Reporting by PACNEWS Editor, Makereta Komai in Kitakyushu
Kitakyushu is one of Japan’s green technology hubs, transformed from a heavily polluted industrial city in the 1960s into a model for green growth and sustainable development.
The southern Japanese city was recognised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for successfully balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
But behind Kitakyushu’s transformation is the story of local citizens, particularly a group of mothers who stood up against pollution from the city’s coal and steel industries.
The transformation began with about 30 mothers in the 1960s who challenged industries to reduce air and water pollution.
“Their children were coming home from school covered in soot and dust from the coal and steel industries,” said Chiho Minami of the Kitakyushu City Eco-Town Centre.
The Tobata Women’s Association, founded in 1950, became one of Japan’s pioneering grassroots groups fighting pollution at a time when public protests were not common.
These local housewives stepped up to protect their families and community.
Rather than simply protesting, the women worked with scientists to carry out their own research.
They collected data, measured soot and monitored falling ash to show the link between factory emissions and respiratory illnesses affecting their children.
Their campaign, “We Want Our Blue Skies Back,” became a model for cooperation between citizens, businesses and government.
“Their voices remain the driving force behind the development of the Eco-Town project,” said Tomoko Takemoto, Sustainability Strategies Manager at the Kitakyushu City Government.
“The courage of these mothers who fought pollution because they wanted a better and cleaner environment for their children remains their legacy today,” she said.
“Because of their efforts, the modern city of about 915,000 people continues to carry the spirit and actions of its citizens.”
Pressure from the women’s group eventually brought the government, businesses and academics together to tackle industrial pollution in Dokai Bay.
The bay was once known as the “Sea of Death”, with pollution leaving its waters almost lifeless.
Today, the situation has changed dramatically.
More than 100 species of fish have returned to Dokai Bay, which is now home to a much healthier marine environment.
The efforts of the women in the 1960s and 1970s have been described as a “miracle in world history.”
Kitakyushu, the second largest city in Fukuoka Prefecture, transformed from a heavily polluted industrial city into a global environmental leader through cooperation between citizens, the local government and businesses.
The city government introduced pollution control measures and signed pollution prevention agreements directly with local industries.
“Companies and businesses that did not want to be part of the pollution prevention plan at that time were asked to leave,” Minami said.
Factories upgraded their equipment and introduced cleaner production technologies.
Advanced wastewater treatment systems and exhaust gas filters were installed to reduce pollution.
Another major initiative was resource recycling, where industrial waste from one business could be reused as raw material by another.
Kitakyushu is also part of Japan’s Future-City Initiative, which promotes sustainable and people-friendly communities that respond to challenges such as an ageing population and environmental problems.
The city was designated by Japan’s central government as the nation’s first Eco-Town, focusing on industrial recycling, renewable energy and clean technology.
The transformation of Kitakyushu shows how citizens, government, businesses and researchers can work together to tackle pollution and build a cleaner and more sustainable city.
