The First 3290% Energy Self-Sufficient Town In Japan

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:46:16 GMT

Poster welcoming visitors to Hachouboru Geothermal Center, image from biki8 Yanaizu Town, Kawanuma District, Fukushima Prefecture is rural-at-best and about as far away as you can get from the big cities. The town recently made the news when Chiba University professor Hidefumi Kurasaka announced his list of Japan's most self-sufficient places. Yanaizu tops the list at a fantastic 3290%, due to its geothermal applications. According to Kurasaka-sensei, a zone where all energy requirements can be met by renewable, natural energy created within that zone can be called self-sufficient if the supply rate is more than 100%. Geothermal power plants are pretty common here due to the volcanic activity, just like in parts of Alaska and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Much Will Japan's New Proposal To Reduce Emissions Cost?

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:53:36 GMT

Image from Nikkei As Daniel noted here on Treehugger, Japan's Yukio Hatoyama didn't miss a beat. Just days after being elected, he spoke up on climate change, with an "ambitious" target of 25% reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Cool. Speaking at the Asahi World Environment Forum 2009, Mr Hatoyama said, "We aim to achieve that goal through political will, by mobilizing all policy steps required." The reactions of course have been mixed: "This is the first sign of climate leadership we have seen out of any developed country for quite some time -- the type of leadership we need to see from President Obama," Martin Kaiser, climate policy director at Greenpeace, said according to Bloomberg. But how much will this actually cost?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

400 Year Old Sake Company In Central Tokyo Creates Roof Garden To Combat Global Warming, Raise Awareness

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:00:04 GMT

Photos from Toshimaya Co. In 1971, sake brewer Toshimaya was prosperous enough to construct a brand new headquarter building in Tokyo. They probably took one look at the blueprints and thought it was the sexiest design ever: straight lines, simple features. Think modern, modern, modern. Recently, however, they remodeled this drab, sterile (well, molding is probably more accurate) concrete cube with a terrific roof garden, as part of Japan's movement to reduce CO2 emissions, called Minus Six Degrees. This is an effort that quickly paid off, with staff clearly inspired to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and think about environmental issues. The before-and-after photos are striking.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Japan Election Results: Yamba Dam Project Suspended

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:22:29 GMT

Photos from The Association of Concerned Citizens For Yamba Dam Project The results of Japan's election on Sunday amounted to a "revolution" as the Democratic Party of Japan won a landslide, if I have ever seen one. And already, there is change in the air. Yamba, a major dam project, initially proposed in 1952, costing tax payers some 321.7 billion yen, has been postponed to the joy of local activists, according to The Asahi:

...the DPJ, which pulled off a landslide victory in the Lower House election Sunday, has pledged to "drastically review large-scale public works projects that fail to meet the needs of the times." The Yanba dam is one of the projects expected to be axed under the new DPJ administration. Hiroaki Taniguchi, vice minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, told reporters Monday that the ministry would "comply with the instructions of the new minister." Other public works projects, including the Kawabegawa Dam in Kumamoto Prefecture, could face a similar fate.

So, are we totally against all hydro projects?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Japan's Election On Sunday: Massive Win For Opposition, How About Green Policies?

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:07:11 GMT

Images from Midori no Mirai Japanese voters go to the polls on Sunday and opinion polls show a massive win for the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, that could win 300 plus seats in the Parliament. There is no strong Green Party in spite of many years of campaigning by activists. Why has Japan (and the United States) failed to create an alternative party that can stimulate independent political debate about sustainable development and "green" issues, like in Europe? DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama writes in the New York Times:

"In the post-Cold War period, Japan has been continually buffeted by the winds of market fundamentalism in a U.S.-led movement that is more usually called globalization. In the fundamentalist pursuit of capitalism people are treated not as an end but as a means. Consequently, human dignity is lost."

