A Study on the Role of “Voluntary Intermediary Actors”

This study investigates the evolving role of voluntary Intermediary Actors in the context of Kamikatsu Town’s Zero Waste (ZW) policy in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Since the early 2000s, Kamikatsu has developed its ZW policy through phases—beginning as a government-led waste separation initiative, transitioning into a collaborative, lifestyle-oriented program, and more recently becoming a symbolic regional brand. Throughout this trajectory, intermediary actors have shifted from municipal officials and formal organizations such as the Zero Waste Academy (ZWA) to individual ZW Promoters, who operate in part-time, loosely institutionalized roles. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and archival data, this study shows how ZW Promoters have functioned as self-directed mediators who bridge administrative intentions and the everyday concerns of residents. Their flexible engagement—often extending beyond their formal mandates—enabled them to support policy translation, conflict negotiation, and public trust-building, especially during key moments such as the 2020 policy renewal. While their non-specialist and part-time status poses limitations in terms of continuity and formal authority, it also allows for autonomy, responsiveness, and context-sensitive coordination. This case underscores the value of informal, volunteer-based intermediaries in sustaining inclusive and adaptive environmental governance in rural settings.