Ken Tsuzuku, representative of a civic group, said people need to change their thinking on the issue of energy in order to promote use of natural energy sources such as wind power.

''We need to think about energy from the point of view of whether we can protect Earth rather than whether (the choice of a specific energy) will recover one's investment,'' Tsuzuku said.

He added that the use of natural energy will not spread without citizens' participation.

Mika Obayashi, deputy representative of a civic group promoting use of natural energy, expressed optimism about future energy policy in Japan, saying citizens across the country have begun to get involved in energy issues and realize that such issues are also environmental issues.

Stefan Naef, a board member of wind power cooperatives in Middelgrundens and Lynetten in Denmark, said Denmark avoided the introduction of nuclear power through efforts by citizens and organizations to challenge utility firms.

Naef was one of two overseas guests discussing energy situations in their countries.

The other, Ed Smeloff, assistant general manager of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Power Policy division, said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States revealed ''the vulnerability of nuclear plants to terrorist attacks.''

Smeloff expressed concern over recent U.S. energy policy under the administration of President George W. Bush, such as its refusal to join the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on curbing global warming.

The conference is part of a three-day event hosted by Gensuikin in Japan's southwestern city that began Wednesday.