Seek Sustainable Japan

Bonus podcast of my MEDIUM article Celebrating Rural Japan at the 3rd Annual Minka Summit in Hanase Village. Read the full article here: https://medium.com/@jjwalsh/celebrating-rural-japan-life-reuse-of-old-houses-at-minka-summit-24-1e496d5bc357 This year was the 3rd annual Minka Summit and we went back to the beautiful Hanase Village in rural Kyoto for the 3-day event. Old houses in Japan built in traditional style with beams fitted together beautifully are called Minka and if a house is over 100 years old, called a Kominka...

As a part of the 2024 Minka Summit in rural Kyoto, we had the chance to visit the stunning KAYABUKI thatch roof MINKA traditional home and atelier art studio of talented design team 2m26 Mélanie and Sebastien. Here Mélanie talks about the process of changing their roof from metal and tile back to natural straw thatch roof over the last year. 2m26 architecture, design and construction studio https://2m26.com/about/ #seeksustainablejapan #podcast #2m26 #interview #thatchroof #minka #minkasummit #minkasummit2024 #atelier #designer #sustainable #sustainabledesign #sustainablelifestyle #sustainability #japan #traditionaljapanesehouses #kyoto #ruraljapan #ruralkyoto #animalrescue #compostoilet #composting #naturalmaterials #naturalbuilding Music by Casey Bean - original singer-songwriter based in Ishikawa Japan - support his music and download your own on Bandcamp

Vancouver based Brigitte Gemme is a mom and researched professional who has been spreading her love of vegan eating and sustainable lifestyles with an international audience through her blogs, podcasts and workshops. In spring 2024, Brigitte traveled Japan with her family and has some advice for vegan eaters who want to enjoy the experience. 00:00 Welcome 00:40 Japan travel 02:40 Vegan Japan Travel Tips 06:40 Online seminars for vegan cooking 09:30 Happy Cow, Google Maps Help 10:50 Protein deficiency? 12:05 Vegan Ninja Doctor 14:28 Dairy farming background 19:30 Starting where people are willing to change 20:30 Crisis situation vs want to do better 21:30 Vegan after 6pm 23:50 learning standards of vegan basic cooking 27:44 winter comfort foods easier 31:00 creating flavorful vegan dishes 34:10 Add oil, salt, spice 35:38 Daily recipes for the year 41:05 Cooking for one person 43:50 Good food motivates healthy lifestyle 48:00 Get started cooking 50:00 Soups-Bowls-StirFry 51:00 Vegan-ZeroWaste Festival 51:50 Live Vegan Cooking Club Events 52:40 Minimum viable prep 55:00 Pantry Challenge 59:00 Basic shopping list 1:01:29 Love of Tofu This spring, I had the chance to meet up with Brigitte and her lovely family as they traveled through Hiroshima, Japan and asked her to join the talkshow to share not only about the great work she does, but also what it was like traveling in Japan as a vegan family and any takeaways she has from her trip here in terms of how Japan could improve and some of the favorite foods and ingredients she was able to enjoy. See more about Brigitte: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/about/

Tove & Joy talk about the latest sustainability focused projects, news and entrepreneurship around Japan for March of 2024 that are on our radar. Tove Kinooka is co-founder of sustainability focused consultancy and training business in Tokyo: ENTELECO: https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/ https://jp.linkedin.com/in/tove-kinooka-35a39323 Joy Jarman-Walsh @jjwalsh is founder of the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow-podcast & InboundAmbassador sustainability focused Japan travel consulting, writing, and guiding. https://seeksustainablejapan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador

