Just yesterday we heard about how proud the Japanese people are of their unique fine-tuned sense of the four seasons. Now the word out of Sapporo is that “indigenous peoples” are experiencing “unique fear” over the impacts of changes in the climate.
SAPPORO — Indigenous peoples will be the hardest hit by climate change because […]

The New York Times has an interesting article on Japanese energy technology. What always leaves me scratching my head is how this environmentally-minded country has such lousy windows and insulation which leads to more heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer (and thus more energy consumed and greater expense). I’d also love […]

MSNBC has still another story about the high-tech toilets of Japan.
Japanese toilets can warm and wash one’s bottom, whisk away odors with built-in fans and play water noises that drown out potty sounds. They play relaxation music, too. “Ave Maria” is a favorite.
High-end toilets can also sense when someone enters or leaves the bathroom, raising […]

Toyota recently became the world’s leading car maker and the Associated Press is reporting that last month it surpassed 1,000,000 gas-electric hybrid Prius sold (I looked it up, Toyota says the plural of Prius is Prius).

The Prius first went on sale in 1997.
It’s sold in 40 countries and regions.
592,000 were sold in North America and 315,000 in Japan.
The latest […]

The Daily Yomiuri is reporting that Japan has reached an ageement under which the Japanese government and domestic firms will purchase a part of China’s greenhouse gas emissions quotas in order to reach reduction levels dictated by the Kyoto Protocol
The envisaged scheme is part of the clean development Mechanism (CDM), under which industrialized countries are […]

Still another indication that Japan is seeking carbon emission reductions in all the wrong places comes in a news report on the debate over whether the nation’s trend towards a night owl lifestyle should be curbed by government fiat in order protect the environment.
The sense among the government’s Central Environment and Industrial Structure councils […]

The Japanese government is reportedly taking actions that will effectively make incandescent lightbulbs illegal.
The government will propose putting an end to domestic production and sale of energy-consuming incandescent bulbs to support a shift to energy-saving fluorescent bulbs to cut electricity consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, government sources said Wednesday.
The government is trying to work out […]

Here are two views on the the gathering of nations in Bali, Indonesia, for the United Nations meeting on climate change, which we reported on here yesterday.
First up is Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations who says the science is in, we are the problem, and if we don’t act now it’s all over.
We […]

Environmental groups are up in arms over moves by Japan and Canada to eliminate binding emissions targets for rich nations at a gathering of 190 countries at a UN meeting in Bali. The purpose of the meeting is to negotiate new rules when the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.
Canada has suggested […]

A Japanese government website was crashed earlier this week by people clicking in to take advantage of an offer of a half-price Big Mac in exchange for a personal pledge to combat global warming.
McDonald’s Japan promised to sell people a Big Mac for 150 yen if they would pledge to take steps to avoid […]

Japan’s Environment Ministry will establish an expert panel to study the feasibility of authorizing companies to get in on the global carbon offset boondoggle bandwagon.
The system allows individuals and corporations to fund wind generation, tree planting and other environmental projects to offset emissions that are unavoidable in their daily lives and economic activities.
In Europe, […]

Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister has said he is planning to demand an 80-billion-yen slice of the 2008 budget to be earmarked to finance projects aimed at preventing global warming.
Once of the projects the nation is considering calls for developing technology to make it possible to store carbon dioxide under the ocean floor.

A Japanese government panel has issued a report that concludes it will be extremely difficult for the nation to achieve emission targets set under the Kyoto Protocol.
Under the 1997 Kyoto pact, Japan is required to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012, but to the contrary, emissions […]

Hybrid automobiles are becoming more popular as people try to do their part to “save the Earth,” and no hybrid sells better than the Toyota Prius. According to a recent article by Chris Demorro, staff writer for the Central Connecticut State University Recorder, Prius owners might consider switching to a Hummer.
Demorro reports that much of […]

A question that appears to occupy the minds of many Japanese a great deal is “How does the world see Japan?”
So what is Japan’s position within the global political community? How much influence can a Japanese PM hope to exert internationally?
Depends who you ask.
Ask Mr Abe himself, and you’ll get a picture of the Japanese […]

The Japan Times is reporting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to propose a global effort to halve propose ggreenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from current levels at the next month’s Group of Eight summit, and that George W. Bush has already pledged U.S. cooperation.
The sources, who are well versed in Japanese-U.S. relations, said […]

Wen Jiabao this morning became the first Chinese Prime Minister ever to address the Japanese parliament during his visit aimed at further improving Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties.
Reciprocating PM Abe’s visit to China last year, it’s a significant move from China. Japan last received such a visitor 7 years ago, and the troubles of the intervening period […]

Well I suppose no surprise that the nation who fostered the Kyoto accord are now vowing to step up the pressure on other countries in an effort to reduce global warming.
The USA Today has an interesting article about it here.
Here is a snippet:
Japanese government ministers will “discuss proposals on a new framework that will ensure […]

Chances are you’ve heard it mentioned a hundred times on the news. The Kyoto Protocol. A treaty put forth in the United Nations to set standards to help with the problem of climate change.
The Asia Times Online has written an interesting article on the history of his historic protocol and why its named after a […]

As I have mentioned on the Japan Talk podcast a number of times, it is unseasonably warm in the Tokyo area this year.
Now we get a report that the cherry trees in Tokyo’s Ueno Part have already started to bloom – about a month earlier than normal.
[O]fficials said five trees had already blossomed […]