Band 1, Heft 2

One of the central questions in the development of international biotechnology policy is whether persons have the same concepts of benefit and risk between countries, and how these views influence the policy. This paper presents results of recent research on people's attitudes to biotechnology in Japan, including analysis of comments on the benefits, risks and moral acceptability of biotechnology as viewed from different sectors of society. Two samples were obtained from mail response surveys in the year 2000, from the general public (N=297) and scientists (N=370), and one from the general public in 2003 (N=377). Then the paper reviews some of the laws, policies and practice relating to agricultural biotechnology in Japan.