In the fiscal year 2022, 98.3 percent of the population in Japan had access to drinkable tap water from water services, following a slow but steady increase in the 2010s. Most of the tap water was supplied using waterworks, while a smaller amount was supplied with small-scale water supply systems as well as private water supply systems.
Wastewater treatment in Japan
Water pollution has become an environmental issues worldwide. Marine pollution is mainly caused by oil and waste, such as disposable plastic products. Therefore, wastewater treatment is essential to supply safe and drinkable water. The Japanese government strictly regulates tap water under the Water Supply Act enacted in 1957. In recent years, the share of population served by wastewater treatment systems increased to over 92 percent. The majority of citizens were served by sewage lines.
 Water consumption in Japan
In recent years, the average daily water consumption volume per person in Japan stood at around 281 liters. The Kanto region had the largest demand for water, likely because the metropolitan area of Tokyo is densely populated and represents one of the main industrial centers on the archipelago.
Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022
fiscal years 1950 to 2022; the Japanese fiscal year starts on April 1 of the stated year and ends on March 31 of the following year
Supplementary notes
Tap water penetration rate= total number of population with access to tap water (supplied with waterworks + supplied with a small-scale water-supply system + supplied with a private water supply system) / total number of population
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MLIT (Japan). (April 1, 2024). Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 09, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/
MLIT (Japan). "Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022." Chart. April 1, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/
MLIT (Japan). (2024). Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/
MLIT (Japan). "Share of Population with Access to Drinkable Tap Water from Water Services in Japan from Fiscal Year 1950 to 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Apr 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/
MLIT (Japan), Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/ (last visited December 09, 2024)
Share of population with access to drinkable tap water from water services in Japan from fiscal year 1950 to 2022 [Graph], MLIT (Japan), April 1, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1136150/japan-drinking-water-penetration-rate/