Welcome to Ashio Green Growing Association web site Japan 　　　Update 09/05/2007

Ashio-dozan Greenery Project Planting trees in the first pollution site in Japan. Since 1996, civil groups have been planting trees to bring back forests to the degraded land where gray bedrock exposes itself, an activity that may take several hundred years. In 2002, which marks the 7th year of this activity, the number of indigenous tree species planted e.g., Japanese variations of Zelkova, andromeda,and oaktotals more than 15,000. People who participated in this reforestation activity came from all over Japan, totaling approximately 3,500 people. 　 Organizations including schools and local government office have also supported this effort. This is Ashio-dozan, a copper-mine where Japan’s first pollution case took place. Shortly after the government of the Meiji-era increased the production of this copper mine to strengthen the national 　economy and military force in 1885, forests near the copper mine and fish in the Watarase-River started to die.

More than 50,000 fishermen and farmers who lived along the Watarase-River arose and went to battle against the government under the leadership of Mr.Tanaka Shozo, the first House representative who sided with the local people. The case closed with the forced evacuation of Yanaka villagers from the Watarase basin, while the mine continued its operation until 1973. This place marks a beginning point of various pollution and environmental problems that Japan has experienced while promoting modernization.

2007 Yaars Shedule

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Ashio Green Growing Association Office Gunma
TEL +81 277 20 4633 　FAX +81 277 78 9731
Contact US ：　ｔａｋａｋｕｗａ＠ａｓｈｉｏ−ｍｉｄｏｒｉ．ｃｏｍ

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