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Miyajima Shrine: A Disappearing World Heritage As Inspiration For Change

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:23:55 GMT

Miyajima is an island located just south of Hiroshima, that tourists reach by ferry. The spectacular red gate to the shrine is reflected in the sea when the tide is high, and this UNESCO World Heritage Site looks like it floats on the water. Now, locals are increasingly worried what will happen to the ancient shrine if climate change should raise sea levels. Some people want to change the thinking and do something to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to more reasonable levels. One architect company in Hiroshima, for example, helps local inn keepers and other who have old, wooden buildings to reform and rebuild using natural materials. And at the shrine itself, thousands of lightbulbs have been replaced with fluorescent bulbs in the shrine's lanterns, which they proudly note is reducing CO2 emissions by no less than 34.3 tonnes per year. Photo: Nikkei Net... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Japan: Bicycle Fatalities Increase, Car Fatalities At Record Low

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:55:24 GMT

Photo from Old Photos of Japan: Cars and street cars (trams) and at least one brave bicyclist in Nihonbashi, central Tokyo, 1934 New data from the National Police Agency show that car-related fatalities are decreasing dramatically in Japan, while bicycle accidents are on the increase: The number of people who died while riding a bicycle increased by 5 percent to 310. Fewer traffic fatalities have been reported in other countries too, linked to higher gas prices, such as the United States. But Japan's record drop is remarkable. The National Police Agency says the number of traffic deaths from January to June this year was only 2,200. This marks the 9th straight year of decline, and a more than 70 percent drop from the peak figure of 7,735 deaths in 1970.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Total Eclipse Of The Sun Today In Asia

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:02:17 GMT

Photo: Mainichi Shinbun A string of countries in Asia are experiencing a total eclipse of the sun today Wednesday. Here in Japan, the spectacular eclipse will be visible from Akusekijima Island for 6 minutes and 25 seconds from 10:53 AM, local time. It is actually the longest total solar eclipse visible from any inhabited area of the world this century, according to NHK World and other media.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Quote Of The Day: Suzuki And Mitsubishi Should "Forget America"

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:12:37 GMT

Photo from the staff blog of the official MiEV Showroom website The global car industry is in big trouble and big changes are happening fast. Do listen to Yuuki Sakurai, chief executive of Tokyo-based Fukoku Capital Management Inc., a fund that oversees about $10 billion in Tokyo: He thinks car makers Suzuki and Mitsubishi should cut their losses and "withdraw from the U.S.," reports Bloomberg:

"It's time for them to decide whether they pay a high price to continue business there or stop the bleeding."

It gets better: Yasuaki Iwamoto, an auto analyst at Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, is even more outspoken: "It makes more sense for Suzuki to put its limited resources into small cars," said Iwamoto. "Forget about America." It is unclear how any of this affects you if you were hoping to buy the i-MiEV electric car any time soon, and both Suzuki and Mitsubishi claim to have what it takes to continue. Below, we offer some green advice:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Tsuru, Yamanashi (Japan) Finding Off-Grid Solutions To Solve Their Energy Needs

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:40:28 GMT

Photo: New Energy Foundation Small towns and communities all over the world are looking for solutions to their energy needs. Going off-grid is not just a choice for individuals, the way it sometimes seems here at Treehugger. No, you will never be able to live totally away from anyone else. Off-grid doesn't mean you are on your own, out there in the wilderness. Hey, not even Thoreau was able to achieve that kind of level of gridless living. You need to have good neighbours, or else. Tsuru, a small town in Yamanashi prefecture in Japan, has implemented strategies to harness some of the resources at their disposal. They are promoting micro-hydro, small scale water power, and moreover, they are focusing on education as a way forward.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Micro-Hydro Power Picking Up Spead As More Rural Towns Want To Go Off-Grid

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:40:52 GMT

Photos from Agua y Tierra Network in Kochi prefecture, Japan Many rural towns and communities can benefit from hydroelectric power solutions, especially small scale projects that don't require massive investments. In Kochi prefecture, one town decided to go micro-hydro and install small power plants. They found that it took some effort, but after town meetings and a focus on education, people liked the idea of self-sufficiency and the environmental benefits. Hydroelectric power is Japan's largest energy resource, and these projects are a "small-is-beautiful" kind of deal that rings true with communities that don't want huge dams or more concrete, just a clever way to produce energy.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Global Car Survey Finds Six In Ten Say Green Is The New Dream

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:57:48 GMT

Photo: Setagaya Ward, Tokyo Global market research firm Synovate has released a study showing that six in ten people "would choose to buy a green car over a dream car, even if money was no object." Synovate surveyed more than 13,500 people across 18 markets about issues such as green cars, vehicle ownership, intent to buy in the next year and attitudes towards cars, traffic, public transport and more. While we might argue that no car is better than any car, at least the figures are encouraging. 37% of respondents said a "green car" would be their preferred purchase and a further 22% claimed that "my dream car is a green car" - meaning that 59% showed the desire to go green. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Picture Is Worth... (Literally) Unsustainably Developed Apartment Building

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:53:58 GMT

Photo: Reuters, from Mail Online This is a very unsettling and sad example of development gone terribly wrong. A newly built 13-storey apartment building has fallen and one person is dead; it was fortunate that noone was living inside these new flats by a river in Shanghai.

