A Tokyo company that upcycles used kimono fabric has won an EcoPro Award for a circular economy initiative that passes on an aspect of culture. Nihon Reuse System received the excellence award for its “ohariko jigyou,” or seamstress...
We live in an age of intensifying societal and systemic challenges, including climate change, ocean plastic pollution, and food loss. Now more people are taking action than ever, whether as citizens, entrepreneurs, or investors. Not surprisingly...
Climate change will expose our lives to serious threats in many ways, such as through social, cultural and natural resources. For example, population displacement due to sea-level rise is a potential crisis that looms over major coastal cities such...
Rapid climate change can lead to unusual life cycle events and disrupt animal food chains, both of which contribute to abrupt biodiversity losses. Arctic and mountain species are particularly vulnerable to warmer temperatures. For example, a decline...
Food production is affected by climate change, which has made growing conditions more difficult in several regions globally. Firstly, extreme weather can reduce yields as it damages the soil structure. Intense floods drown crops and pollute water...
The Japanese archipelago has a number of remote islands, many of which face very harsh conditions due to depopulation and the decline of the tourism industry. One such island, Hachijo-jima, part of the Tokyo-administered Izu Islands, was once known...
Global warming often brings to mind its most extreme and dangerous effects. Many of us rightfully think of deadly heatwaves and rising seawater levels. Yet climate change also causes other problems that are more subtle but still damaging. Japanese...
Communal dining, or community kitchen, provides cheap and delicious meals in a relaxed environment where you share a table with people you meet for the first time. It gives you a chance to get to know new people (especially the locals) and an...
On the way to the interview, I was surprised to see so many shops with closed shutters in the city. Even for a weekday, the sight is often reserved for distant rural areas. But that impression was reversed nearing the location of “Waiwai...
Coastal cities are vulnerable to rising sea levels, making cities prone to flooding and storm surges. However, approximately a fifth of Japan’s population lives in low-lying coastal urban centers. Coupled with ever-more devastating typhoons and...