Nihon Kinuka

Nihon Kinuka is a coating company.

In the old day, Japanese people has used coating material
from rice bran.

They brushed the floor and furnitures with this.

Nihon Kinuka has revived this naturally coating system, "Kinuka"
There will be no problem to lick it, there will be no odor after its use.

"Kinuka" has been awarded at the 4th Eco Products Award Ceremony.

http://www.kinuka.co.jp/index.html

Green cars

By Shiro Hosojima

Did you have chance to go to the motor show in Japan?
I did not have time, but I heard the show had amazing environmentally friendly cars.
As I was searching through the net, I had encountered with amazing technology!

For example:
Honda's Hybrid Sports Car "CR-Z"





http://world.honda.com/news/2007/4071009Tokyo-Motor-Show-2007/


Nissan's Universal Designed electric Car






http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/PIVO2/index.html


Also, Toyota and Mitsubishi had great amazing concept cars lined up at the show!
And these four companies that I have mentioned will participate in Eco Products 2007!
If you missed the motor show, why not come to EcoProduct Exhibition?

Enviroment Idea Contest

During the exhibition, a couple of idea contest award ceremony
will presented.

"Eco Japan Cup" is hosted by the Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Business Women, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
Their concept is "Lets change world's economy to Eco, first starting with Japan!".
Six ideas from three sections, including business model, design, art and local action, are awarded.
http://www.eco-japan-cup.com/
(only in Japanese)

"Cool the Earth Idea Contest".
With the aim of curbing global warming as much as possible and keeping the earth "cool", they were called for ideas from around the world for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Based on the innovative ideas we receive, prototype projects will be conducted in Japan to establish models for reducing emissions.
Awared ceremony will be done on 14th.
http://eco.goo.ne.jp/topics/cooltheearth/english/

Eco-tourism promoting council of Okinawa/ Okinawa prefecture

By: Shoko Sugasawa


There are several reasons that I recommend for you to visit Okinawa. The nature in Okinawa is so amazing. I have canoed around and across Okinawa and encountered amazing waterfalls, unique creatures, and beautiful ocean. I am proud that Okinawa is one of our treasures in our country. But recently, that our treasure has been endangered due to decreases in forest area and polluted seashores.

Okinawa is trying to harmonize the nature by inviting tourist to see the beauty of Okinawa.
This Eco-Tourism has a vision that many people will realize that protecting beauty of Okinawa and around the world is important!
You can see some pictures of the nature in Okinawa!
Please check out their page:
http://www.ecotourism-okinawa.jp/index.htm

Japan East Railways, Power-Generating Floor

(exhibited in Eco-Products 2006)

As part of research aimed at developing more environmentally friendly train stations, is testing an experimental system that produces electricity as people pass through ticket gates. JR claims that this sort of human-powered electricity generation system may provide a portion of the electricity consumed at train stations in the future.

The ticket gate electricity generation system relies on a series of piezo elements embedded in the floor under the ticket gates, which generate electricity from the pressure and vibration they receive as people step on them. When combined with high-efficiency storage systems, the ticket gate generators can serve as a clean source of supplementary power for the train stations.

Busy train stations (and those with large numbers of passengers willing to bounce heavily through the gates) will be able to accumulate a relatively large amount of electricity.

To know more about this, check JFS website.
"Walking on New Power-Generating Floor Creates Electricity"
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1667-e

Aleph Inc.(Food)

Aleph Inc. manages "Bikkuri Donkey",
is one of the major hamburger restaurants in Japan.
They have a strong commitment to serve great qualities of food,
especially concentrating in areas of meat, rice, and vegetable.

They have a variety of projects like:
-Organic low-pesticide rice grown by contract farmers.
-"Total Food Industry"vision, from agriculture to the restaurant chain industry
-100% recyling at restaurants and factories
-made fuel from household used-oil

They recently held an event welcoming Denise Meadows
and discussed about the sustainability scenario of the next century.

