At the heart of Aichi Prefecture, so recently lit by the spotlights of Expo 2005, stands Nagoya city, with a population of 2.2 million; a vibrant center for commerce, finance, and the exchange of information. In line with the spirit of Expo 2005 ("Nature's Wisdom"), Nagoya is aiming to become a forerunner in urban environmentalism, proactively confronting environmental problems while at the same time striving to host the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity, Tenth Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10).

In contrast, flowing through the center of Nagoya is the Horikawa River, which shares the same 400-year history as Nagoya Castle, and has been similarly celebrated as a symbol of Nagoya for many years. However, this river has been severely polluted by urban development starting from the 1920's Even considering the reductions in pollution brought about by sewer system development and improved regulations, to the present day dramatic improvements in water quality have yet to be realized.

In response, citizens' expectations for cleanup of the Horikawa River have steadily risen, resulting in the implementation of various river cleanup policies by the administration. The most remarkable aspect of these measures is that they are based not only on cooperation between industry, academia, and administration, but are strongly supported by the citizens themselves.

As a concrete example of this kind of social experiment, the administration is piping large amounts of clean water from other waterways into the Horikawa River, and the citizens themselves are verifying the effectiveness of this river cleanup plan in various areas such as water quality improvements, the creation of a "river culture", and the progress towards a town filled with rich greenery.

The "orikawa Sen-nin Chosatai 2010" is a network of citizens' groups with over a thousand members, all working towards the realization of a more active lifestyle through connections to the Horikawa River. This homepage will be updated with information on the progress of these surveys from the citizens' point of view.