Brett works on Ojika island (Nagasaki) and elsewhere in Japan (new project in Nagano) under the business name “Okibi”. Here he talks about the ups and downs of fixing up old houses, reusing local materials, being as sustainable as possible with renewable energy, natural materials, community building and even beach cleanup activities as a part of his philosophy to make abandoned houses livable so they can be enjoyed again. Brett joined the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow in 2022 and is speaking on 2 panels in this year's Minka Summit event in Hanase Village, Kyoto. 2022 Talk with Brett Rasmussen: https://www.youtube.com/live/qdcgmmODZkE?si=Ew0kWfflo0XeDh8O In this talk, Brett will give us an update about his recent projects and insights into traditional Japanese carpentry and house design which he has been learning and practicing to save some old houses in renovation projects. Joinery, plastering, bamboo walls, pounded flooring and disassembly of beams for repair or reuse. Find out more about Brett's projects and future opportunities to join workshops and stays in one of the houses he has worked on, or visit a local onsen he built the sauna for, so many great Brett projects to explore when we visit. https://www.okibi.jp Watch Brett's YouTube channel about his projects and Minka house insights: @okibibrett All Brett's Links: https://linktr.ee/ras.brett #minka #kominka #renovation #japan #ojika #traditionalcrafts #sustainablelifestyle #ruraljapan #nagasaki #brettrasmussen

The Noto peninsula was rocked by one of Japan's strongest earthquakes on Jan 1, 2024. Bernd Schellhorn and Mitsue Nagase are residents of the Noto peninsula area who chose to move there from Kyoto and make it their home. Bernd and Mitsue have been on the Seek-Sustainable-Japan talkshow before sharing insights about Shojin-Ryori and Photography. This time, however, they will share some of their stories of survival in the Noto Peninsula, where they live. This Noto Peninsula area had a devastating earthquake on the 1st of January this year, and even months later, they still have strong aftershock quakes. Bernd and Mitsue will talk about their experiences as residents in the disaster area, and also what's happening for aide and community re-building. Unfortunately, many people feel forced to leave, but Bernd and Mitsue will talk about how the people who want to stay are planning for the next stage of life in the Noto area and some of the challenges they face. Bernd Schellhorn & Mitsue Nagase on the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow-podcast show: Documenting Japanese food culture: https://www.youtube.com/live/zFHnhBM41-w?si=OZYHdLO19-aB9OI9 Chef of Shojin Ryori: https://www.youtube.com/live/zFHnhBM41-w?si=TvjVGVUMbRoU1xFu Contemporary Photography Miksang: https://www.youtube.com/live/L1GOAA643_A?si=6fJQFxHGzA7iUqs7

As a preview for the 3rd annual Minka Summit on April 19-21 this year, I had the chance to talk with author and Japanese house design expert Azby Brown (who is this year's keynote speaker) about some of the ideas he will be presenting to the audience of over 500 traditional Japanese house enthusiasts from across Japan who will gather in rural Kyoto for the event. Azby Brown is originally from New Orleans in the US, but has dedicated his life to documenting and sharing a deep love of Japanese architecture and house design. Azby spent his career researching, teaching, illustrating and writing about traditional Japanese houses and buildings from stunning traditional temples to small urban houses in Tokyo. In this talk, Azby will give us an update on his latest projects as well as a preview on some of the themes he will talk about in his keynote at this year's Minka Summit event. Books by Azby Brown: The Genius of Japanese Carpentry, he has written Small Spaces (1993), The Japanese Dream House (2001), The Very Small Home (2005), and "Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan" (2010) https://azbybrown.com/azby-brown-archive/books/ Azby Brown is the keynote speaker at this year's Minka Summit in Hanase village, Kyoto - April 19-20-21 - please join us for this great event bringing people together who love traditional Japanese houses, rural living and community building into one space. https://kominkajapan.org/speakers

Carole Fuchs is an impressive endurance athlete who has climbed Mt.Everest, she works at the British Embassy as a climate advocate, and is an entrepreneur who launched Feel Run - a sustainable business focused on promoting sustainability in sportswear, events and sports. The sportswear she makes reuses waste plastics and bamboo fibers - the company also pledges to take the product back when you are finished with it. https://www.feelrun.com/ Carole also talked of her frustrations in shopping without plastics in Japan and getting funding for her upcoming documentary in the Himalayas where she wants to show the effects of climate change on the environment and the human tragedy of how it effects the people's lives who live there as well. #carolefuchs #ultra #athlete #enduranceathlete #climatechange #himalayas #japan #activism #diplomacy #womanpower #entrepreneur #sustainablebusiness #founder

