Ever been in a city and wondered how sustainability fits into the equation, or how we can live a city-life properly – here are the healthiest, human, most sustainable solutions to urban life in Japan. Sustainability in Japan is always heading in the right direction – from Tokyo to Kyoto – if you know where to look.
Today, we’ll cover the challenges that Japanese cities face in relation to the environment, introduce you to some of the ways that Japan is anticipating environmental challenges through technological innovations and social culture, and share inspiring eco-friendly examples. Next, we’ll share some practical tips inspired by the ‘green initiatives’ of Japan, which you can incorporate into your lifestyle in the city.
Navigating Environmental Challenges in Japan
The rapid pace of urbanisation generates various kinds of environmental challenges for Japanese cities.About 90% of the Japanese population live in urban areas.Among those issues that cities all over the world tackle, two major problems are air pollution and waste management.
Energy-saving measures need to be taken seriously changes and shortage of fuel.There are some things that individuals can do to help reduce wastes.Avoiding the use of car and making more use of public transport is one of the effective ways in dealing with energy issues.On a personal level, people should use public transport more than driving cars whenever they can.What can the government do?I believe that the government should encourage people to take public transport by reducing the service fee and providing free pass.In addition, the government should promote the use of solar power and developing green technology.
To sum up, some eco-friendly measures should be taken to achieve the goal of reducing air pollution and energy consumption in Japanese cities so that the growth of the cities can remain sustainable.
Efforts are underway to mitigate these problems, for instance through reducing carbon emissions and revamping waste management systems. To counter carbon emissions, Tokyo has strict waste-sorting rules and pushes for low-energy usage in buildings.
In addressing these challenges, Japan’s capital offers a model that other megacities around the world would do well to emulate. The global traveller’s journey in search of Japan has only just begun to break away from the image of this kawaii and hi-tech land of robots, anime, and neon that greets them when they arrive. But as we have seen, it is no longer wholly accurate.
A Unique Blend of Technology and Tradition
A balance of high-tech solutions and cultural values drives the many examples of urban sustainability artfully crafted in Japan’s major cities Often triggered by an expression of regret that refers to wasted resources, ‘mottainai’ inspires a wide variety of initiatives in cities and towns throughout Japan.
Given that technological advancement is key to green growth, Japan is in great shape: well ahead of its peers in the usage of renewable energy, it has set itself the ambitious target of procuring 24 per cent of its power from renewables by 2030; solar panels and wind turbines are already a commonplace of the urban landscape.
Other cultural practices support this, from spartan minimalism and communal living to a system of close-cropped green spaces that Kaazui says promote proximity to nature and a community-minded stewardship of it. Cities such as Japan’s might be more sustainable than those in the United States because they weren’t built from scratch. The Japanese made the choice to live in cities over millennia, inch by inch, which allowed them to cope with the change in a different way than until now, has always sprawled outward.
Eco-Friendly Initiatives and Lifestyle Choices
Public Transportation Efficiency
This is related to the fact that Japanese cities have a highly reliable public transport system with trains and buses leaving on the minute, and some 40 million people using each every day, instead of having to use cars which might add more carbon emission in the air.
As Hiroshi Tanaka, Professor of Urban Development at Kanazawa University, remarked: ‘public transport is considered reliable, cheap and carbon free by design’.
Zero-Waste Communities
The zero-waste movement, such as it is, has a foothold here, too. The community of Kamikatsu sorts domestic waste into 45 categories, which leads to a 80 per cent recycling rate.
Mottainai, as Sato Kondo explains it, is ‘Japan’s underlying principle and main drive for a zero-w ‘Mottainai” is the true culture essence of Japan. In other words, “mottainai” originated from “mono zo naoshi”, meaning save everything and never throw away. Now, it is reflected in the Japanese culture. Mottainai expresses the medieval point of sensibility on respecting the true value of object.
Green Architecture and Urban Planning
Japanese cities are known for their sustainable architecture. Many buildings use natural building material and designs for energy efficiency with green roofs, so that buildings have minimum environmental impact. Now we are starting to see what ‘smart’ infrastructure can mean. The Tokyo Skytree, currently the tallest building in Japan, has aims to be a ‘zero-emission tower’ that includes eco-friendly features like steel roof insulation, greywater irrigation and special lighting. It is a tend that is sure to continue.
Case Studies of Success
Kamikatsu’s Zero-Waste Transformation
The small town of Kamikatsu, on Shikoku Island, leads the way in this zero-waste life, where traversing the community is like passing through a unique cross-section of an ‘ideal’ village. Almost every service is communal – from waste collection to crèche provision – compromise on sustainable living solutions has placed Japan firmly on the eco-tourism map.
Tokyo’s Green Skyscrapers
The Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in Tokyo, for instance – an unusual green skyscraper with an undulating cave-like façade ventilated by vertical shafts – utilises cutting-edge technology to create a carbon-neutral building that uses less energy than a traditional building.
Renewable Energy in Osaka
Meanwhile Osaka is leading Japan’s drive towards renewable energy. Its flagship Osaka Hydrogen Station and solar farms are emblematic of a citywide strategy to shift away from fossil fuels and towards the use of green energy.
Expert Insights and Practical Tips
You can also practice living sustainably in your urban space. Here are projects:
- Take Public Transportation: You can save carbon footprints and time and money on trains and traffic jams.
- Adopt Minimalism: Clearing your workspace and home of clutter will promote your connection with the natural environment. Be present in the moment, and use only the necessary essentials. Follow the Japanese principle of harmony with the environment.
- Get civic: Take part in countercultural sustainability initiatives being developed by your immediate community, for example by volunteering at a community garden or a local recycling project.
The Journey Towards Urban Sustainability
The journey towards sustainable urban living is not an individual act, but a collective one that merits national backing in Japan where the art and science of building pocket ecosystems are central to the lifestyle enjoyed by its citizens.
‘Japan is a global leader in innovative urban sustainability,’ says Dr Keiko Nakamura, an Environmental Policy Analyst at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Biological Investigations. ‘It takes technologically and traditionally advanced cultures to truly achieve wabi sabi cities. In today’s world, you need both to make things ecological.
We welcome you to join Japan in green living and realise that you can make a difference in reducing environmental burdens that harms our planet suchification of oceans which in aggregate make a planet. Do join hands in implementing large community projects for the greater good.
Further resources To learn more about how to live sustainably, check out the resources below. Ready to live more sustainably today? Try out our more sustainable actions: Ascend the stairs whenever possible.Shop with your own reusable bags.Opt for remote work (it’s more sustainable!).Aerial view of City Hall Square in Copenhagen filled with food trucks and people dining and relaxing. 8 August 2020.