Seaside Hayama gets businesses, citizens working for environment

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

The town of Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture won the Satoyama Excellence Award in the fourth Sustainable Japan Award organized by...

Suntory replenishes a century of water stewardship

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

This year is the 100th anniversary of Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, established in the Yamazaki district of the town...

Businesswomen challenge selves at ICWB conference

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

On the morning of July 9, more than 1,000 people from around the world gathered online for the International Conference...

Satoyama Experience offers rural experiences, revitalization

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

Taku Yamada and his wife traveled around the world before they decided to start the tour company Chura-boshi in the...

Ibaraki NPO preserves nature, ways of life in Shishitsuka area

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

“I know! This is a Japanese dandelion, and that one is a nonnative one,” exclaimed an elementary school boy taking...

Hiroshima forum sees rising need for business role in global peace

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

How can business play a role in peacemaking? This is the question that the Hiroshima Business Forum for Global Peace...

NTT projects in cities and forests use visual data to solve issues

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

Data is an important element in sustainable regional development. “The Sustainable Smart City Partner Program (SSPP) is carrying out projects...

Seino delivers on the promise of faster, greener e-commerce

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

There is not one place in Japan where Seino Holdings Co. Ltd. doesn’t provide delivery service. Seino is one of...

Fukuyama, Japan’s city of denim, spins surge in public awareness

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

Did you know a denim fabric made in Japan has its own history of development? It comes from Fukuyama, a...

Aomori’s Mutsu finds partners for the future through Singapore

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

The city of Mutsu in Aomori Prefecture is one of the most ambitious and open rural municipalities in Japan. It...

Sakaue raises consciousness along with grass-fed cattle

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

Sakaue Co. Ltd., an agricultural corporation established in 1995 in the city of Shibushi in Kagoshima Prefecture, started raising grass-fed...

Tsukuba’s outlying R8 districts realize and promote their charms

Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer

“There is nothing in this town” — this is a phrase you too often hear when asking a resident of...