Search

Three years has passed since the first nationwide questionnaire survey of prefectures on renewable energy policy in Japan was completed. Since then, the situations with which prefectures are faced have been changed drastically. In order to find out how prefectures react to such changes, and how are new trends in renewable energy policy emerging, the second survey was conducted from October 2020 through March 2021 jointly by the Hitotsubashi University Natural Resource-based Economies Project, The Asahi Shimbun Company, Hosei University, Nagoya University, and Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies. There were responses from 47 prefectures, for a response rate of 100%. In this paper, we present the first aggregate analysis of replies to the questionnaire and issues that are expected from the results.

Three national surveys have been carried out jointly by the Hitotsubashi University Natural Resource-based Economies Project, The Asahi Shimbun Company, and so on up to now, in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Previously, the aggregated results of each survey have been compared to discuss the changes in the situation faced by municipalities. This paper, on the other hand, uses the integrated data from the three surveys to reconfirm the changes in the responses of municipalities and the challenges they face in promoting renewable energy, taking into account the changes in the responses of individual municipalities. As a result, we obtained more realistic insights into what we could not have known or had the wrong impression of by simply following the trends of the grand totals of the previous rounds.

Three years has passed since the second nationwide questionnaire survey of municipalities on renewable energy policy in Japan was completed. Since then, the situations with which municipalities are faced have been changed drastically. In order to find out how municipalities react to such changes, and how are new trends in renewable energy policy emerging, the third survey was conducted from October 2020 through March 2021 jointly by the Hitotsubashi University NaturalResource-based Economies Project, The Asahi Shimbun Company, Hosei University, Nagoya University, and Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies. There were responses from 1289 municipalities, for a response rate of 74.0%. In this paper, we present the first aggregate analysis of replies to the questionnaire and issues that are expected from the results.

Halloysite nanotube (HNT) is a natural clay mineral with a hollow and tubular structure, which can be a potential reinforcement for biodegradable polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). This study investigates the improvement of interfacial adhesion between HNT and PVA by means of controlled acid etching on HNT surfaces. Such an improvement is attributed to a porous structure with rough HNT surfaces in that acid favors the dissolution of AlO6. The strength of PVA/HNT nanocomposites increased up to 10% when HNT were subjected to 1 h acid treatment. However, the reinforcement effect could have been more pronounced if HNT aspect ratio were maintained during the composite fabrication process.

Three years has passed since the first nationwide questionnaire survey of municipalities on renewable energy policy in Japan was completed. Since then, the situations with which municipalities are faced have been changed drastically. In order to find out how municipalities react to such changes, and how are new trends in renewable energy policy emerging, the second survey was conducted from May through July 2017 jointly by the Hitotsubashi University Natural Resource-based Economies Project, Hosei University Sustainability Study Society, The Asahi Shimbun Company, and Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies. There were responses from 1385 municipalities, for a response rate of 79.4% and 47 prefectures. In this paper, we present the first aggregate analysis of replies to the questionnaire and issues that are expected from the results.

Based on the current situation that is not fully captured the actual conditions of renewable energy use in the Japanese municipalities, the purpose of this study is to find out how renewables are being used in localities, the challenges faced and the role that national government should play by the questionnaire survey. This survey was conducted from May through July 2014 jointly by the Hitotsubashi University Natural Resource-based Economies Project and The Asahi Shimbun Company. There were responses from 1372 municipalities, for a response rate of 78.8%. In this paper, we present the first aggregate analysis of replies to the questionnaire and issues that are expected from the results.