Journal of Forensic Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (1): 74-82.DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2023.631201

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of the Development and Implementation of the Environmental Damage Compensation System in Japan

Kai HE1,2(), Jin-long YUAN1, Chang-mao QIU3, Ze-jun LIU1, Yuan-feng QI4, Zhen-hui GAO5   

  1. 1.School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, Guangdong Province, China
    2.Research Center of Water Resources and Environment, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510640, China
    3.Hunan University Law School, Changsha 410082, China
    4.School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, Shandong Province, China
    5.Institute of Eco-Environmental Forensics, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, Shandong Province, China
  • Received:2023-12-01 Online:2025-05-19 Published:2025-02-25

Abstract:

In the 1950s and 1960s, Japan’s implementation of policies prioritizing economic development caused a lack of effective supervision over the discharge of industrial wastewater and exhaust gases, which led to the occurrence of the “Four Major Pollution Diseases”, including Minamata disease, causing serious social and public health problems. To more effectively address public nuisances and provide compensation to victims, the Japanese government gradually established an environmental damage compensation system with administrative relief characteristics since the 1970s. Through long-term practice and system optimization, this system has evolved into a mature institutional framework with a clear division of labor and efficient collaboration. This paper systematically reviews the development process of Japan’s environmental damage compensation system and deeply analyzes its legal framework and supporting policies, aiming to provide useful references for the construction and improvement of China’s environmental damage compensation system. Meanwhile, through the case analysis of Minamata disease, the paper explores the specific mechanisms and effects in the compensation practices, further revealing the system’s operational characteristics and implications, and providing a reference basis for the construction of China’s environmental governance legal system.

Key words: forensic medicine, forensic identification, environmental damage, damage compensation system, public nuisance incident, Japan

CLC Number: