Relay Column

Air pollution monitoring station

We, DKK-TOA Corporation (Tokyo-based, listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange), are a nation-leading manufacturer of air pollution monitoring equipment. We installed an air pollution monitoring station in January at our Sayama Technical Center in Saitama Prefecture. The monitoring station houses NOx, SO₂, and ozone monitors along with a PM2.5 monitor.

Each year, DKK-TOA receives delegations of foreign visitors to study environmental administration. As we receive requests not only for explanations of the monitoring equipment but also for advice on the installation of the total environmental monitoring system, we have fully equipped and arranged this station so that visitors are able to learn how to install the equipment. We also demonstrate the remote monitoring system using a data logger*1 so that visitors might understand and appreciate Japan's cutting-edge air monitoring systems.

We have also opened this monitoring station as a training facility on maintenance management for domestic and foreign maintenance engineers. We hope to contribute to the collection of accurate data through the appropriate management of air pollution monitoring equipment.

We are planning to receive participants in training courses offered by KITA*2 in June.

Rice paddies and a boy in Toyooka, where storks live at peace
Photo provided by Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture

Wetlands International Japan (WIJ), in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the United Nations University, co-hosted a symposium in Tokyo on "World Wetlands Day"(the day the Ramsar Convention was adopted), February 2nd. In accordance with this year's theme "Wetlands and Agriculture," the symposium focused on efforts to enhance biodiversity in rice paddies.

Under the Ramsar Convention, rice paddies are considered a wetland system. Presentations at the symposium introduced efforts across Japan such as a "Storks Friendly Farming" method, "The Fish Nursery Paddy Field Project", and survey on living creatures in rice paddies. After the presentations, participants engaged in lively discussions and pointed out that further expansion of such efforts would require the deepening of consumer understanding.

WIJ serves as NGO focal point for the Ramsar Convention's CEPA (Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness). By continuing to host such events, research, and PR activities, we wish to deepen understanding of the importance of wetlands and to contribute to the promotion of their conservation and wise use at home and abroad.