Japan for Sustainability

Offshore Wind Profiling to Start for Future Wind Farm Installation

2009-11-21T21:00:15Z

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the University of Tokyo are gearing up for a new project to investigate offshore wind power using a wind observation system off the Pacific coast of Japan, according to their news release on August 17, 2009. The project is run by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as part of its program to stimulate technological research and development of offshore wind power generation. Among project participants recruited by NEDO, TEPCO and the University of Tokyo successfully won the contract, by drawing on its experience in fundamental research on offshore wind turbines.

The project is scheduled to be carried out from August 2009 through March 2014, using an offshore observation tower placed off the south coast of Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture. Sensors attached to the tower will measure surface wind and wave conditions, along with possible impacts of the tower structure on the marine environment.

Findings from the project, together with the results from future offshore wind turbine trials planned by NEDO for FY 2009 and after, are expected to be used to establish technologies for offshore wind turbines specially suited to Japan's climate.

Japanese Companies Test System to Stabilize Output from Wind Power (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026793.html
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) official website
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html

Posted: 2009/11/22 06:00:15 AM

World's First Hybrid Spar-Type Platform for Floating Wind Turbine Succeeds in Demonstration Test

2009-11-20T21:00:15Z

Kyoto University and three Japanese manufacturers: Toda Corp. (a major general contractor), Sasebo Heavy Industries Co. (a transport machine manufacturer) and Nippon Hume Corp. (a hume pipe manufacturer), announced on September 8, 2009, that they had jointly developed in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, the world's first hybrid spar-type platform consisting of steel and pre-stressed concrete (PC) for floating wind turbines.

The effectiveness of the platform was verified by a demonstration test on the ocean using a one-tenth scale model. The platform can be constructed in a short period of time by using precast PC parts and utilizing existing shipyard docks.Also, there is no need to use a large crane ship for the construction, and once it is constructed, the platform can be towed and installed quickly. Moreover, it is comparatively easy to relocate the platform just by changing the tether position. These aspects enable flexible use of the platform in response to future changes in wind conditions at the installation site or to meet changes in energy demand.

Taking advantage of these characteristics, the platform is expected to be used not only in remote islands but also at large wind farms in suburban areas close to big cities. Exports of the platform to neighboring countries are also anticipated.

Sasebo Heavy Industries Co. official website
http://www.ssk-sasebo.co.jp/ssk/us/home/
Toda Corporation official website
http://www.toda.co.jp/english/
Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University,
http://www.ce.t.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/

Posted: 2009/11/21 06:00:15 AM

Film-Type Solar Cell under Testing for Practical Application

2009-11-19T21:00:15Z

Fuji Electric Systems Co., a Japanese manufacturer of electric systems, announced on July 31, 2009, that its project focused on achieving a low-carbon society by using flexible film-type solar cells was selected as one the fiscal-2009 model projects to verify technological innovations and social systems for a low-carbon society. The model projects are funded by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. With support of the Kumamoto Techno Licensing Organization for project implementation, and cooperation from Kumamoto University, the company will be using film solar cells in various applications.

With the features of being light-weight, flexible, and hard-to-break, the film-type solar cells can be attached to building walls, rooftop arches, and eaves, or attached onto wires installed in a horizontal orientation above the ground. The installation methods take advantage of the cell's lightness and solar-tracking functions, and will be tested on-site at Kumamoto University and other major facilities in the prefecture.

Following the design and installation of the cell modules, from September 2009 through January 2010, the test data will be collected and analyzed.

Fuji Electronic Systems official website
http://www.fesys.co.jp/eng/

Posted: 2009/11/20 06:00:15 AM

Japan's Ministry of the Environment Formulates Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity

2009-11-18T21:00:15Z

Image by Sean Clawson. Some Rights Reserved.

The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) formulated on August 20, 2009, the Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity, which acts as guidance for voluntary actions related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by the private sector, in line with the Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan.

