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Ministry of the Environment (Japan)
Encyclopedia
The of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was formed in 2001 from the sub-cabinet level Environmental Agency established in 1971. The minister is a member of the Cabinet
Cabinet of Japan
The of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister and up to fourteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister...
and is chosen by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
, usually from the Diet
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
.
, the current is Goshi Hosono
Goshi Hosono
is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Ōmihachiman, Shiga and graduate of Kyoto University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000. He is the current Nuclear Disaster Minister...
. See the list of ministers for former ministers.
In March 2006, the Minister of the Environment, Yuriko Koike
Yuriko Koike
is a Japanese politician, who was the Minister of Defense in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but resigned August 27, 2007 after only 54 days in office...
, created a furoshiki
Furoshiki
Furoshiki are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods. Although possibly dating back as far as the Nara period, the name, meaning "bath spread", derives from the Edo period practice of using them to bundle clothes while at...
cloth to promote its use in the modern world.
In August 2011, Japan's Cabinet approved a plan to establish a new energy watchdog under the Environment Ministry.