【Special Issues: Current Status of R&D Technologies for Waste Biomass Utilization】
Biomass Nippon Strategy
Kiyoshi Fujimoto
Director of Resources Recycling Office, Environment Policy Division, Minister's Secretariat Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
（1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-Ku, 100-8950 Tokyo Japan）

Abstract
The Biomass Nippon Strategy was decided upon by the Japanese government at a cabinet meeting held in December, 2002. It is Japan's first national strategy to utilize biomass as a valuable resource, and is comprehensive in that it takes on viewpoints from the varied areas of technology, social and economic systems. This means that Japan has declared its decision to stop wasting precious resources. There are four basic reasons for adopting this strategy: Climate change prevention; Development of a recycling-oriented society; Incubation of new industries; and the activation of rural areas. Three types of goals have been set（technical, regional and national）with specific action plans for production, collection and transportation, conversion technologies, and stimulation of demand for energy or material uses. Through cooperation between several ministries, the implementation of the Strategy has been going on for the past one year, however there remain many challenges to be tackled including the high costs of using biomass and stimulating the demand for biomass products. Despite these hurdles, however, the utilization of biomass will continue to be an important policy issue in Japan.

Key words: Biomass Nippon Strategy, climate change, recycling-oriented society, incubation of new industries, activation of rural areas