Existing institutional arrangements and implications for management of Tokyo Bay

The present institutional framework for decisions with respect to uses of Tokyo Bay is characterized by a complex network of ad hoc measures taken by and legislation passed by central and local governments with respect to different uses of the bay. Most measures taken deal only with one specific use. Multiple agencies at different levels of government have varying, and sometimes overlapping, responsibilities for shares of the bay’s development and management such as land reclamation, fisheries, navigation, recreation, and pollutant discharges. Table 10.1 lists the decision-makers and national laws relevant to management of Tokyo Bay. There is no overall effective coordinating mechanism: At the national level, i.e., among ministries; at the prefectural level, i.e., among prefectures; between the national and prefectural levels.