Shoddy construction and the use of sub-standard materials is a concern in China's construction sector as the country scrambles to build out cities and finish massive infrastructure projects to keep pace with fast economic growth.

It appears to be unclear why the building toppled. Any thoughts?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Cycle Fever In Tokyo

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:39:10 GMT

Photo: Cover of Kobunsha Publishing Co book by Hikita Tomo Two out of three tokyoites use bicycles, according to a report released by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This spring, R25, a popular magazine introduced bicycle commuting, noting that this is now officially a trend. They even have a newly coined Japanese word for it: tsuukin-isuto and it is seen as both stylish and "sporty" to ride your bike to work in Tokyo. Tsuukin is the Japanese word for commuting, and add the -ist, and voila, there you have it: tsuukin-i-su-to or tsuukin-ist. Do catch the fever.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Beekeeping In Ginza, Tokyo, Next To Gucci And Apple Store

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:20:51 GMT

Ms. Yamamoto, a happy beekeeper in Ginza Tokyo, from the Ginza Honeybee blog I was really surprised to learn that beekeeping is illegal in New York. I had assumed that this amazingly eco-friendly hobby was not only popular, but also actively encouraged in the Big Apple. Here in Tokyo, the Ginza district is famous for its trendy stores, like the Matsuya department store, Gucci or the best Apple Store in the world. Land is famously expensive. Yet, here on the rooftop of the most urbanized area in Japan, an NPO, Ginza Mitsubachi Project started beekeeping and has succeeded in keeping some 150 thousand bees with 260kg of honey gained each year. The honey is used in sweets by a famous confectionary shop that can be bought only in Ginza, and they were so popular that it took little time to be sold out.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Secret To A Delicious Soy Sauce? Organic Ingredients, Traditional Brewing

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:59:35 GMT

Photo of traditional soy sauce brewing from Kenyu Trading It is difficult to imagine Japanese food without soy sauce. The small containers with the black, fermented liquid are on every table. The best stuff is aged in cedar wood kegs and made in small batches with organically grown soy beans. It should be unpasteurized to not kill the tasty enzymes and beneficial bacteria (like lactobacillus). If you have bought soy sauce in the past without checking the list of ingredients, do go and take a look right now. Many cheap types contain all kinds of additives and preservatives that should not be needed and certainly do nothing to improve a bad quality soy sauce. With a high quality soy sauce, you really just need a drop to get that fantastic flavour!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Food Crisis: "Today It's Oil, In Ten Or Fifteen Years, Food"

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:43:30 GMT

Photo from blu-raystats.com We read in Financial Times this week that we may be heading for a new global food crisis. Of course that depends on where you live, and where you get your food. How are we doing, dear readers...? Should we be worried?

Almost unnoticed, agricultural commodities prices have returned to levels last seen at the start of the 2007-2008 food crisis, prompting concerns about a fresh rise in food costs.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Japan: "Extremely Ambitious" 15% Emissions Cut

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:46:08 GMT

Image from NHK World With Copenhagen on the horizon to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the Japanese government knew it had a legacy to protect. Even children here know what is at stake. Today, prime minister Taro Aso announced what he called "extremely ambitious" greenhouse gas emission cuts of 15%. We wrote about the manga campaign here to get him to make even deeper cuts, such as 25%. Aso stressed that Japan's mid-term target of 15% has been calculated solely on domestic energy-saving efforts, unlike those set by the US and Europe, which include emission rights purchased from other countries.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Youtube Japan Goes Green On World Environment Day

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:33:10 GMT

Image from Youtube I was surprised when I logged in to check Youtube today here in Japan. Their front page had a distinct environmental theme, and many videos that would feel right at home on greenz.jp or treehugger. Backed by a lot of good people, with NHK and the Youtube channels of United Nations University as well as Asahi.com and National Geographics, this is a media initiative that could reach the hearts and minds of lots of people.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Japan Update: Will Prime Minister Taro Aso Go For Deep CO2 Emission Cuts?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:02:04 GMT

