Tokyo’s ancient eco past
Illustration: Azby Brown
The news is full these days about a “green revolution.” Is it really the wave of the future? Or is it actually a return to the past, when living in harmony with the environment was standard practice?
The Tokyo expat magazine Metropolis published excerpts from a new work titled Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan.
Author Azby Brown also produced dazzling drawings of rural life in Japan, from houses to ordinary people. It causes one to pause and reflect on how our quest for modernity has caused us to lose our connection to the world.
Have you seen traditional practices abroad that could be used for green living at home? Please share in the comments.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:37 am
This has been one of favourite books of the past twelve months, and I have been trying to get lots of people to read it, so it is great to see it mentioned here!
March 12th, 2010 at 11:01 am
“What goes around comes around,” seems to be a true saying. Some places in the UK have two trash bins — one is for plastic, the other is for garbage.
It’s kind of a “no brainer” to live green. Put your trash in a trash bin; don’t throw it out the window when you drive. Recycle what you can and be conscious of the amount of foods you purchase in plastic containers. Be conscious of what you put into your mouth because you don’t know the living conditions of the cow, chicken, pig, or turkey that you may have for dinner. Go raw a few days a week if you can. Look for “cruelty free” labels. Forget about bottled water, unless you’re in a country that doesn’t have a great water system. And, respect all living creatures!