Study on promotion of regions through actors' interactive activities concerning economic development and environmental consciousness

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The purpose of this study is to reconsider the possibility of promotion of regions through actors' interactive activities concerning economic development and environmental consciousness in the cases of Tomakomai as well as of Omuta, both of which are located in a peripheral region of Japan. In Tomokomai, eight companies established an inter-firm network for zero emission activities to contribute to a local sound material-cycle society in 2001. This network has functioned so well that each company can reduce wastes and cost of material resources. It is a good example of natural capitalism advocated by Paul Hawken. But the impact of the activities of the network on the local society is not enormous yet.In Omuta, the city authority has promoted an Eco Town Project in collaboration with Fukuoka prefectural government. The purpose of this project is to foster the so-called recycling companies for the promotion of regions. But its main activity is to locate a power station fuelled with RDF, which does not contribute to reduction of wastes derived from households. Moreover accidents happened at the power station several times and they had to stop its operation. Several citizens' groups protested against the policy of the city authority. We can see almost no collaboration between local established companies and newly located ones engaged in the recycling business.In general, social capital should be accumulated so as to make use of natural capitalism for the sake of promotion of regions. In Tomakomai, natural capitalism is strong among the established companies, but social capital is weak. On the other hand, they are-weak in Omuta.