The Silent Land - Soil Contamination Investigation and Living Concerns in Nishinasuno Town, Tochigi Prefecture (2003)

The Silent Land - Soil Contamination Investigation and Living Concerns in Nishinasuno Town, Tochigi Prefecture (2003)

In 2003, a survey of soil contamination in ordinary homes in the town of Nishinasuno, Tochigi Prefecture, highlighted the environmental risks that lurk in the daily lives of its residents. Urban development and industrialization that have been pursued in many parts of Japan since the period of rapid economic growth have brought about convenient and affluent lifestyles, but at the same time, environmental considerations have often taken a backseat. Toxic substances that have accumulated in the soil, a medium that is difficult to see, have been left unattended for many years and have only begun to become apparent at the beginning of the 21st century.

In the same year, a diagnosis conducted by domi Kankyo, a subsidiary of Penta-Ocean Construction, on vegetable gardens and residential land in Nishinasuno Town revealed high concentrations of lead, chromium, and other toxic heavy metal contamination. Lead and chromium were detected at a rate of 10% and 14%, respectively, and the severity of the contamination shocked local residents. The effects of the contamination were particularly serious because the vegetable gardens were directly related to the health of the local residents, as they were the places where vegetables were grown for their own consumption.

In the early 2000s, just after the enforcement of the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Law in Japan, the issue of soil contamination finally began to attract public attention. The soil contamination problem was finally beginning to attract public attention. In this context, the results of this survey became a symbolic event that made visible the existence of "invisible contamination" in a local city.

Concerns about the health effects and land prices among residents grew, and anxiety in the region spread rapidly. At the same time, the survey raised the environmental awareness of the citizens and spawned a citizens' group that independently measured water quality and soil. The case of Nishinasuno Town, Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the symbolic "silent pollution" cases in modern Japan that raised the question of how to balance environmental preservation and safety in daily life.