Researcher Database

（Last updated : 2022-12-13 09:53:54）

SHIBATA Akira

Department / Course Research Organization of Open Innovation & Collaboration

Title / Position Professor

Other Affiliations
1.	Research Organization of Open Innovation & Collaboration Research Center for Sustainability Science
2.	Research Organization of Open Innovation & Collaboration Japan Biochar Research Center

Academic background
1.	2002/03 Degree Acquisition	│ Ritsumeikan University Doctor of Philosophy in Policy Science
2.	～1975/03	Faculty of Management │ Ritsumeikan University │ Graduated
3.	～2002/03	Doctoral Program (2nd Semester) │ Graduate School, Division of Policy Science │ Ritsumeikan University │ Completed

Business career
1.	2008/06	│ Kinugasa research Organization Regional Information Research Center │ Ritsumeikan University
2.	2002/03	│ │ Riscarbo Co.ltd.
3.	1992/04 ～ 2006/05	│ │ Taiko Tec Co.Ltd.
4.	1978/04 ～ 2006/05	│ │ Taiko Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Committee and society
1.	2017/06 ～ 2019/03	Ministry of the environment Ministry of the environment "2017-18 committee of CO2 absorption through biochar

Research activities
1.		Japan Biochar Association (JBA)
2.		Japan Association for Human and Environmental Symbiosis
3.		The Wood Carbonization Research Society

Subject of research
1.	The development of the method of carbon stability and quantitative analysis for biochar storage at agricultural field
2.	The research and development of simple biochar production method
3.	The research to establish the social business scheme of carbon credit and carbon storage vegetable through biochar storage at agricultural field

Research summary
Carbon storage and carbon credit generation with biomass not used for the rural areas and carbon stored brand vegetables development, for the purpose of rural development Now, Japan has been facing major challenges including decrease of population due to industrial slowdown in rural areas and the resulting deterioration of the agricultural village environment, and the rural development has been demanded for so long. On the other hand, while it is expected, in urban areas, that greenhouse gas emission regulations will be imposed on companies in a few years, we have only a few specific and efficient techniques to reduce carbon dioxide. And although general consumers are highly aware that they should work together to do something good for the environment, they have few choices of specific techniques. In order to reduce or adapt to the globally rapid changes in weather, it is an urgent issue to reduce greenhouse gases. By performing thermal decomposition (carbonization) to the form not subject to biolysis, or organic material, without burning biomass, we make the material inorganic reduction carbon (referred to as biochar) and physically utilize it for soil improvement material and other purposes on farm land. This process makes it possible to isolate carbon into underground in long-term, leading to reduce the total carbon circulation amount on the ground surface. This is Carbon Capture and Storage (referred to as CCS) by biochar. This can be an effective and convenient technique to reduce carbon dioxide in measures against changes in climate. Then, by conducting biochar CCS on farm land, I aim to comprehensively perform rural development for restoration of agriculture, and will propose the comprehensive scheme overview and challenges. To be more specific, we will conduct biochar CCS on farm land to generate carbon credit. At the same time, we will perform eco-branding the crops produced on the farm land (COOL VEGE　TM) as 'carbon storage using charcoal and vegetables to cool the earth' and increase the product value to sell to consumers. As a result, it will facilitate purchase of carbon credit by companies and other parties in the urban areas, and will invigorate agriculture in the rural area through purchase of the area's COOL VEGE　TM with higher added value by consumers in both the rural and urban areas. The measure of money recycling from the urban area to the rural area through greenhouse gas reduction with this technique can be an effective means that aims at sustainable society achieved by low carbon society and symbiotic relationship between the rural and urban areas. This report is a study that aims to build a social framework that causes money recycling from the urban area to the rural area through greenhouse gas reduction with biochar. (See: Overall View of Carbon Minus Scheme)

Research summary(Photo/Image)

Present specialized field
Social systems engineering/ Safety system, Area Studies, Management, Resource Maintenance Studies, Forestry/Forest Engineering, Agricultural Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, Others (Keyword：Biochar, bamboo charcoal, Bamboo forest preparation, abundant bamboo forest, carbon storage, carbon sequestration, stability of carbon storage, carbon credit, carbon stored vegetable, cool vege, quantitative analysis of GHG, quantitative analysis of carbon storage in soil, simple carbonization, satoyama development,rural development, rural branding, charcompost, establishment of social scheme, environmental conscious agricultural method)

Books
1.	2014	Geotherapy: Innovative Methods of Soil Fertility Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, & Reversing CO₂ Increase (“Mobilizing biochar: A multi-stakeholder scheme for climate-friendly foods and rural sustainable development.” ) │ ,pp.12-13 (Co-authored)

Papers
1.	2017/10	Toward the development of agri-products Eco brand scheme supporting local food and agriculture │ Journal of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Agriculture │ 81 (3),pp.264-267 (Co-authored)
2.	2015	Value evaluation by consumer to agricultural branding through agri farmland carbon sequestration │ Wood Carbonization Research │ 12 (1),pp.9-16 (Co-authored)
3.	2014/04	A study of proposed standards for refractory carbon in biochar │ 木質炭化学会誌 │ 10 (2),pp.74-86 (Co-authored)
4.	2010	A Rural Revitalization Scheme in Japan Utilizing Biochar and Eco-Branding: The Carbon Minus Project, Kameoka City │ Annals of Environmental Science │ 4 (Co-authored)
5.	2008/10	Carbon minus & rural development through biomass char : Carbon minus Project:: the endeavor of money flow back to country from city │ Wood Carbonization Research │ 5 (1),pp.2-10 (Sole-authored)
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Academic conference presentation
1.	2014/02/13	Cooling the earth from dinner table; Cool Vege and Carbon minus project (2nd FOREBIOM Workshop Potentials of biochar to mitigate Climate Change)
2.	2013/07/12	GHG Reduction Area Brand Agricultural Products to sustain the Environment (Workshop on Biochar Promotion in Wetland of Indonesia)
3.	2013/03/15	CO₂ mitigation and rural development by biochar and environmentally friendly vegetables Cool Vege (Biochar Workshop at Manila: Application technology for Sustainable Rice Production)
4.	2013/03	Biochar production and application in Kameoka case (Capacity Building for the Efficient Utilization of Biomass for Bioenergy & Food Security in the GMS: Regional Workshop & Study Tour on Efficient Utilization of Biomass for Biochar Production & Application)
5.	2012/11/28	GHG Reduction Area Brand Agricultural Products to sustain the Environment (Cool Vegetable) (Jogjakarta Cool-Vege Workshop)
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