Image from Nikkei Today, readers of Japan's major economic daily newspaper were treated with a funny comic: Taro Aso, the Prime Minister (who is known for loving manga) on top of a robot, desperately making CO2 emission cuts. Will he be a hero or not? This week, he is supposed to announce Japan's policy, and the calls range from an increase of plus four percent to deep cuts supported by the public, according to a poll by Avaaz.org. You read that right. Japan's industry actually thinks this country should increase its CO2 emissions. Hilarious. Tetsuo Saito, Japan's outspoken Minister of the Environment, promptly responded by saying Japan would become the laughingstock of the world if that would be the CO2 target that Prime Minister Aso would announce.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

"Green Design" Or More Mad Scientists Making Transgenic Animals

Fri, 29 May 2009 07:30:00 GMT

Collage of BBC and Nature photos I'm no fan of genetic engineering and I don't particularly like what Japanese scientists have done to monkeys. Inserting genes to make them glow green in the dark just isn't right. Yet, this is the kind of research people get awards for, and the promise of "treatments for a range of diseases." Oh, really? BBC notes that the "work raises a number of ethical questions about deliberately exposing a bloodline of animals to such diseases." Artists like Eduardo Kac has been trying for years to raise attention to get people to think about these issues. Why are we not better equipped to say "no" to these "green design" experiments? ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Participate In The Merry Community, Post Your Message And Smile

Mon, 25 May 2009 09:41:42 GMT

Photo from Merry Project "What is MERRY for you? We've been asking this simple question to people all over the world and collecting their smiles and messages." I like this approach: Merry Project is a communication-art project to spread the wave of "Merry" under the theme of "Smile is a universal language". You can help them get the message accross. They believe each person that participates in Merry Project "minds and cares for the Earth in their smiles and their messages will link to each other acoss global borders." As we mentioned earlier here on Treehugger, they do fun project teaching kids how to grow food. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Merry Planter: How To Get Kids To Enjoy Gardening

Thu, 21 May 2009 20:31:14 GMT

Photo: Merry Planter Kids have never heard of "green thumbs" but are natural gardeners - for about two minutes. Without a little prompting, they will easily forget to take care of the plants. How to get kids to enjoy gardening, and keep watering until the tomato or beans are ready for harvest? The good people in Mie prefecture, western Japan had this bright idea: attaching a photo of each young gardener to its Merry Garden Planter pots seems to do the trick. Kids love the idea of caring for these plants, once they know which one belongs to which sprouting farmer. All smiles, as far as we can tell!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

"Beat Poverty" Event On World Fair Trade Day In Japan

Tue, 19 May 2009 02:09:16 GMT

Photos from Safia's blog The good people over at People Tree are a real insipration here in Japan. This year's World Fair Trade Day was no exception: 800 people showed up to watch their fashion show, there was Taiko drumming by Gocoo, a celebrated band with a lot of energy (watch the video below the fold) and other fashion-related events. Says Safia Minney:

Whether you attended a World Fair Trade Day event or not the biggest support you can give is buying Fair Trade and telling your friends about it.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

FRA: No "Cookie Cutter" High Speed Rail For The US

Fri, 15 May 2009 23:27:06 GMT

Photo from Spain: Midwest High Speed Rail Association The Federal Railroad Administration is hoping Japan and other countries will help the United States to build a high-speed railway network. Karen Rae told Kyodo that FRA is reaching out to "a number of countries that have success in high-speed rail" and that "Japan is one of many." She also noted that they are trying to avoid creating a "cookie cutter" where everything is exactly the same: "It really needs to be designed around the local and state needs." So, which are the countries that have the best high-speed rail systems in the world?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

GMO-Free Regions: A Growing Global Trend, Except In The United States?

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:42:38 GMT

Photo: GMO-Free Regions, Biodiversity & Rural Development The fifth GMO-Free Regions conference was held last month in Luzern, Switzerland, with participation from over 30 countries. Monsanto, the biotech juggernaut was absent, but as usual, they didn't miss a beat - the company promptly sued Germany for banning MON 810, the controversial GMO corn variety that isn't very popular anywhere in the world. If you live in the US, you may instead be hearing Monsanto's message on National Public Radio, as if their other ways of spreading the GMO message aren't enough. Tune in to The Genetic Conspiracy (1/3) - (Youtube) for a change.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Honda Insight: Japan's Best-Selling Car, First Hybrid Ever To Top The List

