Analysis of the Development and Implementation of the Environmental Damage Compensation System in Japan

In the 1950s and 1960s, Japan's implementation of policies prioritizing economic development caused a lack of effective supervision over the discharge of industrial wastewater and exhaust gases, which led to the occurrence of the "Four Major Pollution Diseases", including Minamata disease, causing serious social and public health problems. To more effectively address public nuisances and provide compensation to victims, the Japanese government gradually established an environmental damage compensation system with administrative relief characteristics since the 1970s. Through long-term practice and system optimization, this system has evolved into a mature institutional framework with a clear division of labor and efficient collaboration. This paper systematically reviews the development process of Japan's environmental damage compensation system and deeply analyzes its legal framework and supporting policies, aiming to provide useful references for the construction and improvement of China's environmental damage compensation system. Meanwhile, through the case analysis of Minamata disease, the paper explores the specific mechanisms and effects in the compensation practices, further revealing the system's operational characteristics and implications, and providing a reference basis for the construction of China's environmental governance legal system.