The Evolution of Official Lessons : The Japanese Experience of the 'Big Four' Pollution Diseases Through the Lens of International Aid

Experience is an overtly accepted source of lessons but, as a social phenomenon, it is not static. This essay is an examination of the use of the 'four' big pollution diseases experience inside Japanese initiatives on international aid, looking for the changes in understanding such tragic events. Attention is placed on the elements introduced and the nuances of meaning among them. The period reviewed, from the late 80's to 2005, indicates a positive movement of the official view towards a comprehensive recognition of the history, not without voids and pending challenges