Public engagement in Japanese policy-making: A history of the genetically modified organisms debate

Abstract

New laws regulating the use of genetically modified organisms have recently been enacted in Japan, and there were many stakeholders involved in the development of this policy. Our review of the history and the debates held in the course of policy development regarding genetically modified organisms in Japan shows that the current regulatory system was developed taking past national and international regulatory contexts into consideration. The turning point in Japanese policy-making occurred early in this decade, at which time public engagement became an important theme. However, our review also demonstrates that this public engagement did not impact on policies, and that a discussion on how best to evaluate public engagement on policy-making in Japan is still required.