Recently, natural capital has gained the attention of researchers and policymakers to promote sustainability. Previous studies have investigated the value of ecosystem services with respect to specific areas or species. Other studies have investigated the value of various types of ecosystem services and natural capital by integrating a number of findings using meta-analyses at the global level. Although these studies have provided information on either the global value of natural capital or the local value of specific subjects, there is little evidence on the country-specific values of natural capital in Japan, which will provide useful information for national environmental policies. We investigated the perceived values of terrestrial and marine natural capital in Japan using internet surveys and payment card methods. Data on various natural forms of capital were collected in a unified format and comparable manner. We found that some explanatory variables, such as perceived importance and visit frequency, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, are significant drivers of the willingness to pay (WTP), which maintains each aspect of natural capital. In addition, we conducted future predictions of terrestrial and marine natural capital using a scenario developed in a previous study. Our results indicate that Japan should follow a population-dispersed scenario for the sustainable management of natural capital up to 2050.

Promoting pro-environmental travel modes is an important strategy for sustainable transportation. Previous studies have shown a positive relationship between environmental awareness and environmentally friendly travel modes, but very few studies have considered pro-environmental behaviour and choice of travel mode, particularly in the context of non-Western countries. This study examines the impact of pro-environmental behaviour on the choice of commuting mode in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore using original survey data. We use the Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause model to construct latent variables of environmentally friendly behaviours. The multinomial logistic regression results indicate that 1) pro-environmental activities and commuting mode choice are unrelated in Tokyo and Singapore, 2) recycling and energy-savings activities are positively related to commuting by bicycle/on foot in Beijing, and 3) participants in organized pro-environmental activities are less likely to use pro-environmental commuting modes in Beijing and Shanghai. The results provide supporting evidence of the habit discontinuity hypothesis and suggest a possible substitution effect between environmentally friendly travel mode choice and other environmental activities.

In-vehicle crowding on public transportation is a serious problem that transportation planners must address. Recent studies have emphasized that in-vehicle crowding impacts travelers' stress and health, while other studies have investigated how daily travel affects subjective well-being (SWB). Based on the findings of these studies, we provide useful insights into the value of a reduction in crowding in terms of SWB. The other factor we should consider is adaptation, as the effects of travel discomfort disappear after travelers become accustomed to them. In this paper, we analyzed the direct and stress-related indirect effects of dissatisfaction with in-vehicle crowding on life satisfaction, focusing on whether these effects differ by the length of time commuters have been using trains. Using a sample of 8296 train commuters in Tokyo, we found that (1) dissatisfaction with in-vehicle crowding directly lowers life satisfaction among some groups of short-term train commuters and (2) dissatisfaction with in-vehicle crowding indirectly lowers life satisfaction through stress and health, regardless of whether commuters have used trains for more or less than one year. These results revealed the importance of focusing on the stress-related indirect effects of dissatisfaction with crowding, while direct effects on SWB exist only among some commuters. Our results demonstrated the possibility of adaptation to direct effects.

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