Osaka Prefecture is encouraging its residents and businesses to work with it to create a circular economy. The government of Osaka has been releasing annual data since 2016, showing how effective the community’s recycling actions have been. The...
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease has changed the lifestyle of people. Countries declared in a state of emergency, people engaging in self-quarantine, businesses forced to comply with shortened operating hours, the list goes on. These drastic...
You may live in a country where bulk stores are not unusual. It would be the norm to take empty jars or reusable small bags to buy beans, rice or any food that you need at your grocery store. Then you might be surprised to know that in Japan, there...
In Japan, midwives are usually solely based in hospitals, so women can easily lose touch with them after childbirth. This also means that although midwives are equipped with extensive knowledge about postnatal care, they can’t fully offer...
Japan is notably vulnerable to natural disasters due to its climate and volatile geography. September 1 is designated annually as Disaster Prevention Day. Many disaster prevention training exercises take place nationwide during the week around this...
The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected people all around the world on how we live and work, perhaps our core values in life too. But some things are not meant to be changed; and one of them may be enhancing social cohesion to achieve a sustainable...
For the first time in Japan, a local government is collaborating with an online community noticeboard to link non-internet users to the service. The effort is will encourage them to swap their secondhand items and to reduce waste. It is an...
Japanese souvenirs are an important part of the culture. However, the word “omiyage” has a slightly different nuance in Japanese than the English word souvenir. English speakers typically think of souvenirs as something that we buy for ourselves...
Have you heard of “Hummingbird Electric Power”—an electric service in Japan that provides 100% real renewable energy with zero CO2? Provided by Borderless Japan Co., Ltd., their natural energy contributes to the prevention of global warming. They...
Whenever we take a meal, in most cases, we use tableware to serve food. When we eat out, restaurants serve meal on a dish, which are washed and then used repeatedly for the next consumer. If we takeout food from a restaurant, most likely, the food...