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Latest Stories from greenz.jp - Page 5
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Shinkansen: Introducing The Five Fastest Regular Super Express Trains In Japan
Really fast train transit started in Japan October 1, 1964 with the 0 "bullet train" Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka. Built with domestic technology and a small (but important) US$80 million loan from the World
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Trainspotting In Japan: Fans Bid Farewell To Classic EF 551 Engine
Yesterday train aficionados went to Takasaki, north of Tokyo, to bid farewell to the EF 551 train engine, affectionately known as "Moomin" because of its resemblance to the cartoon character. A few of my friends regularly meet
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Promoting Train Travel In Japan
We noted previously that PR campaigns to make trains fun, sexy, and romantic include posters and TV commercials here in Japan, with well-known actors and actresses at scenic locations. For people over 50, Japan Rail makes a special
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Making Trains Fun, Sexy, And Romantic in Japan
When I first moved to Japan in 1988, one of the things that made life here so great was the transit. Here is a very nostalgic collection of commercials that play on the theme of meeting the one you love, during the holiday season. Music by Tatsuro
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Would a Fridge Curtain Save Electricity, or Should You Just Unplug?
This is a simple, clever idea that you can try for your refrigerator. Hang a piece of clear plastic on each shelf, to avoid cold air escaping when you open the fridge door, which will save some electricity. You could use a shower
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Wild Food: Seven Herbs To Celebrate The Return Of Green
Sirerdrick made a good point in the comment to Bonnie's post about Food Foraging, noting that in Japan, you can find a lot of wild foods, including bamboo shoots, fern saplings, and ginkgo nuts. Actually, today, January 7 is a
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Sustainable Design: Ise Shrine (Video)
The New Years holiday is a time to visit a shinto shrine in Japan. When I went to Ise Shrine, I made a real fool of myself when I talked to a guard and compared the structure to the pyramids of Egypt. He
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Nagoya To Host UN Biodiversity Conference In 2009, Facing Protests
Farmers and activists in Japan are surprised and increasingly upset that Japan will host the next UN Biodiversity conference (COP 10) in Nagoya. In Aiichi prefecture, large construction projects are
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Herding The Ox: A New Year's Parable for Zen Buddhists and Greens
According to the ancient Chinese calender, that is popular all over Asia, 2009 is the year of the ox. This calm and trustworthy animal is a symbol of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. When even the Wall Street Journal follows the lead of
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More Companies Support Green Tax Than Oppose It In Japan
Surprise, suprise: Not all companies are opposed to taxes. Mainichi reports (belatedly) from a survey by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, done in July 2008: More than 40 percent of major
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Sea Shepherd Scores One for the Whales, Gets Terrorist Status
Sea Shepherd, the international conservation organization and focus of Animal Planet's Whale Wars, has managed to stop the Japanese whaling operation in the Antarctic Ocean. For now. No whales have been killed yet this
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Jargon Watch: IR3S (Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science)
Does your college have a B.A. in Sustainability? IPOS, the Intensive Program on Sustainability is an educational course on global sustainability in Asia. This course stared in 2004, looking at Asia as the key region in achieving global sustainability:
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Two Old Nuclear Reactors To Be Closed in Hamaoka, Japan
The nuclear power plant debate in Japan has suddenly reached a new level with the announcement that Chubu Electric will close its two oldest reactors at Hamaoka, in Shizuoka prefecture near Tokyo. These reactors have
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Environmental Education: Recycle Your Used Hachimaki
Over 1000 years ago, a scholar in Kyoto made such an impression that there are some 12,000 shrines dedicated to his memory. His name was Sugawara-no-Michizane and today, when kids want to enter the college of their choice, they still go to pray at one
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Ota City: Solar Capital Of The World?
www.ntdtv.com reports from Ota City, some 80 kilometers north of Tokyo, one of Japan's sunniest spots. Since 1998, the city has invested in solar power, and Mika Hiroshima says her electrical appliances are mostly powered by solar energy: when they have
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Schools In Japan To Ban Cell Phones
Kids in Japan love their cell phones, but not everyone is happy about the way they are used. Five years ago, a prestigious university in Japan failed 26 students for receiving exam answers on their cell phones. Now, frequent
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Asahi: "What Is Happiness? Where Is Peace To Be Found?"
"People at all times," Shuken Kiyoshi, 56-year-old head priest of the Zuikoji Temple in Osaka, Japan says, "are plagued by desires, unable to cast off their passions. But a chance encounter can transform the nature of these desires of ours. Especially
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What Will You Do If Mt Fuji Erupts?
We mostly tend to think of sustainability in terms of short-term targets, like will there be butter in the supermarket or gas for the car - tomorrow. We wish companies to have CSR reports and countries to abide by global environmental protocols. We
