land Article Managing Conflicts with Local Communities over the Introduction of Renewable Energy: The Solar-Rush Experience in Japan Noriko Akita 1,* , Yasuo Ohe 2 , Shoko Araki 1 , Makoto Yokohari 3, Toru Terada 4 and Jay Bolthouse 5 1 Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo City, Chiba 271-8510, Japan;
[email protected] 2 Faculty of International Agriculture and Food Studies, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan;
[email protected] 3 Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan;
[email protected] 4 Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa City, Chiba 277-8561, Japan;
[email protected] 5 Independent Researcher, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +81-47-308-8931 Received: 6 July 2020; Accepted: 19 August 2020; Published: 23 August 2020 Abstract: A worldwide introduction of renewable energy has been required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Concomitantly, this has caused conflict between renewable energy development and local communities over landscape changes. This study aims to clarify the factors of conflict and find a way of conflict management. A case study on Japan is used, where a solar rush occurred due to the feed-in tariff (FIT) system. We analyze the public reasons to worry about renewable energy and the spatial characteristics of its locations. A socio-spatial approach is used by first utilizing a qualitative survey based on questionnaires and interviews with the local governments to understand the awareness regarding the issues, and then utilizing a quantitative survey on the location changes to solar power by using GIS.