Formulated in November 2007, the Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan concluded that the private sector should play a role in incorporating conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in social and economic systems because the sector had been affecting biodiversity in various scenes. The strategy proposed the formulation of the Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity, which was expected to represent a guide for voluntary actions. The Biodiversity Basic Law, enforced in June 2008, also prescribed the private sector's responsibilities.

In response, the MOE formulated the guidelines after taking into account discussions at the Committee on Biodiversity Private Sector Activities Guidelines, which was established in fiscal 2008, and related public comments made in fiscal 2009.

[Newsletter] Towards Biodiversity Conservation in Japan No.72 (August 2008)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
027854.html
"Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity" published
http://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/
headline.php?serial=1106

Posted: 2009/11/19 06:00:15 AM

Japan's NEDO Aims to Solve Global Water Problems with New Water Recycling Technology

2009-11-17T23:32:47Z

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in Japan announced on July 2, 2009, the details of its Water-Saving and Sustainable Water Recycling Project, which is aimed at addressing global water and energy problems by spreading water-saving and sustainable water resource management technology at home and abroad, as well as improving Japan's strength in water treatment technology.

The world's freshwater resources are very unevenly distributed and are finite in quantity. Plus there is growing concern that water problems are becoming critical because of a worldwide water supply-demand imbalance, due to problems such as contamination of aquatic environments. NEDO has plans in place for the new technologies to be widely introduced for the treatment of tap water, sewage, and industrial wastewater. However, there is an urgent need to develop and spread innovative materials, processes, operational and control technologies for recycling water and saving energy, because the new technologies require a large amount of energy.

With the goal of establishing water-saving and sustainable water-recycling systems that will help solve the world's water and energy problems, under the project NEDO plans to develop its elemental technology and water-recycling control technology using an estimated budget of 1.1 billion yen (about US$12.2 million) per year during the five-year period from fiscal 2009 to 2013, working in cooperation with twenty contracted companies and organizations.

Japanese Technology to Help Address Global Water Problems　（Related JFS article）
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/
029151.html
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) official website
http://www.nedo.go.jp/english/

[Newsletter] Human Resources Solutions for a Sustainable Society -- Grace Co., Ltd.

2009-11-17T06:38:33Z

JFS Newsletter No.86 (October 2009)
"Towards a Sustainable Japan -- Corporations at Work" (No. 84)

From its perspective as an agency connecting job seekers with employers in Japan, Grace Co. has witnessed some changes in society since the firm's establishment in 1995. Grace is a well-known environment-related personnel and human resources solutions company that operates under a corporate mission of "Realizing a beautiful, affluent and sustainable society where everyone can feel motivated and enjoy working."
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/027863.html

Grace operates an environment-related job placement site, "www.kankyo-job.net" (Japanese only; "kankyo" means "environment"), which uses job-matching advisors who have a detailed knowledge of environment-related work. They carefully match employers with job seekers through this site, and this unique human resources matching system has gained the trust of its users.

Currently, the world is in the midst of what is being called a once-in-a-hundred-years recession and a global economic slump. Japan is no exception. The country's unemployment rate reached 5.7 percent in July 2009, by which point approximately 1.3 million people had lost their jobs since the end of 2007, and the job market continues to tighten.
http://www.oecd.org/document/22/0,3343,en_2649_34251_43687958_1_1_1_37457,00.html

It is under these circumstances that Japan experienced a dramatic change in politics this year. The Democratic Party of Japan took control of the Japanese government in September 2009, replacing the Liberal Democratic Party that had ruled almost continuously for several decades. At his address to the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stated that Japan will make its utmost effort to address the challenges that the world faces today, by playing the role of a "bridge" for the world in dealing with the challenge of climate change. He pledged to achieve the Japanese government's ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from the 1990 level.

Under today's tough economic conditions, how will the Japanese government carry out its pledge to international society? In the midst of the major changes that must happen, companies like Grace that offer human resources solutions with a focus on the environment will play an important role.