To know more about Aleph's activity,
please go to Japan for Sustainability web site.
http://www.japanfs.org/en/business/corporations60.html

NTT DoCoMo

NTT DoCoMo is well known IT/Communicating Service in Japan.


NTT has presented unique products in the past exhibitions, such as "bioplastic cell phones".
NTT has been eye catcher for international guests, especially people with an interest in green technology.


This year in 2007, NTT is having booth with full of Green things.

From the pictures below, I have never seen booth like this in the past, and it is worth checking out.(This picture is shown in Eco-Products 2007 Official Page)



If you have interest in technology of cell phone in Japan, please check out NTT DoCoMo

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/

Japanese Traditional Ecoproduct "Furoshiki"

“Furoshiki” is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to
wrap gifts, clothes, and other goods.

Furoshiki means “bath spread”, deriving from the usage of bundling clothes
at public baths in the Edo Period (1603-1867).
Its usage have then extended to protect goods
when transporting and decorating goods for presents.

Furoshikis are made of silk, cotton, rayon, or nylon.
Furoshiki requires numerous wrapping techniques;
there are many ways and many things that are wrapped with furoshikis.
The wrapping methods vary in size and shape.

Furoshiki was very common since the Nara period (AD 710-794),
known as "Hirazutsumi" back then, but the usage of it has declined
since the postwar period due to the introduction of plastic bags.
Many of the young Japanese people today have negative images
about furoshiki as “bag for old people”.

Recently, past Japanese minister of environment and various environmental
organizations have been promoting active usage of furoshiki.
With rising awareness and environmental trend,
many brands in Japan are collaboratively producing furoshikis
with trendy design and easy instruction where young people can easily wrap
in their own unique style.

Little by little, furoshiki is becoming labeled as
"cool traditional eco-friendly product".

Revival :
New type of "furoshiki" are now revived as fashionable products.
For instance, you can find here PC wrapping furoshiki.
http://assiston.co.jp/?item=231
(only in Japanese)

Let's start a "CO2 Diet" today!

"CO2 Diet" is the concept of this year's exhibition.

Japan has been discharging large number of CO2 over the years,
we have to encourage ourselves to get into a habit of "dieting" the amount of CO2 emission.

This campaign is a part of "Declare challenge to reduce CO2
by 1kg per person within a day ". This campaign is organized by "Team Minus 6 Percent".

It encourages people to save energy in a household by indicating
the effects in concrete figures of uses in electricity,
gas, and oil.

In EcoProducts 2007, you can check the amount of CO2
you are emmiting. And the staff will consult you to find your own ways of dieting CO2!

To know more about "CO2 Diet", please check the JFS Website.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/806-e

Green Purchasing Network (NGO)

The Green Purchasing Network (GPN),
promotes the ideas and practices of "green purchasing" in Japan.


The 2,876 organizations (Jan 2005) join our network including corporations,
local autonomous bodies, consumer groups, environmental NGOs,
and cooperative associations.

Purchasing guidelines for various products and maintains an extensive product database
and awarding commendations to organizations that have excellently performed
in implementing green purchasing is our major activities.

They've organized a big "Say No to Plastic Bag campaign" involving
500 million people last October.

[What to look for in 2007]
Threen points of how processed food can be eco-friendly;
-being considerated in cultivating and breeding
-being considerated in packaging
-being considerated in decreasing CO2

http://www.gpn.jp/English/index.html

Be Good Cafe (NGO)

Field; Food, Lifestyle

Non-profit organization, "Be Good Café" is founded in 1999.

This organization is very unique where promotes an information
regarding goodness of environment through workshops,
live music, and healthy organic food.

The aim for this organization is to build a sustainable society
throughout the world. Be Good members are young activists with
variety fields of expertise. With multi-skilled members,
Be Good Café is filled with activities like Steiner, macrobiotic,
permaculture, and developments of eco-village..

Be good Café participate in Eco-Product Exhibition and serve traditional
Japanese food like “Otyazuke” (rice in soup) in organic style.
You should taste it for sure!!

http://begoodcafe.com/english.php (PDF)