Kurashi - News From Japan

There is, I'm told, an ancient Greek proverb, that is most likely much more ancient than the Greeks, that adores the man who plants a tree in which shadow he will never sit. I have been to Yakushima three times, and there are some very old cedar trees there, but also many stubs, as temples had to be built in Kyoto and such places. There is even the memory of a certain Buddhist monk who educated the islanders that felling ancient trees was not a sin. I wonder what he personally gained from such advice. How tragic for the ancient trees, but, perhaps the monk was more concerned about the welfare of the human souls trying to survive on that remote Satsuma island. I got a small bonzai peach tree on a visit to Mito, in Ibaraki prefecture. It is a famous site, and I was happy to have the tiny tree in its Mito pot in my garden. Then I planted it and it took root, and by now several years later, the tree has grown to about three meters tall. What a joy for that tiny bonzai plant. I cut ...

I write a monthly column for Consumers Union of Japan's newsletter, and the theme for January is tourism. You have probably seen them, and read the statistics. Over 13 million tourists entered Japan in 2014, a record high. In fact, the number has doubled in the last 10 years. And for 2020, the government aims for 20 million. Of course there are a lot of wonderful things to do and see. Possible troubles would usually be laughed off, a smile will save the day. There is an old saying, "When you embark on a journey, you will have a story to tell..." Except, Japan is not prepared for this level of foreign interest in its culture or favourite places. In my column, I wonder why there is no place for redress or complaints, as more tourists will increasingly be encountering difficulties or disappointments. That's only natural, it happens at all popular destinations. But here, hotel staff often don't speak English, taxi drivers are an elderly bunch with a slow learnin...

Tragic eruption at Mt. Ontake bringing the total number of victims to 51 in Japan's worst postwar volcanic disaster, according to The Mainichi . NAGANO (Kyodo) -- Four hikers have officially been confirmed dead after their bodies were found on Mt. Ontake in central Japan on Saturday, bringing the total number of victims to 51 in the country's worst postwar volcanic disaster. Search efforts that had been suspended for two days by rain were resumed one week after the deadly disaster. Around 930 police officers, firefighters and Ground Self-Defense Force troops took to the mountain in midsize helicopters and on foot amid concerns their efforts could be halted again with the approach of powerful typhoon Phanfone, expected to bring rain to the area from Sunday. With the past two days of rain having turned accumulated volcanic ash into mud, the risk of mudslides has prevented the use of lar...

So much happening here, do explore. If you care about this issue, do share. These videos are from Kagoshima prefecture in southern Japan, lots of people showing up to protest against the restart of the nuclear reactor in Sendai, Kagoshima. The name of the parade is, Sayonara Genpatsu Kagoshima Parade! Far well Nuclear Power!!! Then there are also the protests from the other side, I have no idea how they are funded.

Sendai in Kagoshima in southern Japan is in the spotlight. As all Japan's 50 nuclear reactors here are still off line, the government and the powerful industrial agencies are doing their best to find one nuclear plant that they can get re-started. The government will argue that summer heat "need" these power plants to go online. We heard that in the summer of 2011 and in 2012 and in 2013.... They will also try to keep quiet the fact that 120 million Japanese are doing OK without a single nuclear power plant. So, we managed to reduce our electricity consumption, and turned down a few lights. We showed that it can be done. The pressure is on Sendai, a very rural town in southwestern Kagoshima. Of course there is concern about the volcanoes, Sakurajima and Aso, and the general earthquake activity. Glad to see so many people turn out to protest against the restart. People in rural places like Sendai, Kagoshima will need to know that you care. Where ever you are. C...

