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    • 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.
    • 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.
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Eco Corner: Choices for Sustainable Lifestyles

Eco Wine
Organic in Akasaka  

One of the finest wine shops in Tokyo, Mavie Akasaka has been importing small batch organic wines from the world’s top vineyards for years. The professional sommeliers will guide you through the extensive collection of medocs, chardonnays, sparkling wines, as well as Belgian and Japanese organic beers. The Akasaka shop also has a small restaurant with the perfect tapas for every bottle. Easy walking distance from Roppongi or Akasaka stations. Be sure to ask if the new Organic Cherry Wine is in yet.    

Weblink: http://www.mavie.co.jp/akasaka
http://www.mavie.co.jp            

Eco Hemp
Not Your Grandma’s Weed  

The ubiquitous Muji shops with their ultra-chic subdued style have a new line of soft hemp T-shirts in greys and greens. Another great source for everything hemp is Ecolution, with Indian and European hemp products and a wide variety of women’s clothes, footwear, bags and wallets, hammocks, shower curtains and more. There are even hemp Frisbees and a vegan guitar strap.  

Weblink: http://ecolution.com/bags/first/first.html

Eco Build
Earthship Greenhouse Workshop

Visionary architect Michael Reynold’s EarthShips are legendary in the eco home world. These amazingly modern passive solar structures were originally built in the Arizona desert with recycled tires, cans, earthen walls, integrated greenhouses and grey-water recycling systems. The first one in Japan was built in Shikoku in 1993, and an in-ground EarthShips greenhouse will be built this summer on Mt. Fuji at the Earth Embassy’s Solar Café & Farm. There will be two-day and five-day workshops from July 28 to Aug. 1, with hands-on building and farming activities.

Weblink
www.earthembassy.org
www.earthship.org

Eco Oceans
No Fin, No Future

Shark fin soup. Definitely not eco, but it is kind of tasty, right? The problem is the fins are cut off live sharks that are then thrown back into the ocean, finless and bleeding, to die a slow and painful death. The rate of slaughter (tens of millions per year) is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. Pangea Seed is a Tokyo-based NPO raising awareness through art, music and fin-free raves. See their calendar for upcoming events. For info on buying sustainable seafood, see the Marine Stewardship Council’s labeling program. 

Weblink
www.pangeaseed.com
www.msc.org 

Eco Food
Tokyo Farmers Market

Farmers’ markets are back. After a nearly 50-year hiatus, Japan is sprouting up street markets with fresh baked goods, produce picked that morning and all manner of fair trade and homespun products. Setting the standard and leading the trend is the flagship market, held every weekend in front of the United Nations University in Aoyama, a five-minute walk from Shibuya or Omotesando station. They also have workshops, publish the magazine Water, Sun and the Earth and hold occasional night markets with live music.

Weblink
www.farmersmarkets.jp

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