Emily Kaneko Reynolds loves to build with earth and mud- in this talk, she shares some of her insights and passion for natural building materials. Emily wrote a book about Japan's Clay Walls (link below) and she gave a Tedx Talk in 2021 worth watching called : Save Your World, Build with Earth – Japan Style - TEDxKUFS : • Save Your World, Build with Earth – J... Emily is based in Keihoku (north of Kyoto) and is on the final stretch of a PhD in earthen plaster studies at Kyoto's Institute of Technology. She is one of the presenters at this year's Minka Summit in April. https://kominkajapan.org/speakers Buy Emily's Book on Japan Clay Walls: https://a.co/d/fAHC75Z Blog- Plaster with WA https://plasterwithwa.wordpress.com/ Instagram: emily.kaneko.reynolds

What sustainable trends, events and innovations are on our radar this month (February 2024) Japan?

Ayumi & Uberto are an international couple living in Fukuoka who know a lot about earthquake resistant traditional Japanese buildings. Ayumi wrote an excellent Medium blog about it and another about how Japanese students are educated and trained to survive an earthquake. They have been renovating and living in an old Japanese house KOMINKA after many years living in Europe. Budget: They bought the house for 30 million yen and spent 5 million yen on earthquake resistance seismic retrofit remodeling as well as another 10 million on other renovations. They got 1 million yen back from the government for making use of an AKIYA abandoned house, but couldn't qualify for the subsidy for making the house more earthquake-proof. Earthquake safety of old houses is such a big issue this year due to the horrible Noto Peninsula earthquake which destroyed so many traditional homes. But Ayumi says it's not the design of the traditional buildings which is the problem- it's more termite or rot damage and lack of upkeep. Ayumi's article, "What is an earthquake resistant house?" https://medium.com/@Japanlifeagain/whats-an-earthquake-resistant-house-89a32c7978d7 Background Music thanks to Casey Bean- download your own copy and support his original musical journey on Bandcamp: https://caseybean.bandcamp.com/

The 3rd annual Minka Summit will be held once again in Hanase Village (about an hour from Kyoto station). In this preview talk about this year's event, Lauren, Andrea and Stuart join to give insights on the special speakers, minka mall, minka tours, locals and the village, and how the event has changed over the last 3 years. Key Takeaways They are expecting the biggest turn-out yet this year at around 500 people and have chosen to go back to Hanase village's location as there are more areas to mingle and interact with one another. Great sponsors and local vendors are involved as well as a local vegetarian and organic food restaurant to cater to the vegetarians who come. So impressed by how well this small team of organizers creates such a fabulous event each year! Looking forward to seeing you all there! Information about the event for April 19-21: https://kominkajapan.org/minka-summit-2024 Buy your tickets: https://peatix.com/event/3712154 Playlist for Minka, Kominka, Akiya & Traditional Japanese Houses in Japan: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcyYXjRuE20FnRrydax7RWlFLxibc6N-X&si=9ZCnCJFlHPVEgU0P Background Music thanks to Casey Bean- download your own copy and support his original musical journey on Bandcamp: https://caseybean.bandcamp.com/

Originally from the US, Dani & Evan Benton have bought properties and land to live and run a guest house and to do natural farming in rural Japan. The Bentons have been so generous in sharing their knowledge on YouTube by documenting and sharing a variety of useful information about how to get a Japan business and startup visa, buy a house, renovate old houses, get rid of junk, reuse things, and repair and reuse as well as honor the memory of the original owners as much as possible. Dani and Evan are doing a great service to their local community as well as all of their interested fans around the world with their informative posts and videos. Apparently they decided to settle in the area of OMISHIMA because it is a beautiful area that has a lot of AKIYA abandoned properties. They now run a guesthouse on AirBnb and aim is to run a farm stand to sell their fresh farm produce and honey. There will be a lot of great insights in this talk for anyone interested in Japan, Japanese culture, life in rural Japan, starting a business, natural farming, and renovating old houses in Japan. See the LIVE walkthru of their beautiful guest house I did with Dani and Evan: https://www.youtube.com/live/YJ7GZtJ30NY?si=9SZxQ75ecI-dyifI Dani Benton Links https://bentonhomestead.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@bentonhomestead https://www.instagram.com/bentonhomestead/ #sustainable #business #japan #startup #entrepreneur #omishima #imabari #ehime #farming #akiya #renovation #beforeandafter #abandonedhouses #vintage #guesthouse #organicfarming Music thanks to the original music talents of Casey Bean - support his music on BandCamp

