Abstract: Since the 1970s, under the pressure of environmental "public hazards", Japan has begun the process of public governance of diversified environment and begun to pay attention to the important role of public participation in environmental protection. In addition, Japan has made institutional design from the establishment of the concept of "environmental priority", the popularization of environmental education, the legal guarantee and the total elements of public participation in environmental protection. China can find beneficial factors from the Japanese model. It's very essential to improve environmental quality and environmental responsibility of citizens, strive to ensure that the path of public participation in environmental protection is smooth, and effectively enhance the effectiveness of public participation in environmental protection.