Fishery Decline and Environmental Problems during the High Growth Period (1955-1975) in Chiba, Japan

Fishery Decline and Environmental Problems during the High Growth Period (1955-1975) in Chiba, Japan

During the high-growth period, I lived in a fishing village in Chiba. At that time, factories were rapidly being built along the coast of Tokyo Bay, and the area reclaimed reached approximately 40,000 hectares between 1955 and 1975. Our fishing grounds disappeared visibly, and our catch plummeted from 200,000 tons in 1955 to 80,000 tons in 1975. My father said, "We may not be able to catch any more fish," and he was worried about the future of our family.

The water and air were also severely contaminated. In Kameyama Lake, chemical substances were detected more than 100 times the environmental standard, and in Tokyo Bay, PCBs and heavy metals accumulated in marine organisms. In Ichihara City, 15% of all students suffered from bronchitis, a health hazard that became apparent. The population of the fishing village declined, from approximately 20,000 in 1965 to less than 15,000 in 1975.

As land reclamation progressed, the fishing industry, which had supported the family's livelihood, became unviable, and my father changed jobs to work at a factory, but he still misses the days when he could live freely at sea. My grandmother said, "In the old days, the sea gave us everything," illustrating the magnitude of the nature that has been lost. For me, Chiba's period of rapid economic growth was a time when life became more convenient, but at the same time many important things were lost.