Designing a circular cities declaration for Japan building on the European Union's case study.

Japan is progressing towards its circular economy (CE) goals as many of its cities have adopted circular city (CC) policies and programs, although further progress is constrained as a result of the lack of a common framework. A novel framework was proposed with the "European circular cities declaration" (ECCD) (2020), consisting of a list of 10 principles committing to integrate circularity into the city's design, development, and management. As a foremost finding, and building on the authors' previous studies of Japan's CE and CC, this work shaped a circular cities declaration (CCD) for Japan following a triple-axis methodology; It (1) evaluates the ECCD as a baseline, (2) adapts it to Japan's unique socio-economic landscape, and (3) considers the three pillars of sustainable development, offering practical guidance for governments facing similar challenges.

The rising phenomenon of circular cities in Japan. Case studies of Kamikatsu, Osaki and Kitakyushu.

Japan has a culture of appreciating nature, but Japan is the 7th biggest waste producer of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, as it only recycles 19,6 %, deposits 1 % in landfills, and incinerates the rest. Japan also has one of the lowest rates (20 %) of renewable energy of OECD countries, and recently has decided to reactivate nuclear power plants. In contrast, cases of local circular economy initiatives are increasing in Japan.

Circular economy and zero-carbon strategies between Japan and South Korea: A comparative study.

The global population is increasing, as is the demand for basic materials. At the same time, key resources are in short supply, and the extraction and use of raw materials have major environmental implications, for instance, increased CO emission. In a Circular Economy (CE), resources and products are divided, leased, reused, repaired, refurbished, and recycled, extending product life cycles, reducing waste, and generating additional value.

Forest frontiers out of control: The long-term effects of discourses, policies, and markets on conservation and development of the Brazilian Amazon.

With the Brazilian military governments of the 1960s, systematic economic development of the Amazon began. Social and environmental concerns have entered Amazonian discourses and policies only since the 1990s. Since then, reports of threats to forests and indigenous people have alternated with reports of socio-economic progress and environmental achievements.

The forest restoration frontier.

Forest restoration has resulted in approximately 300 million ha of restored forests until today. During the second decade of the twenty-first century several international initiatives have sprung up which aim to add 350 million ha of restored forest by 2030. The paper reviews the development of the forest restoration frontier.

New frontiers in Japanese Forest Policy: Addressing ecosystem disservices in the 21st century.

Forests are a potential solution to numerous global environmental issues, and their restoration is widely pursued. Forty percent of Japan's forests are planted forests. This has caused the common occurrence of forest ecosystem disservices in the country, like-wildlife damage, pollinosis, and driftwood damage.

Diterpenoid, steroid, and triterpenoid agonists of liver X receptors from diversified terrestrial plants and marine sources.

It has been demonstrated that liver X receptors (LXR) play a significant role in cholesterol homeostasis. Agonists of LXR are expected to increase cellular cholesterol efflux, lower LDL, and raise HDL levels. Screening of a natural product library of plant extracts using a LXR-SPA binding assay and bioassay-guided fractionation of a number of plant and marine gorgonian extracts led to the isolation of a number of active compounds.