Providing quality recreation experiences in Japan

This paper uses a choice experiment to evaluate the benefits to trekkers of the natural environment and the provision of appropriate recreation experiences in the Uryu-numa Mire, northern Japan. The result, applying a conditional logit model, shows that restoration of the natural environment are positively valued by trekkers, and their respective willingness to pay for one percentage point improvement are JPY 32.6 and 59.6. Likewise, provision of appropriate recreation experiences, setting a limit on the number of trekkers a day, is also positively valued. The results indicate that the optimal number of trekkers is 458, and the willingness to pay for controlling the number of trekkers from 800 to 458 is JPY 1,457. In Japan, importance of the quality of recreation experiences is not well recognized by park managers. However, our results indicate that both restoring the environment and providing excellent recreation experiences are significant challenges for recreation areas.

Investigating spatially autocorrelated consumer preference for multiple ecolabels: Evidence from a choice experiment

This study investigates spatial autocorrelation in consumer preferences for diverse ecolabels, such as certified ecolabel (type I) and non-certified ecolabel (type II). Ecolabels encourage consumers to purchase environmentally friendly products by informing them of production methods, but their impact is still limited. Further exploration of consumer preferences for ecolabels is vital to understand their influences and improve the efficiency of ecolabel policy. Not only the socioeconomic attributes of consumers but also a spatial spillover effect among consumers may influence consumer preferences for ecolabels, but the extent of its influence remains unclear. This study conducted a choice experiment employing multiple ecolabeled rice and obtained spatially structured data. Spatial analysis revealed a positive spatial autocorrelation in consumers' choices, implying that homogeneous behavior would be observed among consumers who are spatially close to each other. This result suggests that consumers in one region would like to purchase ecolabeled rice frequently, whereas consumers in another region would like to decline to purchase it. Therefore, when evaluating the impact of ecolabel policies, ignoring a positive spatial autocorrelation misunderstands the impact of policies. Furthermore, consumers ' preferences are diverse according to the type of ecolabels. Consumers are willing to pay more to certified ecolabels than non-certified ecolabels. This study proposes practical policy implications for more efficient ecolabel policies based on the results

The integer programing extreme value (IPEV) model: An application for estimation of the leisure trip demand

Natural Resource Economics Discussion Papers are preliminary research reports by members of the GSA-NRE Kyoto University circulated for comments and suggestions. They have not been externally peer-reviewed or been subject to the review by the editorial board.We developed an integer programing extreme value (IPEV) model that accounts the integer property of trip data and has the same advantages as the multiple discrete–continuous extreme value choice (MDCEV) model. The proposed model is consistent with utility theory and provides a single structural framework for simultaneously modeling the choice of alternatives and quantity decisions with the constraint of the integer value of consumption. We demonstrate that the proposed model has a closed-form probability expression. Finally, we apply the proposed model to the recreation demand for national parks in Japan. The empirical results suggest that the proposed model provides a better fit for the data than the previous model and that ignoring the integer property of demand might cause an underestimation of the welfare loss

The influence of decision-making rules on individual preference for ecological restoration: Evidence from an experimental survey

We conduct an experimental survey to analyze how rules for collective decision-making influence individual preferences concerning nature restoration projects. Our study compares two decision-making rules - a consensus rule and a majority rule - wherein participants decide on a plan concerning nature restoration in the Kushiro Wetland, Japan. Our main finding is that the difference between the individual preferences and collective decision-making is less significant under the consensus rule than the majority rule. Furthermore, there is a larger disparity with regard to the marginal willingness to pay between collective and individual decisions when participants are unsatisfied with the results of collective choice.

ベスト・ワースト・スケーリングによる知床国立公園の魅力の定量評価

知床国立公園を訪問したいと考える人々が, どのような理由からそのように考えるかを, ベスト・ワースト・スケーリング(BWS) により把握した。その結果, 人々は知床の原生的な自然環境や日本の最北東端に位置するという地理的な特徴に最も魅力を感じており, 次いで, 知床の豊かで固有性の高い地域資源に魅力を感じていることがわかった。また, ランダムパラメータモデルによる推定の結果, アウトドア体験やエコツアーへの参加, 野生動物との遭遇については, 選好の多様性が大きいことがわかった

A VCP modulator, KUS121, as a promising therapeutic agent for post-traumatic osteoarthritis

京大開発の薬剤「KUS121」の変形性膝関節症への効果を確認 --外傷性変形性関節症の治療薬として臨床応用へ--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-17.Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a major cause which hinders patients from the recovery after intra-articular injuries or surgeries. Currently, no effective treatment is available. In this study, we showed that inhibition of the acute stage chondrocyte death is a promising strategy to mitigate the development of PTOA. Namely, we examined efficacies of Kyoto University Substance (KUS) 121, a valosin-containing protein modulator, for PTOA as well as its therapeutic mechanisms. In vivo, in a rat PTOA model by cyclic compressive loading, intra-articular treatments of KUS121 significantly improved the modified Mankin scores and reduced damaged-cartilage volumes, as compared to vehicle treatment. Moreover, KUS121 markedly reduced the numbers of TUNEL-, CHOP-, MMP-13-, and ADAMTS-5-positive chondrocytes in the damaged knees. In vitro, KUS121 rescued human articular chondrocytes from tunicamycin-induced cell death, in both monolayer culture and cartilage explants. It also significantly downregulated the protein or gene expression of ER stress markers, proinflammatory cytokines, and extracellular-matrix-degrading enzymes induced by tunicamycin or IL-1β. Collectively, these results demonstrated that KUS121 protected chondrocytes from cell death through the inhibition of excessive ER stress. Therefore, KUS121 would be a new, promising therapeutic agent with a protective effect on the progression of PTOA