Development of Green Consumer Activities in Japan

Abstract
Green consumer activities in Japan began with publishing a local consumer guide of Kyoto in 1991. The local consumer guide was unique to Japan and stimulated groups to further voluntary activities in other regions. A nationwide green consumer guide was issued in 1994 and 1999. It facilitated forming green purchasing networks and helped distributors address environmental issues. In recent years, local governments have had more concerns with green consumer activities and started some joint activities with citizens. In the future, new green consumer activities which will contribute towards building a sustainable society should be developed by working in tandem with green purchasing, evaluating manufactures and providing information about products at the store or on the Web.

Key words: green consumer, local consumer guide, green purchasing, partnership