Controversial Facilities in Japan, 1955-1995

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that lead decision-makers and authorities in Japan to select localities as host communities for often-unwanted and controversial facilities such as nuclear power plants, dams, and airports. The dataset contains observations on approximately 500 Japanese cities, towns, and villages covering the period from 1955 through 1995. Data was collected through archival research, interviews with anti-facility activists and officials, and surveys of relevant government offices throughout Japan. This dataset is designed to investigate questions of site selection and siting success for often unwanted projects in Japan. The dataset contains only localities that meet the geographical and geological criteria for siting such facilities, such as land that is both impermeable to water and resistant to seismic shocks. Variables assessed include the number of siting attempts and successes in the locality, the town's location in Japan by prefecture and by political district code, along with information on demographic, socioeconomic, and political factors. Demographic information includes sex ratios in the locality over time along with percentage of elderly in the population. Socioeconomic status was examined through measures of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector workforces over time, including variables on the coastal, mid-range, and deep sea fishing cooperatives (where applicable). Political variables include district magnitude, presence or absence of a prime minister from locally elected representatives, number of long-term Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) representatives, and the number of members of the town council and their political party. Additional political variables include the number and percentage of representatives from all major political parties in the national legislature, the political party of the mayor, and measures of over-time support from the area for the long-dominant LDP. The dataset also contains publicly-available information on compensation provided to the communities and information on eminent domain use.