Institute for Social Vision Design

Climate, Food, and Energy Security

Intersections of climate change and social inequality, food self-sufficiency structures, energy security, and aging water infrastructure.

10 items

Insights & Analysis

Structural Problems in Agriculture and Food Security——Reading the Meaning of 38% Self-Sufficiency

Analyzing the structural background of Japan's 38% food self-sufficiency rate. Tracing the chain from aging farmers to abandoned farmland to food security.

JapanEnvironmentEconomyPolicy Analysis
Practice Guides

Integrating Climate Justice and Social Policy — A Design Guide

A guide to the 'just transition' framework for designing climate action and social welfare policy in an integrated manner.

GuideClimate ChangeEnvironmental JusticeWelfare
Insights & Analysis

The Day the Strait Closes — Japan's Structural Vulnerability in Energy Security

In late February 2026, US-Israeli strikes on Iran led to the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Japan, which depends on the Middle East for 93.5% of its crude oil imports, has its national security lifeline flowing through this strait where 20 million barrels pass daily. An analysis of the structural vulnerability that a 204-day reserve cannot solve.

EnergyPolicy AnalysisGeopoliticsJapan
Debates

Can Nuclear Power Be a Viable Option for 'Decarbonization'?

A simulation debate analyzing the trade-off between nuclear power's decarbonization potential and safety risks. Examines lifecycle CO2 emissions, nuclear waste management, and the optimal combination with renewable energy from the perspective of energy mix structure.

DebateEnergyEnvironmentClimate Change
Insights & Analysis

The Structure Behind 38% Food Self-Sufficiency — Rethinking Food Security in an Age of Globalization

Calorie self-sufficiency at 38%, soybean import dependency at 92.4%, food waste of 4.64 million tons, and child poverty at 11.5%. Japan's food security paradox.

International AffairsEnvironmentJapanSocial Issues
Insights & Analysis

Renewable Energy and the Regional Economy — New Inequalities Born of the Energy Transition

Analyzing regional disparities in renewable energy deployment and the structural impact on local economies. Reading the asymmetry of benefits and burdens.

EnergyEnvironmentRegionalEconomy
Debates

Can Climate Action and Economic Growth Coexist?

A simulation debate contrasting green growth theory with degrowth arguments. Examines whether Japan can achieve the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target while sustaining economic growth, and whether transitioning away from GDP-dependent models is realistic.

DebateClimate ChangeEconomyEnvironment
Labs

Those Living Along Arterial Roads Bear the Greatest Noise Burden — An Environmental Justice Hypothesis for Japan

Low-income households and persons with disabilities tend to concentrate in affordable housing along arterial roads, and the severity of noise exposure is inversely proportional to income. While international theoretical frameworks are well established, empirical evidence in Japan is nonexistent. This note examines the structure in which the Ministry of the Environment acknowledges the problem yet takes no action.

Environmental JusticeZoningNoise InequalityUrban Planning
Labs

Four Research Hypotheses and Verification Plan

Formulating the relationship between urban noise and sensory stress into four research hypotheses. Identifying research gaps in sensory-sensitive individuals × outdoor routes, zoning × noise disparity, complaint void zones, and context-dependent stress, presenting a Phase 0-3 verification roadmap.

Traffic NoiseSensory SensitivityResearch DesignMisophonia
Insights & Analysis

US-Israeli Attacks on Iran — Ripple Effects on Energy Security and Civil Society

From the 2025 Twelve-Day War to the February 2026 strikes. Examining Japan's energy security vulnerability with 96% Middle East oil dependency.

International AffairsMiddle EastEnergyJapan