아시오 광독사건(足尾鉱毒事件) 속 빈곤문제

Abstract

This paper investigates the feature of poverty caused by pollution in Ashio Kōdoku incident(足尾鉱毒事件), and examine how poverty is dealt with in the process of ‘solving’ pollution. The 'Kōdoku mondai(鉱毒問題)’ was an environmental problem that destroyed the ecosystem along the forest and river coast, and also was a poverty problem that caused by the loss of livelihoods by the residents. However, the government's solution cut off the relationship between the environment and poverty. Residents complained of poverty and health problem caused by pollution and submitted petitions for stopping the mining industry. However, the government decided to keep mining and imposed tax exemption, so as to compensate only for the land damaged by mineral poisoning through flooding. In addition to land, however, the residents lost various productive relationships and livelihoods. Poverty caused by pollution has resulted in the dissolution of village communities including nature. Men and the youth left the village searching for work, and women, the elderly and children left in the contaminated land were neglected in poverty and “Kōdokubyō(鉱毒病).” The government denied the causality between poverty and Kōdoku, and regarded it as a general poverty problem. In addition, the “Kōdokubyō” was replaced by general hygiene problems, even though it was the combination of pollution and poverty.