fbpx
    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

        Solace and Giant Salamanders in Akiota

        Just beyond Hiroshima City is a tranquil outdoor destination home to some of Japan's last remaining oosanshouo, the elusive giant salamander.
        Kyoto Oni Trail Outdoor Japanvideo

        The Oni Trail: Hiking Coastal Kyoto

        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.

        Spring Skiing in Japan 2022

        It may be spring in Japan but you can still ski in select ski resorts open all the way to Golden Week.
    • Summer
    • Autumn
      • Pow Bar Founder Megumi Scott

        Beyond the Brand: Pow Bar

        An interview with Megumi Scott, the founder of Niseko brand Pow Bar.
        Churamura Okinawa Sea Turtle Marine Conservation

        Churamura: Footprints in the Sand

        Churamura, an NPO in Okinawa, work to conserve marine life and protect endangered sea turtles in Japan's southernmost prefecture.
        Kawazu

        Fall in Love with Kawazu

        Enjoy waterfall hikes and hot springs, beautiful beaches and delicious seafood in Kawazu on the western coast of Izu Peninsula.
    • Winter
    • Near Tokyo
    • Near Kyoto
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.
    • All Regions
    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
    • River and Lake
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
    • Snow and Ice
    • Travel
    • Food and Drinks
    • Races and Events

Eco Corner: Choices for Sustainable Lifestyles

Eco Power
SunPower Solar Panels

Weblinks
www.sunpowercorp.com

www.kyocera.co.jp/prdct/solar

Solar panels have been around longer than you think; since 1883, to be exact.
So why aren’t we getting all of our energy from the sun?

P.V. (photo-voltaic) cells make electricity by energizing silicon with sunlight.
The drawbacks are efficiency and cost.
Until now the cells only converted seven percent of light into electricity, and the payback time on installation cost was 20 years.
But as sales have increased, production cost is dropping, and SunPower of California is now making panels with 22 percent efficiency.

Japan now accounts for 30 percent of all sales in the world (Germany is the top with 39 percent and the U.S. third at nine percent).
Another incentive to install them is that you can now sell your excess power to the grid.
Your meter will actually spin backwards, and the power company will owe you money.

Eco Clean

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap

Weblink
www.drbronner.com

Most modern soaps are synthesized from petroleum, that black oily stuff we fight wars for. Yuck. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are all organic, 100 percent eco-friendly and made from natural, fair-trade oils such as coconut, hemp, almond, lavender and peppermint.
An icon of the ’60s and ’70s counter culture, Dr. Bronner used his soaps to promote ecological businesses and his “All-One” message of peace (written in fine print all over the bottle).
These amazing liquid soaps can be used as shampoo as well as for face and body. Gentle on the skin, they leave no residue, and the fragrance of the essential oils is rejuvenating.
Non-animal tested, 100 percent post-consumer recycled packaging. Employee profit sharing. Best of all, they are finally on the shelves in Japan. (Most recently spotted near the checkout of the Don Quixote store in Shibuya.)

Eco Water

H₂O In Japan

Weblink
www.mizuhiroba.jp/en

H₂O. Water. You know the story; all living creatures on Earth came from the sea, and the human body is 70 percent water. In another sign proving that businesses are catching on to the eco-trend, bottled water sales are booming. There are more than 80 types of water available in markets across Japan.
In addition to straight water, many stores are now stocking slightly flavored carbonated waters with no sugar or additives. Stay away from the “No-Calorie” and “Calorie-Off” waters because they are filled with artificial sugar substitutes (much worse than the real thing).

Eco Sexy
Victoria’s (dirty little) Secret

Weblinks
www.victoriassecret.com
www.forestethics.org

Thanks to a two-year ad campaign by Forest Ethics—attacking Victoria’s Secret printing catalogs on paper made by clearcutting Canada’s boreal forests—the lingerie retailer has decided to relent and go green.

The felling of trees to produce paper for the 360 million annual catalogs was destroying endangered Caribou habitat in the great white north. They will now be printed on paper made from sustainably harvested FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified fiber.

Thanks to the pressure applied by Forest Ethics, Victoria’s Secret has also agreed to look for even more ecological friendly ways to produce their catalogs. So now you lust with a clear conscience.

[novo-map id=2 individual=”yes”]

Outdoor Japan logo tree

Related

Latest posts

Categories