to Those in Need(2016/11/30)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035694.html
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