What can be done now, and what must be done in order to make things be the way they should be for people, companies, society and the Earth? For this article, we interviewed Etsuko Yasui, President of Grace, and Fumiyo Ogawa, Executive Director. Both have developed their perspectives on people and society through many years in the field of personnel services.

Human Resources Solutions for Sustainable Society

If you think of environment-related personnel services you might come up with the term "green employment." Grace has used this term since the firm was established 15 years ago, but for this company the term did not mean just environment-related employment.

"We have been using the word 'green' to mean 'empowering and enjoyable.' By being engaged in your job while thinking about the relationship between your own job and society, you can find meaning in your work. The result is empowering and enjoyable work, and this can lead toward a sustainable society. The environment is a matter of global concern today. It was logical for us to start proposing and promoting environment-related and environmentally conscious jobs," says Yasui.

Developing human resources with environment-related knowledge is a very important theme for the Japanese government as well. After setting up a study group composed of experts from universities, companies and non-profit organizations (NPOs), the Ministry of the Environment drew up a Vision of University-led Environmental Leadership Initiatives for Asian Sustainability (Environmental Leadership Vision) in March 2008 and started to move toward realization of the vision. Yasui is involved with this process as an inaugural member of a project, the Environmental Consortium for Leadership Development. The consortium aims at creating jobs through environmental protection and developing human resources to stimulate the Japanese economy, while coping with issues the society is facing. These aims overlap with the mission of Grace.

ELIAS: Environmental Leadership Initiatives for Asian Sustainability
http://www.env.go.jp/policy/edu/asia/en/index.html

Ogawa says, "We are always thinking about how Grace can increase job opportunities with the environment as the keyword. Taking a step forward from being an agency merely offering temporary staff and regular employees, we would like to contribute to companies and workers as an agency that can suggest human resource solutions for creating a sustainable society."

Supporting Corporate Responses to Japan's Revised Energy Conservation Act

As one such example, to help companies boost their energy efficiency in response to an amendment of the Act on the Rational Use of Energy (also known as Energy Conservation Act), scheduled to enter into force on April 1, 2010, Grace has started an assistance program that develops personnel with the required expertise.

The original Energy Conservation Act was passed in 1979 at the time of the second global oil crisis in that decade. The latest amendment focuses on strengthening energy conservation measures in the commercial and household sectors, as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from these sectors account for more than 30 percent of the total in Japan and have been increasing year by year.

Revised Energy Conservation Law Enhances Measures for Offices and Homes
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027121.html

In the commercial sector, the revised act targets business enterprises that consume 1,500 kiloliters (crude oil equivalent) or more of energy per year by the entire company (rather than by individual factory, store, or office sites). This means that franchise chains, such as convenience stores, will be obliged to promote energy conservation as an entire corporation, even though each store's energy use may be relatively small. The targeted corporations will be required to appoint an energy management control officer and an energy management planning promoter, and to submit periodic reports and medium-and long-term energy conservation plans.

For companies that lack the human resources to do such work, Grace plans to hold seminars on effective measures in response to the Revised Energy Conservation Law. Moreover, Grace is considering launching a study group by inviting energy-related government officials, manufacturers of energy-efficient appliances and equipment, energy service companies (ESCOs) and so on, so that companies that need to take energy-saving measures can work out their issues and take steps to make improvements. Ogawa says, "We hope these efforts will reveal new human resources solutions that will help to create a sustainable society."

Environmental Business More Diverse, Workers Need Broader Perspectives

When Grace was established, the concept that "empowering and enjoyable employment and work styles move us toward a sustainable society" was not well appreciated by people who heard it. Later, in 1999 when the company became Japan's first personnel agency to acquire ISO 14001 certification (for environmental management systems), some people apparently asked why this kind of company would need it, but eventually other major personnel agencies followed Grace in acquiring this certification. Today, the idea of "green employment" as expressed by Grace is becoming more widely accepted.

