Mizuki KawashukudaJapan is lagging behind in two aspects in the world. One is the advancement of women in society, and the other is climate action. According to the Gender Inequality Index by United Nations Development Programme, Japan ranks 24th out of 162 countries, far behind the rest of the world. As for climate action, Japan got the Fossil of the Day Award at COP26 last year, because it aims to continue using coal power plants beyond 2030.
On the other hand, in Japan, some women have taken leadership in climate action. Focusing on and supporting them may lead to advancing Japan in two aspects. Celebrating International Women’s Day, March 8, I’d like to share five Japanese women who are approaching climate change from different generations and fields. They have been involved in various activities, from actions to influence the public to advocacy to move the government.
Lilian Ono
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She is a fashion model born in 1989. She has been involved in a number of activities, including setting up Green TEA, a community for people who want to take climate action, supporting Fridays for Future Japan, and participating in COP26.
In April 2021, she and fellow activist Eri launched Peaceful Climate Strike(PCS), which aims to demand that the Japanese government raise its greenhouse gas reduction target (Nationally Determined Contributions) to at least 60% and take measures to eliminate nuclear power and decarbonize Japan. It also aims to inspire citizens to think about building a decarbonized society in Japan.
Specifically, for one week from 17 April 2021, they delivered online content by celebrities, artists, and experts, using the connections they have made over the years. They also went on hunger strike for four days from 20 April, eating only salt and water. On the last day, 600 people participated in a 24-hour hunger strike, which became a major movement. Climate change strikes in Japan have mainly involved standing and online action via Social media, and there have been no cases of hunger strikes. However, the hunger strike by two women had attracted attention as a new form of strike, peaceful but at the same time strong protest.
Shiina Tsuyuki
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She was born in Yokohama in 2001. She spent three years of her high school life at Green School Bali in Indonesia, which is said to be the most eco-friendly school in the world, and participated in COP in 2018 and 2019. She also developed a vegan and ethical lipstick for her younger sister, who had sensitive skin, and launched “Shiina Cosmetics.”
In September 2019, she enrolled in the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University. She is currently taking a break from university to give talks on climate change, mainly from primary schools to universities across the country, saying “university can wait, but climate change can’t wait.”
Her mission is “to create a world without environmental activists.” She has been speaking about climate change since November 2020 and has reached 15,000 people and over 110 schools. *As of May 2021
Yuka Natori
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In 2019, she was shocked by a speech by then 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and she became an activist while usually working in the welfare field.
During her environmental activism, she realized the importance of the media. She founded “Media is hope,” an organization whose mission is “to enable creative communication through new co-creation partnerships between media, sponsors, and audiences.” So, “Media is hope” sets a vision of “building a fair, justice and free media and a sustainable society” and makes various proposals.
Mana Saza
Born in 1995. She is currently enrolled in the Sustainable Development Master’s Program at the University College London. As the global coordinator of Mock COP 26, a mock conference held in 2020 organized by young people concerned about the one-year postponement of COP 26, which was due to take place in 2020, she worked with youth ages from 11 to 29 actively participating in environmental action from 140 countries to push forward policy recommendations to COP 26 and their respective Prime Ministers in 2021. The campaign was a success with over 20+ countries who signed climate education to be mandated in their countries at the COP26 conference. She was also the Japanese Youth Delegate at the actual COP26.
In 2021, she founded “SWiTCH” to implement the recommendations of Mock COP 26, with a particular focus on sustainable education and youth empowerment. Her international experience has made her aware of the low literacy level around sustainability in Japan and the lack in participation for climate action.
She is currently aworking on a project “100 MIRAI” to raise 1 million Sustainability Ambassadors in order to raise the level of knowledge about sustainability to support the climate transition especially amongst youth in preparation for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo.
This year, “100 MIRAI” will operate its first competition to invite universities and corporations to showcase their sustainable action. The next generation living alongside climate change will be awarding the top sustainable companies of the year. Applications will open from March 9 and are calling for participants to join in creating this movement for sustainability.
Kimiko Hirata
After getting a Doctorate in Social Sciences from Waseda University, Japan, she worked for the NPO Climate Network from 1998 to 2021, having conducted international negotiations, researching, analyzing, advocating, and disseminating information on climate change and energy policies in Japan and abroad. On June 15, 2021, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize in the field of the environment.” She is the third Japanese and the first woman to win the prize.
To accelerate climate action towards decarbonization by citizens, governments, and the business sector, she established Climate Integrate in 2022, a non-profit organization that will work with domestic and international partners to support each stakeholder’s move towards decarbonization. While Japan still has a policy of allowing public financing for the export of coal-fired power plants, her and others’ recommendations will continue to accelerate the trend for Japanese companies to move away from coal.
Read more articles about Kimiko Hirata: Climate campaigner Kimiko Hirata on how to change Japan’s energy system
How to create social change, with climate campaigner Kimiko Hirata
If you would like to join them in their activities, here are the links:
[Website] Green TEA[Website] Peaceful Climate Strike
[Website] Shiina Cosmetics
[Website] Media is hope
[Website] SWiTCH
[Website] 100 MIRAI
[Website] Climate Integrate
