Feature

A Light Rail Transit (LRT) introduced to create compact city (in front of Toyama International Conference Center)

Targeted structure of cutues-- "Dumplings" and "Skewers" Skewers: Public transportation with a certain quality level Dumplings: Local hubs within walking distance connectesd by skewers

Toyama Bay sushi (blessings from Toyama Bay)

I. Features of Toyama, the Host City of the G7 Environment Ministers' Meeting 2016

1. Abundant with natural blessings from the sea and the mountains

Toyama Prefecture features a remarkably dynamic landscape. Over just 40 to 50 kilometers, the Toyama Plain connects the 3,000 meter-high peaks of beautiful Tateyama Mountain Range to the 1,000-meter-deep Toyama Bay. The elevation difference is some 4,000 meters. Clean and good-quality water from snow and rain on the Tateyama Mountain Range supplies a wealth of nutrients to Toyama Bay. Thus, Toyama enjoys not only diversified blessings from the soil but fresh and delicious blessings from the sea.

Toyama City, the capital of Toyama Prefecture, has a population of approximately 420,000 in an area of about 1,200 square kilometers. The productive agricultural land on the plains has seen prosperity as the key traffic point for the region since the end of the seventh century.

2. Toyama, a cutting edge prefecture on environmental and energy issues

The Toyama Prefectural Government has been tackling environmental conservation with full support from its citizens with an aim to lead the circum-Japan Sea area as a forerunner prefecture on environmental and energy issues. Its diversified activities include: 1) introduction of renewable energy such as small scale hydropower that takes advantage of Toyama's local characteristics; 2) eliminating the distribution of free plastic shopping bags at stores prefecture-wide; 3) woodland cultivation and regeneration through the Toyama-specific tax to help conserve woodlands; and 4) bus emissions control in the Tateyama alpine area. Moreover, Toyama Prefectural Government has been promoting international environmental cooperation by establishing Regional Coordinating Unit Toyama Office of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2004, and hosting the Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and Korea in 2007.

The Toyama City Government has also been actively engaged in various environmental initiatives. For more than 10 years, it has been addressing itself to realizing a Compact City for sustainable society, facing a declining population and a super-aging society that is common to local cities of developed countries. The city was recognized in the 2012 OECD report on "Compact City Policies" as one of the five cities of the world with advanced approaches. The United Nations Climate Summit 2014 merited Toyama City as an energy efficiency accelerator under city-led initiatives. In the same year, the Rockefeller Foundation admitted Toyama City to the 100 Resilient Cities Network as Japan's sole representative city.

The Ministry of the Environment, Japan believes that Toyama City, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, was selected as the host city of the G7 Environment Ministers' Meeting 2016 thanks to its aforementioned track records with regard to diversified environmental issues.

II. Ready for the G7 Environment Ministers' Meeting 2016

1. Determination to lead the world in environmental dimension

At the meeting in Toyama, world advanced city of Environment, during May 15-16, the G7 environment ministers discuss global issues and making public their political will to lead the world in environmental issues.

2. Excursions

We plan to invite our guests to excursions to observe co-existence with nature and efforts to overcome flood damages, to relish various historic and cultural legacies, and to review our predecessors' efforts to prevent environmental damages to nature and human health. At reception parties, the guests will be served with Toyama's delicious food, fresh from the sea and mountains, to their hearts' content.