Today the "environment" is a key word in the world. By becoming aware of the environment, people can discover new ways to make the most of their abilities in society. Demand for environment-related work is spreading into more diverse sectors and occupations.

Ogawa says, "Most job demand used to be for environmental analysis related to metrics and measurement, so such professional certifications were very important to get a job. Today, the demand for workers relating to environmental management or CSR management is growing. Some jobs require certain qualifications, but there has been a tremendous increase in job opportunities for people without those specific qualifications. Every department in every company requires personnel who take the environment seriously."

In addition to such changes in what employers seek in the job market, Grace has also observed changes in the mindsets of working people. For example, a man registered in the company's matching system wanted to devote himself to a job more related to the environment. After searching, he left a major corporate management consulting firm to take a job in CSR management consulting, even though he know that his annual income would decrease. Another example is a woman who used to be an environmental analyst. She wanted to interact more with people in her job, and decided to switch to an insurance company, where she realized that she really enjoyed interacting with people. She later switched jobs again to join an environmental NPO and enjoys working there today.

"Such cases taught me that environment-related work requires people that can seriously take on many tasks that go beyond their specific qualifications. The ideal personnel for environment-related jobs can see their work from many different angles. These are not people who 'can't see the forest for the trees.' They understand how their work fits into the organization, can consider what the organization needs, and find meaning in their work. People like this will be an asset at any company," Yasui says.

Grace's primary concern these days is about environmental education. The company would like environmental education in society to train people to think with a broader perspective about conserving the global environment, not just a short-sighted perspective that might fixate on planting trees to prevent global warming, for example. Grace believes that the diversification of environment-related business requires the educational system to give people a broader perspective on things. In its role as a personnel agency connecting employers and workers, Grace intends to continue offering ideas on how to create a sustainable society.

Written by Reiko Aomame

District Heating and Cooling for 'Tokyo Sky Tree' Area to Include Japan's First Application of Geothermal Energy

2009-11-16T21:00:15Z

Photo courtesy of TOBU RAILWAY CO. & TOBU TOWER SKY TREE CO.

Tobu Railway Co., a major private railway operator in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, obtained a business license on February 17, 2009, to supply heating to the "Tokyo Sky Tree District" -- a 10.2-hectare area in the Narihirabashi/Oshiage area and the surroundings of Sumida Ward in Tokyo -- based on the Heat Supply Business Act. The company expects to complete the district development project centered on the 634-meter "Tokyo Sky Tree" tower by spring 2012. The project will introduce Japan's first district heating and cooling (DHC) system that utilizes geothermal energy.

DHC is a system where one or several plants generate chilled/hot water in order to provide heating, cooling, and hot water through pipes to buildings within the district. It has several advantages over the conventional distributed heating and cooling systems: energy efficiency, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions, heat island effect mitigation, secondary disaster prevention, and cost efficiency. The project is expected to achieve an overall annual energy efficiency rate (coefficient of performance, or COP) of more than 1.3 - the best in Japan - and reduce annual primary energy consumptions and CO2 emissions by 43 percent and 48 percent (2,271 tons), respectively, compared to the distributed systems.

Taking advantage of the fact that temperatures in the ground remain at about 15 to 17 degrees Celsius throughout the year, the geothermal energy system utilizes the earth as a heat source in the winter and heat sink for cooling in the summer. The geothermal heat pump transfers the heat to or from the ground, by circulating fluids through two sets of water pipes buried at 32 meters and 120 meters below ground, to boost efficiency of heating and cooling.

[Newsletter] A Key to Urban Comfort and Efficiency
Japan's District Heating and Cooling Systems　No.82 (June 2009)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
029184.html

Posted: 2009/11/17 06:00:15 AM

Panasonic Promotes Energy Smart 'EcoNavi' Appliances by Planting Trees

2009-11-15T21:00:15Z

Panasonic Corporation, a leading Japanese manufacturer of electronic products, is promoting home appliances that are outfitted with the company's proprietary sensors and programming functions for conserving energy under the new brand name "EcoNavi Appliance." A campaign to plant a tree for each EcoNavi appliance sold, which started on October 1, 2009, will run through the end of the year.

