ABSTRACT
As international understanding of Japan’s influence on the global environment has grown, Japan’s environmental policies and the institutions responsible for their implementation have been subject to increasing scrutiny and pressure. In response, the members of a Cabinet meeting on the global environment agreed on 30 June 1989 that Japan should take a lead in creating an international framework for environmental protection. In July 1989 the administration, headed by PM Sousuke Uno, stated that 1989–90 would be Japan’s year of global environmental diplomacy. 1 Although we should be grateful that Japan recognizes the seriousness of the environmental problem, we should also cautiously consider whether it is in a position to take a lead on environmental issues.
