The green vision in Japan: Why, what, where and when?

The concept of the environmental conscious product from Europe landed also in Japan, and progressed in various forms, especially in Japanese electronic industry. There are some important concepts for designing electric equipment in Japan. The design engineers are developing portable type electric equipment using "Kei-Haku Tan-Sho"(*) technologies. As the enviromental awareness increases throughout the world, it becomes more necessary to consider the environment to produce electric equipment. While the background of a design engineer's concept is introduced, it is shifting to the way of manufacturing that took into consideration new more safer materials and environment in the design engineer. There are various arguments about environmental issues and the importance is pointed out not only from a legal regulation but also from the needs of a market. The notebook type personal computer is given as an example enforced with the concept with "A negative legacy isn't left in the 21st century." This paper describes the background of Japanese environmental movements and the development of green products using "green materials".