Dr.Ryoko Matsuno is an environmental researcher who has worn many hats over her career as a government official, researcher, educator, environmental activist, consultant and community organizer promoting sustainable living and sustainable business initiatives. In this talk Dr. Matsuno joins us to talk about her work researching and raising awareness of PFAS and pesticides used in Japan as well as her seed-saving activities. Dr. Ryoko Matsuno has a PhD in Environmental Law from the University of Kent - UK, an LLM in Environmental Law & Conservation, and a BA in International - Cultural Studies, Tsuda University - Tokyo. LINKS CROP Trust Org - the world's biggest seed bank in Scalbard - https://www.croptrust.org/work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/ PFAS movie starring Mark Gruffalo "Dark Waters" (2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/ Japan Times (2023) article, "Japan Slowly Wakes up to dangers of PFAS forever chemicals" https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/05/28/national/japan-pfas-risks-growing-awareness/ TIME article (2019) about Rob Bilott and the movie dark waters, "Dark Waters Tells the True Story of the Lawyer Who Took DuPont to Court and Won. But Rob Bilott’s Fight Is Far From Over" https://time.com/5737451/dark-waters-true-story-rob-bilott/ Detroit Free Press (2018) "PFAS limit may not adequately protect human health" https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/12/18/science-panel-michigans-pfas-limit-may-not-adequately-protect-health/2349585002/ Into the weeds film about the dangers of herbicide use to people, planet and economies - https://www.filmmovement.com/educational/film/into-the-weeds#:~:text=Into%20the%20Weeds%3A%20Dewayne%20%E2%80%9CLee,of%20the%20weed%20killer%2C%20Roundup. JJ's mentions: The organic, no-till farmer I mention is Thomas Kloepfer at Pitchfork farms who also does farm fresh deliveries all over Japan: https://gethiroshima.com/features/people/pitchfork-natural-farms-on-mukaishima-island/ I have talked with Thomas a few times for this channel : https://www.youtube.com/live/tkoIzesx5Jo?si=wY-f68Iv1r1W3c5F Organic/Natural Farmers & Food Growers playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist? list=PLcyYXjRuE20GajKYIPFOfVexBBeLTXFHk&si=H8B55Khw-P8QZBHL Heather of Nagano Naturally: https://www.youtube.com/live/v0-9ACjmo8U?si=KIEt_55vjc1SJ_zT https://naganonaturally.com/

Schyler Alexandra Cole is a VC passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and business people focused on doing good for people and planet with their business ideas. She is also passionate about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle through her work as a yoga and pilates instructor. Schyler gives insights on her work as a VC, research and startups and view on social capital and how more sustainably-focused entrepreneurs and businesses can best prepare their business idea for funding with mentorship and collaboration. Schyler Alexandra Cole website: https://schylercole.com/ on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/schylercole/ == Further Links from the talk with Schyler Cole == Fitness League by the StartUp CoCreation Group https://www.meetup.com/fitness-league-by-startup-co-creation-community/ University of Tokyo Graduate Program in Public Policy https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/academics/grad_public_policy.html Incubate Fund Website: https://incubatefund.com/ Tokyo Women in VC https://tokyowomenvc.org/ Start Up Lady Japan https://www.startuplady.org/en/home #seeksustainablejapan #talkshow #podcast #sustainable #investing #VC #funding #business #japan #schylercole