Remember these guys that looked like they were trying to bolt from my refrigerator? I planted them and 4 months later, they have given a steady, daily harvest of tasty green peas! Thanks to some of you who have been sending links. The solar energy boom continues in Japan, according to Rudolf ten Hoedt in my new favourite city, Kagoshima. Well researched article published by Energy Post and others, pointing out that the boom is not without issues: For Japan, solar obviously has priority over wind power. 6.7 GW of solar capacity was approved in Japan for the feed-in-tariff (FIT) scheme in 2013. Almost half of this was utility-scale solar. This year, Japan is even expected to install over 10 GW of solar power, with more than half of this being utility-scale solar. The boom in utility scale solar got started by an FIT- program introduced in 2012 by the Japanese government. Under this program, regional utilities have to buy power from solar and other renewable energy producers...

I could go on and on. Earth Day is such a mainstay of great events in Japan. Give these guys some credit. Another Japan is indeed possible, no, it is already happening. All over the place. So much good you would have to be hiding under a rather heavy rock to not notice it. As they say, it is more up to you, than the place you happen to be in. Asahi: Demonstrators turn out in force in Kagoshima to oppose Sendai plant restart KAGOSHIMA--An estimated 6,000 anti-nuclear activists rallied on March 16 here to protest the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s decision to short-list reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant for safety screenings--a prelude to their restart. Go with the flow and you will notice there is a new movement happening. Earth Day Kagoshima Balance by Kagoshima native Nakamura Tetsuro Facebook Earth Day Kagoshima

Kyushu is rather very far away from Tokyo, and has been that way since time immemorial when the good people in Satsuma (Kagoshima) refused to go along with/only reluctantly accepted the bakufu (Edo/Tokyo), and the rest is history. I had the pleasure of visiting these southern parts of Japan, staying at Kurokawa Onsen, and then I went further to Yakushima, an island with great cedar trees that are up to 7000 years old. Some 40% of the island is protected. Shiratani and Yakusugi Land provide the kind of hiking I had always dreamt of. But the local harbour and the main roads along the coast are being "developed"and there is a lot of construction going on. You can get a terrific cappuccino at the   Yakushima Island Environmental and Cultural Village Center 屋久島環境文化村センター (yakushima kankyou bunka mura senta) One helpful guide who had previously been in the Self Defense Forces but was now working at Shiratani told me that the busy road projects w...

Since main stream media will not do the math, I thought I would give it a try. There used to be 54. But, four at Fukushima Dai-ichi are gone due the the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Major meltdowns. Do we have 2, or 10, or 20, or more nuclear reactors that could actually do the job, in Japan? What is their status? Let's start with a map, found on wikipedia. Then, let's go from north to south. Tomari Three reactors, the only plant in Hokkaido. "...the Tomari power facility in Hokkaido, said that it could not rule out the possibility that the plant was vulnerable." Source NHK World 20120229 and JAIF (pdf). So, 50-3=47 Higashidori So,  only one reactor, but more planned. Now, this is where things tend to get interesting: Although the plant was in maintenance shutdown during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami , the April 7th aftershock caused the loss of all external power and the plant had to switch to backup power to supply cooling...

This organic food market event in Kagoshima City today Sunday Nov. 11 seems to good to pass over! I wish I could join. "Living with nature, playing with Earth" or something like that - is the slogan. The event is not just about food but also promoting renewable energy, using 100% solar for the concert and other activities on the stage. Enjoy! Organic Festa

Did you know that Japan has really delicious bananas? In the south, as this country reaches down into tropical regions, they grow terrific tasting bananas, sweet and with a slight sour note that adds to the experience. Here is to hoping we can all get more such tropical fruits in the rest of the country. Slow life... People living down south are trying to tell us something... We can enjoy the fruits of their labour. HAPPY SLOW LIFE has more. Tanagashima bananas are short and tasty, a real treat.  Meanwhile, Europe and South America have just concluded a long World Trade Organization battle on bananas... The Telegraph has more. Banana war ends after 20 years One of the longest international trade battles - the banana dispute dating back more than two decades - is over The EU import tariffs had favoured imports from former European colonies, with no duty imposed on bananas from former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. However, the EU charge...