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...
Fridays for Future Japan released a statement last Friday, calling for the Japan government to take charge of developing responsible policies. Beyond the reminder that Japan has to act now to meet the climate crisis full on, FFF Japan also urges...
A carbon offset is a reduction in carbon emissions made in order to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere. In June, Tokyo-based business Afrika Rose, which imports and sells high-quality roses from Kenya, launched a carbon-offset program to...
If you are familiar with ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ one of the best-selling Japanese manga, you may remember the wondrous beans that helped Goku and other fighters restore their strength: the ‘Senzu beans.’ Eating a few grains of them has the power to restore...
Packaging is one of the great conveniences of modern life. Plastic and other materials can be used for product packages to make shipping and distribution easier. Waste from these packages can cause great damage to the environment, however. Plastic...