**The Transitional Gaze: The Emergence of Environmental Democracy and the Awakening of Civil Society (April 1995)***.

**The Transitional Gaze: The Emergence of Environmental Democracy and the Awakening of Civil Society (April 1995)***.

In April 1995, in the aftermath of the bursting of the bubble economy, new social issues were beginning to emerge in various parts of Japan. It was a time when the national government, local governments, and civil society were shifting their stance from one of economic growth to one of environmental symbiosis. Against this backdrop, a conflict with citizens over the construction of an incinerator surfaced in Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The administration called it a "clean center concept" and promoted the safety of the incinerator and its contribution to the community, but the residents, concerned about health hazards and declining land prices, vehemently opposed the idea. With the council also shaken, the administration had no choice but to shift its stance from "persuasion" to "dialogue.

Meanwhile, recycling activities by citizens in Chiba City were attracting attention. The city's efforts to become a "resource-recycling city," including recycling stations managed by local residents and a high recycling rate through collection by material, were pioneering in the country. This movement was not merely a matter of waste disposal technology, but also a question of the quality of self-governance with citizen participation. Citizens became the main actors in environmental issues and built a cooperative relationship with the government.

The struggles of Hadano City and the challenges of Chiba City reflect the two extremes in the transitional period of environmental administration. One faces the limitations of the system, while the other pioneers a new system through the power of citizens. Both are at the crossroads of the environment and democracy, brought about by the year 1995.