Nori is an inspiring entrepreneur, working mother and sustainable business expert based in Tokyo - this time Nori joins us to introduce HUE - a new kind of foodie / map app to share your favorite eateries with likeminded users in Japan and beyond. The Pod-Save-America episode I reference in the beginning of the show on being sober & community connection need in society "Why Does Gen Z Prefer Going Sober?" is here: https://youtu.be/8FNiRbDz_XA?si=SM4NDBHCk4soEw9A Nori grew up in London, started her career in banking at Citi and product management and Amazon before launching the community hub Veggino, then the and sustainability-focused startup Ekolokal app and cafe, and launched HUE a new app startup at the end of 2023 - and is acting COO. == Time stamps == 00:00 Happy 2024 1st Episode 01:15 Nori's Career 03:00 StartUp vs Corporate 04:20 HUE benefits biz 06:50 What is HUE? 10:30 Which SNS to prioritize 11:50 Top-5 Tech Trends 2024 12:50 How the AI for HUE works 14:20 Co-Creation with artists 15:20 Block certain unwanted eateries 16:20 Sustainable eatery model 19:20 Sustainable strategies 21:15 create your own hashtag 23:20 GreenTech CleanTech SustainableTech 25:05 Big Biz Influence on sustainability 25:40 Please collab with MyMizu 27:30 Will Japan get 5G 30:15 Apps reduce customer/traveler stress 31:20 Customer demand & sustainability 33:42 Processed & animal product trend 37:40 Tech Collaborations 39:00 CEO IT Jean-Baptiste Dominguez 40:15 Google API as foundation 41:00 Now & Future of HUE app 43:40 Typical workday for Nori 46:40 Key points of work-life balance 55:50 The HUE app pitch 57:20 Thanks for joining! == LINKS == * HUE app on Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hue-find-eateries-for-you/id1644031259 * HUE app on Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ni.doko.app * HUE app on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hueapp/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourhue.app/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourhue.app * US Insider post about HUE : https://usinsider.com/hue-app-launches-redefining-culinary-social-networks-for-the-digital-generation/ * TourismReview.com : Top-5 Tech Trends in Tourism for 2024 https://www.tourism-review.com/top-5-technology-trends-shaping-tourism-in-2024-news14109 == Background music: "Shadow on the Wall" from the 3-songs album is our BGM for the 2024 episodes thanks to original singer-songwriter Casey Bean based in Ishikawa Japan and host of the BeanPod Podcast - support his original music by naming your price to download on Bandcamp: https://caseybean.bandcamp.com/ ==

Welcome to our last 30-min chat of 2023 - what were the top-3 sustainable highlights in Japan for us this year? LINKS (== Tove ~~ Joy) == Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center & Hotel & Upcycle shop is an inspiring place for training people in how to put sustainable ideas and targets into action: https://www.y-ship.yokohama/green-transformation/ == Sustainable Japan - company sponsored articles on sustainability strategies and initiatives in corporate and government Japan. The Roundtable series is a discussion with entrepreneurs worth reading: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/roundtable @sustainablejapanbythejapan3311 == MyMizu (free app to find clean, free water fill ups for your health & to reduce plastic - the new collaboration with KIRIN beverage co is worth watching in 2024! https://www.mymizu.co/news-ja-archive/kirin-mymizu | https://www.mymizu.co/en/web-app == Y-ship is a facility holding great events in the Tokyo area - an example of cross-sector collaboration in action: https://www.y-ship.yokohama/green-transformation/ ~~ Renovating old houses was a trending topic on YouTube Japan and at events like the Minka Summit in 2023 - we expect further growth in this exciting area of sustainable building, living and moving out to revive rural communities in Japan ~ Rural Japan talks playlist on Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow-podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcyYXjRuE20GX6TdOIg7J5ZmKd2HwgoRw&si=Au0ImfF4sCxFaqKM ~ Akiya Minka (Old Traditional House) Renovation projects in Japan playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcyYXjRuE20FnRrydax7RWlFLxibc6N-X&si=_aDvXxwItIr1iPok ~~ Growing healthy, organic food in Japan was another important topic this year and we need to support our local farmers and farms as much as possible in 2024 and beyond (the number of farmers in Japan is on a steep decline) Grow Your Own Food - Farms Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcyYXjRuE20GajKYIPFOfVexBBeLTXFHk&si=FxVuFIUmT1yVfH-L ~~ Fabric KK (Tokyo) consulting and data research company highlighting awareness of sustainability by consumers in Japan and created a great event to train as well as inform. 3rd year of research available to the public: https://fbrc.co/en/sustainability-in-japan James Hollow CEO of Fabric talks about the 3rd year of data: https://www.youtube.com/live/556AG_Gh9Z4?si=xz6tTXXBKMuOW94b BIG THANKS TO CASEY BEAN for the Original Music we used in 2023 for our BGM - please support his musical projects on Bandcamp by naming your price to download and enjoy it! If you have suggestions for a song or another original artist in

