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Examines environmental information source reliance among American and Japanese citizens. Finds that the Japanese are inclined to rely on non-mass media sources, whereas Americans exhibit greater differentiation among sources. (RS)

Deals with a study which examined the putative relation between postmaterial values and the `New Environmental Paradigm' (NEP) among mass publics in Japan and the United States. Definition of the NEP concept; Reasons for the difference of postindustrialiam, political values and the environmental paradigm interpretations in Japan; Approaches used to assess the consistency of the environmental paradigm beliefs among Japanese and American respondents.

The article presents information on the similarities and differences in the patterns and correlates of pollution relevant beliefs and behavior in Japan. Postindustrial society brings with it an inevitable heightening of official and public concern with environmental pollution. In light of this fact it becomes important to understand the dynamics by which public opinion is formulated in this area of public policy. A comparative study of pollution policy can be especially instructive inasmuch as unique cultural, economic, historical and social patterns may generate distinctive citizen conceptions of desired policy outcomes and means to achieve them.

Explores the U.S. and Japanese source reliance for environmental information. Individual characteristics which may influence patterns of public media reliance; Examination of the information source reliance among citizens among citizens of metropolitan and coastal cities in Japan; Need for policy individuals to acquire policy relevant information that could be obtained from the mass media and from personal and organization sources.

Findings from a study of environmentalists in Shizuoka Prefecture and Spokane County, Washington, suggest that there are two basic types of environmental activists in Japan. In contrast to their U.S. counterparts, most Japanese environmentalists can be characterized as less concerned about environmental preservation, natural resource scarcities, and the dangers of rampant science and technology. However, the most active and knowledgeable among them are very much like the vanguard environmentalists found in the United States. The ability of Japanese environmentalist leaders to mobilize rank-and-file members is explained in terms of the victim compensation (versus preservation of nature) orientation of Japanese environmentalism and environmental law, plus the localistic character of Japanese politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the environmental belief systems of elites and publics in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and Spokane County, Washington State. The central question posed is whether the shared forces of postindustrialism generate similar belief structures among elites in nations with quite distinct cultural, political, and historical backgrounds. As a prototypical postindustrial policy area, natural resource/environmental politics is used as the specific issue domain of study. The results emerging from this comparative inquiry reveal substantial differences between the Japanese and American local area elites in the structuring of environmental beliefs, especially in the role of postindustrial orientations. The results also suggest much larger differences in belief system content and structure between elite and general public samples in the Spokane area than in Shizuoka Prefecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]