Current problems and prospects with the Japanese compensation system for pollution-related health damage

The Japanese compensation system for pollution-related health damage, which resulted from experiences in the 1960s and 1970s with severe cases of environmental pollution, has recently come to a crisis. This article presents scientific evidence associated with the establishment of the system and analyzes the polluters' criticism of the system. The current controversy illustrates the difficulty of applying epidemiological methods to nonspecific health effects and demonstrates the strength of industrial resistance against environmental policy in Japan.