Japan has not made a formal commitment to a specific carbon peaking target，but its efforts towards this goal have been demonstrated through its economic development practices over the past half century. In the early 1970s，Japan began implementing pollution control measures and restructuring its industries，with a focus on developing new energy sources and promoting energy-efficient technologies. These efforts laid a solid foundation for achieving carbon peaking. After joining the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1993，Japan actively participated in global climate cooperation and played a key role in the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol，establishing itself as an “environmental leader”. While Japan transitioned towards a low-carbon path，various interest groups engaged in competition and conflicts，but ultimately reached a compromise and promoted cooperation，advancing plans such as the circular economy and a low-carbon society. This culminated in the achievement of carbon peaking in 2013. Drawing on Japan’s experiences and trajectory towards achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals，this article contends that Japan’s carbon peaking measures were comprehensive. While emissions reduction was certainly critical，forest carbon sequestration and international carbon trading cooperation were also essential components. China can learn from Japan’s practices by enhancing its legal framework，optimizing its industrial structure，reducing its coal dependence，improving energy efficiency，and strengthening its innovation capacity. At the same time，China needs to balance its economic development with carbon emissions reduction，foster international carbon trading cooperation with Japan and other countries，and work towards realizing its carbon peaking target by 2030.