Environmental pollution caused by economic development, and the role of leaders who confront such issues, is one of the key topics in the ARI training.

On September 18th, the participants went on an observation trip to sites related to the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution Incident, the first major environmental pollution disaster in Japan.

They visited various locations over a wide area, including the former villages of Matsuki and Yanaka, which were abandoned due to air pollution and the making of a basin. They also visited the area of ​​Morita in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, where vast farmland was damaged by the collapse of a dumping site in Ashio.

Their guide was Mr. Tatsuo Sakahara, who served as the secretary-general of the citizen group “Tanaka Shozo College” until 2022. He has also been teaching about the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution Incident and Tanaka Shozo at ARI for over 40 years.

The participants observed and listened attentively, reflecting on their own local environments and communities.

“True civilization does not despoil the mountains, nor the rivers, nor destroy villages, nor kill people.”

These are words of Tanaka Shozo, who dedicated his life to resolving the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution Incident. These words resonated deeply inside the participants throughout the day.