EcoNavi appliances are equipped with sensors and programming functions to automatically select the most energy efficient mode of operation for a given condition, reducing energy waste in everyday life. For example, a dish washer conserves water and energy by adjusting its operating cycles based on the number of loaded plates and utensils, and how dirty they are.

Panasonic integrated these functions into its refrigerators, tilted drum washer/dryers, dish washers, "EcoCute" water heaters (EcoCute is an energy efficient electric heat pump that uses heat extracted from the air to heat water), toilet seats with a warm-water wash, ceiling lights, vacuum cleaners and air conditioners. These eight product lines form the "EcoNavi Appliance" family that is promoted under the current tree-planting campaign.

The company has been running a series of campaigns to plant a tree for each product sold since 2007, with a cumulative total of 1.2 million trees to be planted. Through this particular campaign, the company hopes to add 300,000 more trees to the running total.

Let's Plant Trees with Green Santa ® : Panasonic Aims to Plant 250,000 Trees in Inner Mongolia (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027106.html
Panasonic global site
http://panasonic.net/

Posted: 2009/11/16 06:00:15 AM

Regional City Starts Carbon Reduction Project by Bundling Individuals' Emissions Reductions

2009-11-14T21:00:15Z

Kitsuki City in Japan's Oita Prefecture, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), NPO Regional Climate Network, and KDDI Corp., a major Japanese telecommunications company, announced on August 21, 2009, that they would start a joint pilot project aiming at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the household sector.

Although emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the non-industrial sector including households have been increasing each year in Japan, it is difficult to control such emissions, as they come from many diverse sources in small amounts.

Under the project, about 100 citizens in Kitsuki City will practice eco-friendly driving, including reducing their idling time, and reduce the use of private cars by increasing the use of buses and/or bicycles. The amount of CO2 emission reductions will be automatically recorded and measured using global positioning systems and mobile phones with onboard accelerometers. After bundling such reductions, the city will sell them to carbon offset market or carbon emission trading market. The revenue raised in such a manner would be paid back to participating citizens in the form of eco-commuting allowance or community money.

On August 24, 2009, President Monte Cassim and Professor Shunso Tsukada of APU, Mayor Kyosuke Yasaka of Kitsuki City and Chairman Itsuro Miura of NPO Regional Climate Network visited Governor Katsusada Hirose of Oita Prefecture and asked for his cooperation as they endeavor to make the project a success and hopefully expand the project to encompass the entire prefecture by exporting it to other cities, towns and villages in the prefecture.

Posted: 2009/11/15 06:00:15 AM

Ministry Launches New Solar Power Purchasing System in November 2009

2009-11-13T21:00:15Z

Image by Rob__ Some Rights Reserved.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) launched a New Solar Power Purchase System on November 1, 2009. This system requires electric power companies to purchase, at fixed prices, surplus electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels installed for household use.

METI had planned to implement this system in 2010, but the ministry decided to accelerate the launch to the end of 2009 to promptly promote the widespread use of PV generation, based on the government's plan to expand the scale of PV generation by twenty times the current level by 2020.

The purchase price of electricity from households will be double the current price at 48 yen (U.S.$0.53) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and the contract period will be ten years. The price will be reviewed on an annual basis, and is expected to be lowered when PV generating costs drop with the widespread use of PV generation.

Solar Industry in Japan Could Generate 10 Trillion Yen and 110,000 Jobs by 2020 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029115.html
Japan's Ministries Release Action Plan to Expand Solar Power Generation Installation (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028848.html
Japanese Ministry (METI) to Subsidize Residential PV Installation (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028740.html

Posted: 2009/11/14 06:00:15 AM

Gene Identified that Allows Rice to Grow in Flood-Prone Areas

2009-11-12T21:00:15Z

A joint research team comprised of the Nagoya University Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences and Riken Plant Science Center announced on August 20, 2009, that they had succeeded in identifying the gene and molecular mechanism that enable deepwater rice to survive sudden flooding without drowning.

