The Day to Build a Chimney in the Backyard--Ukiha Sancho, Fukuoka: Waste Disposal and the Agreement of Silence (2002)

The Day to Build a Chimney in the Backyard--Ukiha Sancho, Fukuoka: Waste Disposal and the Agreement of Silence (2002)

In 2002, following the enforcement of the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society, municipalities were under pressure to establish a sustainable waste disposal system. The three towns of Ukiha, Tanushimaru, and Yoshii in Fukuoka Prefecture were no exception. The Ukiha County Sanitation Facility Association, of which they are a part, was considering the construction of a new waste treatment facility with a capacity of 23 tons per day, but had not decided on a recipient.

Everyone produces waste, but no one wants to carry the burden of a smokestack. Consensus on a site for the proposed facility was difficult to reach. There were deep-seated concerns about dioxin and health hazards associated with incineration facilities, and no matter how much the government tried to explain the safety of the facility, it was not easy to dispel the mistrust of the local residents.

In addition, at the time, the municipalities were about to merge, and careful discussions were being held with a view to future administrative integration and budget allocation. The question was not just about infrastructure development, but also about the ethics of the community as to who would shoulder the "invisible burden.

The silence and coordination among the three towns was a mirror of the quiet democracy of the region. In the act of deciding where to put the garbage, the very nature of the community itself was at stake.