Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times

Leaders&Readers

Leaders&Readers is a Monday interview series showcasing prominent figures who have a strong connection to Japan.

Kyoto Seika head Sacko flexes architecture for all

Joe Muntal
Contributing writer

Architecture significantly shapes our perception of society. The various elements that comprise a piece of architecture — materials, size, aesthetic design — reflect cultural values and economic development. For instance,...

Read the Air guides firms to sustainable ways

Joe Muntal
Contributing writer

As countries around the world pledge to reduce or offset...

Japan helps small islands take oversize global roles

Joe Muntal
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This article was written and published in Nov. 2020 Island...

Puratos: Good food, good company, better future

Louise George Kittaka
Contributing writer

Hiromichi Matono For Jean-Pierre Bernardino, there is nothing quite like...

Goldman partner Ben Ferguson in it for long term

Joe Muntal
Contributing writer

In 1998, Japan’s government began implementing its “Big Bang” financial...

Satoyama~Authentic Japan

Introduces municipalities and local companies promoting the beauty and excellence of the real Japan.

Nihonryori Takamura

Edo-style dining in Akita on the Sea of Japan coast Hidden away in the residential backstreets of Akita, Nihonryori Takamura sets itself well apart from the brash dining and drinking...

Chimikepp Hotel

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Michelin-starred modern French cuisine deep in the mountains of Hokkaido...

Suntory invests for future with initiatives toward zero emissions

Maiko Muraoka
Contributing Writer

Suntory Holdings, a global leader in both the alcoholic and...

ESG / SDGs

Highlights the ESG (environmental, social and governance) activities of companies and other organizations.

G1 Global lays out visions for helping Japan innovate and evolve

Who holds the power in Tokyo? Where do the real decision-makers meet? The most honest answer: in the offices of government departments. These immensely powerful organizations are led by the...

Share Summit gathers ideas to create a circular economy

Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer

Over 5,000 participants gathered online at the Share Summit 2021...

Papermaker Oji forms solutions to environmental, social needs

Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer

The 2021 U.N. climate summit, COP26, closed with nations that...

Roundtable

The English-language events will invite readers of The Japan Times to be guest speakers.

Green frontiers: The sustainability mission in space

An earnest, 40-something executive leans forward, speaking into the tabletop microphone. The camera catches the flash in his eyes as he poses this era’s most popular question: “How can we change? How can we move away from a society where we use it once, or use it for a short period of time, and then throw it away? To one...

ESG Talk

The Japan Times publisher Minako Suematsu interviews business leaders who are active proponents of ESG investing and practices in Japan.

Rohto invests in the health of individuals and society

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., which was founded 122 years ago and holds the largest share in the Japanese market of over-the-counter eyedrops, has not sat on its laurels, always working to develop new businesses. Its corporate culture of taking up challenge after challenge while learning from failure is driven by the founder’s wish to “contribute to the community at large through...

Brand history & Archives

Lacquer artisans add layers to 1,000 years of tradition

A craft preserved from ancient times, lacquering is one of Japan's representative arts, so much so that "japanning" became a word in English for similar lacquerwork. In 1955, the artisan Otomaru Kodo was designated by the government as a “preserver of an important intangible cultural property,” making him a living national treasure, in recognition of his contribution to further developing...