When deepwater rice plants are submerged in water, ethylene gas accumulates in its hollow stems. As the ethylene diffusion rate in water is one 10,000th of that in air, it physically traps ethylene gas in the stems. The deepwater rice has the genes SNORKEL1 and SNORKEL2 in its chromosomes. These two genes respond to ethylene, activating a growth signal to begin elongation. Non-deepwater varieties of rice do not have these two genes and will not elongate when submerged.

This research finding is expected to contribute to the further development of high-yielding deepwater rice varieties that can grow in regions of the world that suffer from heavy flooding.

New Rice Strain Being Developed in Japan to Cope with Global Warming (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027050.html
Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University
http://www.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~nubs/index-e.html

Posted: 2009/11/13 06:00:15 AM

New Model Estimates Nitrogen Outflow and Water Pollution from Food Production and Consumption

2009-11-11T21:00:15Z

Nitrogen Concentration of River Water
Copyright The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences

The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) of Japan announced on August 18, 2009, that it had developed a broad-based model to extensively estimate changes in nitrogen circulation due to the production, trading and consumption of food, and the influence on water quality. Nitrogen flows into national land area externally from use of fertilizer, food trading and seafood capture, etc. After circulating from crops to farm animals and humans, nitrogen flows out into groundwater and rivers.

According to the model, due to increases in population and per capita food demand in Japan, nitrogen inflow increased until the late 1980s. Since the 1990s, a decrease in use of nitrogen fertilizers has suppressed the nitrogen outflow. Estimation of nitrogen in groundwater and rivers by region indicated high levels of nitrogen near big cities and in areas with abundant livestock farming.

On the other hand, the model also showed that most nitrogen inflow into national land area comes from fertilizers, and is still on the increase in China and Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam. Nitrogen concentrations in China are extremely high in the downstream areas of the Yellow River and the Yangzi River where intensive agriculture is conducted.

This estimating model has made it possible to find out what elements, related to production and consumption of food, cause water contamination in individual regions. It can also predict impacts on the environment due to changes in food demand in response to future demographic trends and the cultivation of feed and energy crops.

National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences official website
http://www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/index_e.html

Posted: 2009/11/12 06:00:15 AM

Mono Culture

2009-11-11T07:40:53Z

Note: Mono-culture (lifestyle surrounded by same articles) may be a limiting factor in cultural identity.

* Copyright Contents
All the contents in this page has copyright.
For permission of any secondary use, please check our copyright policy and contact us at info[at]japanfs.org

On this page presented are cartoons by Professor Hiroshi Takatsuki.
These are adopted and repainted in color from his cartoon collection,
HaiKIbutsu, or precious wastes.

Author: Hiroshi TAKATSUKI Pen-name: High Moon *
Professor, Ishikawa Prefectural University
A member of the Japan Cartoonist Association

*His pen-name, High Moon, is derived from his last name, which literally means high moon in Japanese.

Yokohama Visualizes Citizens' Green Actions through Its Eco-Point System

2009-11-10T21:00:15Z

Yokohama City in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, established two centers to exchange points earned through its Eco-Point System, from August 8 through September 27, 2009, at the site of the Grand Exposition for Yokohama's 150th Year. The system was adopted as a social experiment conducted in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of Yokohama Port programs, with the aim of promoting energy saving by awarding eco-points for citizens' eco-conscious behaviors.

The points were awarded for their energy-saving efforts and environmental activities at home: one point was given to citizens who brought utility bills for the period from May through September 2009 or their eco-account book on monthly energy consumption, and three points were given to primary school children who participated in the city's energy-saving programs for children. An additional point was given to those who used public transportation to visit the center.

