Neighbors Across the Sea - Tokunoshima and Kikai Town, Dialogue on Recycling Facilities (2002)

Neighbors Across the Sea - Tokunoshima and Kikai Town, Dialogue on Recycling Facilities (2002)

In 2002, discussions over the location of recycling facilities became active in the Amami Islands as part of the formation of a recycling-oriented society. In particular, there was a conflict between Tokunoshima Town and Kikai Town over "fairness in accepting waste from other islands" and "burden of transportation costs. Tokunoshima Town was concerned about the burden of the facility, while Kikai Town appealed for the geographical advantage of its central location and the effective use of subsidies. In the background was the extension of the Remote Islands Development Law and the development of the environmental law system, and the urgent need to rebuild the waste disposal system on the remote islands. The mayors of each town held a series of discussions in Kagoshima Prefecture, but agreement was extremely difficult to reach due to the intertwined feelings of local residents over tourism image and profitability. This controversy was a symbolic example of the challenges unique
to remote islands in achieving self-governance and regional circulation.