Mon, 11 May 2009 20:54:27 GMT

Image: joshinthecity Honda Insight, the new hybrid car from Japan's second largest automobile company, became the first hybrid to be crowned Japan's best-selling car in April. Japan Automobile Dealers Association notes that 10,481 units of the Insight were sold last month, "catapulting" it from 21st place in March, as Reuters put it. Toyota's long-selling hybrid, the Prius, came in 21st on the list of best-selling cars in Japan. While this may show that car buyers here are getting more interested in fuel efficiency, a lot of questions come to my mind:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How To Promote Tap Water, Tokyo Style

Fri, 08 May 2009 10:50:49 GMT

Photo: Tokyo Waterworks Tokyo has embarked on an ambitious campaign to tell its citizens that the tap water here is safe to drink. The Tokyo metropolitan government's waterworks bureau has set aside 1,870 million yen in advertising expenses to publicize water-related programs. For example, they have produced posters and videos for the trains and subway stations, with young actors enjoying a drink of clear, refreshing tap water, and special kids pages on their internet site. The campaigns also include tours to waterworks related plants and information on the web. They are particularly concerned about water leaks from pipes and toilets:

Although a leak may start out with just some dripping it will worsen day by day.This means not only a waste of our valuable water resources, but also higher water bills for you. Please be sure to find and fix all leaks as quickly as possible.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Global Treehugger

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:55:32 GMT

Image: Earth First One reason I like Treehugger is that it give us a global perspective on environmental topcis. Where else would you get that? You may wonder, what is going on in, say, Brazil? You don't get this kind of coverage - Turkey, Israel, London, Copenhagen, California, Beijing, Tokyo - you name it. Do use the search function on this site. However... ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Using Face Masks Properly To Help Avoid Most Kinds Of Yucky Airborne Things

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:59:25 GMT

Photo by Garry Trinh Here in Japan, face masks are a common sight. Visitors often wonder why ordinary people wear what appears to be white surgical masks as they take the subway or walk around town. Face masks have evolved as a kind of courtesy: if you have caught a cold, you wear a mask to avoid spreading the germs to others. Also, masks may help people who suffer from allergies. But how effective are face masks really? Do they help against swine flu? Now, photos from Mexico show people wearing a simple, blue surgical mask. They could indeed be helpful, to some extent, to avoid the spreading of certain diseases. Go ahead and use them, but I hesitate to say that they will do much to save you if you are too near a person with a full-blown virus infection. Do change the mask often, and take other precations (like carefully washing hands with hot water and soap).... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan

The First 3290% Energy Self-Sufficient Town In Japan

How Much Will Japan's New Proposal To Reduce Emissions Cost?

400 Year Old Sake Company In Central Tokyo Creates Roof Garden To Combat Global Warming, Raise Awareness

Japan Election Results: Yamba Dam Project Suspended

Japan's Election On Sunday: Massive Win For Opposition, How About Green Policies?

Miyajima Shrine: A Disappearing World Heritage As Inspiration For Change

Japan: Bicycle Fatalities Increase, Car Fatalities At Record Low

Total Eclipse Of The Sun Today In Asia

Quote Of The Day: Suzuki And Mitsubishi Should "Forget America"

Tsuru, Yamanashi (Japan) Finding Off-Grid Solutions To Solve Their Energy Needs

Micro-Hydro Power Picking Up Spead As More Rural Towns Want To Go Off-Grid

Global Car Survey Finds Six In Ten Say Green Is The New Dream

A Picture Is Worth... (Literally) Unsustainably Developed Apartment Building

Cycle Fever In Tokyo

Beekeeping In Ginza, Tokyo, Next To Gucci And Apple Store

The Secret To A Delicious Soy Sauce? Organic Ingredients, Traditional Brewing

Food Crisis: "Today It's Oil, In Ten Or Fifteen Years, Food"

Japan: "Extremely Ambitious" 15% Emissions Cut

Youtube Japan Goes Green On World Environment Day

Japan Update: Will Prime Minister Taro Aso Go For Deep CO2 Emission Cuts?

"Green Design" Or More Mad Scientists Making Transgenic Animals

Participate In The Merry Community, Post Your Message And Smile

Merry Planter: How To Get Kids To Enjoy Gardening

"Beat Poverty" Event On World Fair Trade Day In Japan

FRA: No "Cookie Cutter" High Speed Rail For The US

GMO-Free Regions: A Growing Global Trend, Except In The United States?

Honda Insight: Japan's Best-Selling Car, First Hybrid Ever To Top The List

How To Promote Tap Water, Tokyo Style

Global Treehugger

Using Face Masks Properly To Help Avoid Most Kinds Of Yucky Airborne Things