Accumulated points could be exchanged for items offered by various companies, or donated to the Green Power Fund Yokohama Project at an exchange rate of one yen (about 1.1 U.S. cent) per point. Donators were able to draw lots for 3 points or 10 points, with the winners receiving prizes such as light emitting diode electric bulbs or hotel vouchers.

In addition, anyone earning one point or more received Environmental Passport coupons for about 70 stores, while the city visualized the citizens' energy-saving efforts by releasing data on the energy consumption and power savings of participant households on its website when the point centers were open.

Yokohama City Develops Pilot Program for 'Eco Point System' (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026925.html

Posted: 2009/11/11 06:00:15 AM

[Newsletter] The Ginza Honeybee Project -- Urban Development Inspired by Beekeeping

2009-11-10T07:27:11Z

JFS Newsletter No.86 (October 2009)

Ranked with the Fifth Avenue shopping district in New York City, Japan's Ginza district in Tokyo is one of the world's leading downtown districts, complete with high-class department stores and designer shops. Today, bee honey collected from hives there is starting to attract people's attention. Ginza honeybees are nicknamed "Ginpachi" (short for "Ginza bees" in Japanese), and recently they have become somewhat of a new mascot for the district.

A five-minute walk from the intersection of Ginza 4-chome will take you to a building where, on the rooftop 45 meters above, you'll find some honeybee hives. The beekeepers are using the honey to make Ginza-based products using local skills. For example, delicious sweets and confectionaries are whipped up by local pastry chefs using the honey collected, and then put on display for sale in the showcases of local shops. Some of the beeswax is also made into candles for use at the Ginza Church's Christmas Mass.

Birth of the Ginza Bee Project

This outstanding project is administrated by a non-profit organization called the Ginza Bee Project, which is run by volunteers of Ginza Shokugakujuku, a group that regularly holds seminars on food sources and diet, and those of the Ginza Town Study Group, a group focused on studying the history and culture of the area.

The aim of the project is to interact with the local environment and ecosystems in Ginza through beekeeping. Although Ginza, which is located in the middle of Tokyo, has some small green areas, these groups are trying to learn more about how a sustainable society and the local environment operates by working with honeybees and using the honey they produce.

At the beginning of the project, in late 2005, some people had concerns that it might be dangerous to keep honeybees in the densely populated urban district, because they thought the bees might attack people, but honeybees are generally gentle creatures, and they never attack unless suddenly surprised. After thoroughly explaining the nature of honeybees to the tenants of the building where the hives were to be installed, in March 2006, the project members placed three hives on the building's rooftop, and the bees began flying into the sky above Ginza.

Is it really possible to keep honeybees and collect honey in an urban area such as Ginza? Many were suspicious. Honeybees are said to fly within a three- to four-kilometer radius from their hives to collect nectar. Fortunately, parks rich in green space are located within two kilometers, such as the Imperial Palace, Hibiya Park, and Hama-rikyu Gardens. Furthermore, many roadside trees are also good sources of nectar. The amount of honey collected has been increasing steadily, growing from 160 kilograms (kg) in 2006, to 290 kg in 2007, 440 kg in 2008, and over 700 kg in 2009.

The honeybee is said to be an environmental indicator species because it is extremely susceptible to pesticides, which are used on vast areas of farmland in Japan, and are causing the survival rate of bees to drop. Meanwhile, in Ginza, which is in the central part of metropolitan Tokyo, the use of pesticides is avoided because of the growing number of people with allergies. So Ginza has ended up being a bee-friendly environment, and the high-quality honey-producing Ginza bees have made people aware that the district has a rich natural environment.

Since the bees were brought to Ginza, cherry blossoms that had previously not been pollinated began to produce cherries. People began to see birds eating the cherries, and small insects began rejuvenating the environment around the area.

Collecting Honey
Copyright Ginza Bee Project

The extraordinary combination of Ginza and honeybees has attracted attention from the public and media since the start of the project, and more and more people are enjoying Ginza honey. People began thinking of not only the bees and the honey they produce in Ginza but also the natural environment around the whole region.

