Asbestos Disaster: Lessons from Japan's Experience

The purpose of this book is to make a contribution to scientific research on asbestos disasters and policies in Japan by means of an interdisciplinary study project. This approach is inevitable since the asbestos issue has the characteristic aspects of economy, society, medicine, epidemiology, construction, public policy and so forth. This book has the following two unique points. One is the first contribution to asbestos study through interdisciplinary methods of the world. The other is the introduction of pollution policy problems in Japan. The latter is important when we consider that Japan s pollution cases have not introduced so far in English book although Japan has been famous in serious pollutions compared to other developed countries. This book will be especially remarked by many of asbestos researchers since there are only a few books on asbestos problems with social scientific and interdisciplinary approaches. The authors particularly aim to extend the Japan s experience of asbestos disasters and public policies to Asian countries in order to contribute to prevent future victims since those countries still use a huge amount of asbestos to promote economic growth. The book will support the decision making of public policy for asbestos use in these countries when the scholars and governmental officials read it. While developed countries are faced with asbestos compensation issues though many of them prohibited asbestos use, developing countries will suffer from asbestos disasters that Japan and other developed countries now experience. It is a crucial time to publish this book.