Kyoto is one of Japan's top travel destinations but without a good guide, most visitors miss out on the deeper meaning and stories of some of its key sights- especially at its temples. See the video of this talk: https://youtube.com/live/kRI5MfGURS4 In this talk, Rev. Dr. Nathan Jishin Michon 慈心 who is a deep-Kyoto guide and insider expert on the deeper meaning of visits to temples and understandings of Buddhism, shares some stories and explanations for a more spiritual & interesting tours of temples and shrines in Kyoto. Many of Nathan's insights and suggested practices can illuminate a visit to many temples, shrines and spiritual areas across Japan. LINKS Nathan's first talk on SSJ about studying and researching Buddhism & his book on crisis care: https://www.youtube.com/live/mc8H4093RRk?si=Xk_uKR0KhxBM6fVi Nathan explaining a statue at Miyajima's famous Daishoin temple: https://youtu.be/G-_PEFSsQF0 Nathan Jisshin Michon's website: http://nathanjishinmichon.com/

Alex Kerr is a living treasure of knowledge about all things Japan- especially Japanese culture, traditional houses, community development, village life and the arts. In this talk, Alex shares insights about his latest book which features unknown destination gems in Japan which still retain their traditional charms - called HIDDEN JAPAN. Alex Kerr has published many iconic books about Japan which are both critical AND full of admiration for a country, people and culture he deeply loves. He has been writing about Japan for over 30 years and this is the latest of a series of books among favorites like Lost Japan and Dogs & Demons. See the talk here on YouTube (Links below Timestamps) 00:00 Welcome back Alex Kerr 00:15 Dogs & Demons Tourism Prediction 02:40 Standing on shoulders of giants 03:00 author Shirasu Masako 04:30 How did you choose only 10? 05:00 How have your books effected people? 07:30 If you love Japan - get mad to protect it 09:30 What does it take to do projects in Japan? 11:11 Zero-dollar tourism 14:30 Osaka Tourism Expo 15:50 Tourism to rebuild community 18:30 Hurdles to start a guest house 22:40 Akita & BUTOH 26:50 Jomon era connection to Butoh 30:30 Grants & Funding for projects 32:30 Village Japan / Lost Japan 34:20 What's REAL about Japan now? 35:00 Stunning trees in Japan 39:00 Appreciating non-famous spots 40:10 Is Japan small?

Catching up with craft-beer brewmaster & insider Sakamichi Brewing co-founder Matthew Boynton. Matthew shares his North to South Japan top craft breweries and tap-room top-10 list with us - so many great examples of how these businesses take care of their local communities and environment while running a successful business! #craftbeer #japan #sustainable #sustainablebusiness #seeksustainablejapan Sakamichi (Steep Hill) Brewing Links: Twitter/X: @sakamichi_beer https://www.sakamichibrewing.com/ Matthew's Podcast: Sakamichi Nights 00:00 Welcome 01:25 Sakamichi Brewing Origin 02:30 Finally Brewing Own 03:05 Authenticity of drinking in an active brewery 04:30 Izakaya across the street collab 06:00 Sounds Sakamichi Nights Podcast 07:15 Animal Hospital Intrigue 08:30 BonEnkai Season 09:00 T-shirt Merch 09:30 Ohio Gozaimasu Breakfast Stout Collab & Artwork 10:50 Choose a beer by the cool label 11:30 Two Rabbits Beer near Lake Biwa 12:40 Udon Brewing Setouchi Beer 13:40 Happoshu License for Craft Beer 15:20 Authorized beer ingredients? 16:30 Invest in a Brewery b4 license