Ginza Green Project Focused on Growing Local, Eating Local

The existence of bees in Ginza has gradually become known by most people in the area, and some who were only interested in honey before began to take notice of their local environment. In order to provide a more comfortable environment for the bees, the Ginza Green Project was launched in 2007, with the aim of creating flower and vegetable gardens on building rooftops to increase the amount of green space sources of nectar for them. This project was actually started on the roof of Matsuya Co., a department store in Ginza, with the cooperation of Masaki ENVEC Co., a rooftop-gardening company.

The project's objectives are not only to produce honey but also to reduce the negative impacts of the urban heat-island effect, by which concrete and roads retain heat from the sun and increase local temperatures. The aim is also to realize a "grow local, eat local" ethic in the true sense by collecting the honey that Ginza bees produce from local nectar sources, and making food and sweets using the honey harvested from the rooftop plot. It also aims to encourage person-to-person relationships among people who many have otherwise been complete strangers.

Rooftop garden of Matsuya
Copyright Ginza Bee Project

Today, 30 employees from Matsuya and its partner companies are helping with the rooftop garden as after-work volunteers. According to spokesman Yukio Oki, employees other than members are also starting to care about how the vegetables are growing, which proves the company's success in raising environmental awareness. Matsuya often gets words of encouragement from its customers about its activities on the rooftop, which is open to the public. The company plans to sell sweets and bread using the herbs grown on its rooftop to achieve the goal of growing locally and eating locally.

With interest growing in the Ginza Green Project, various people -- including students and people from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- are frequently visiting the project sites. Besides the Matsuya department store, Ginza Blossom (a wedding hall), an art gallery, and some commercial establishments are now participating. They grow a variety of things on their rooftops, like herbs for cooking, rice for brewing sake, fruit for sweets, and green soybeans to be served as snacks at high-class bars, so the Ginza Green Project is expanding further while involving a growing number of neighbors.

Japanese Honeybees

Three of the beehives brought to Ginza in March 2006 were populated by European honeybees, first introduced to Japan in the Meiji period (1868-1912). Because the European honeybees are better at producing honey, they have been playing a central role in beekeeping in Japan, and many Japanese beekeepers raise them.

Indigenous Japanese honeybees, in contrast, produce less honey and are more difficult to raise, so they are considered inferior to European honeybees from an apicultural point of view. Recently, however, it has become better understood that Japanese honeybees are skilled at fighting hornets, a natural enemy of European honeybees. Furthermore, Japanese honeybees are more disease-resistant and tolerant to extremes of heat and cold, which are attributes better suited to Japan's natural environment.

Japanese honeybees have generally been considered to be pests, and are often exterminated when they build beehives in street-side trees or in residential areas, but in 2007 the Ginza Bee Project started an initiative to conserve Japanese honeybees by rescuing them from extermination and raising them in Ginza.

Creating a Ginza "Satoyama"

Ginza was one of the first districts in Japan to introduce Western technology such as brick construction and street gaslights. Since the time when Edo, Japan's former capital, was renamed Tokyo, Ginza has always been ahead of the times, while still preserving Japanese history and culture. When a number of high-rise buildings were constructed under redevelopment projects in various parts of Tokyo, Ginza held extensive talks with Chuo Ward, which has local jurisdiction, before the ward finally established an ordinance in 2006 to set the maximum height of buildings at 56 meters in the Ginza district.

"Our future vision for Ginza is not a place where buildings compete for height, but where people and even small insects can coexist in harmony with nature," said Atsuo Tanaka, co-founder of the Ginza Bee Project. "We believe that honeybees and people's appreciation for them will help to create an urban district full of greenery, just like the "satoyama" of old (traditional nature-rich rural landscapes near villages). We would be happy if our project could be of some help for future urban planning in Japan," he said.

Many people are really looking forward to seeing how the Ginza Bee Project continues to evolve in Ginza's urban "satoyama," and also to seeing lots of honeybees flying around.

Written by Yuriko Yoneda