Holiday till Jan6

Happy holidays!
Japan is now entering the New Year's holiday week.
eco+waza online will be on holidays till Jan 6th, along with the maker companies.
Please note that all orders between Dec 29 and Jan 6th will be shipped after Jan 7.
Thank you for understanding, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2011!

Free Shipping for Paypal Users (~Jan 31)

http://www.greenjapan.com/ will continue the Free-shipping deal until January 31st.
For orders over 3000 yen paid by Paypal, shipping will be free!
Please make use of this and try out the products from Japan.

Behind the Cover

eco+waza Vol.12 Winter 2010 is now on its way to the bookstores in Tokyo.

The cover will look like this.

We took the photos at a Kominka (old house), in front of an Irori (fireplace).

The featured article is about Green Cleaning.

in Japan, it is a traditional custom to clean all around your home before New Years,

so we asked for green cleaning advice to Ms. Fumiko Nose,

a woman in Koganei-shi who has been active in the "use soap" movement.

Read more on our magazine :-)

So see how small the person on the cover is.

Can you find her? 

Here she is!!



The broom is hand-made by Naomi, our editor.

Now this is one kind of "waza"...

http://www.greenjapan.com/

Find eco+waza at Cafe Hi Famiglia

Beautiful Saturday morning in Tokyo.

I found two editions of eco+waza at Hi Famiglia, a very comfortable cafe in Mitaka.
http://www.hi-famiglia.com/
(About 8 minutes walk from Mitaka station)

Thank you for the U.S. Ambassador's Entrepreneur Award

Founder Reina Otsuka received the "U.S. Ambassador's Entrepreneur Award" on November 22.
Ecotwaza Co., Ltd. was founded in 2006, with the mission of sharing Japanese ecological ideas and products globally.
We are very honored, and wish to be a small but genuine bridge between the U.S. and Japan.

Thank you to EMI, and all who made this happen!

Where do I want to be in 5 Years?

This was the last question the jury of an entrepreneurship award asked me today.
I wasn't really prepared for this question, and rethought about it on my way home, and decided to write on this blog what I couldn't say on the spot.

In five years, I (or we, as eco+waza) want to be a center of knowledge, where people can come to ask for green solutions.
We want to be an initiative, where people can create sustainable innovations.
Japan does have alot of intermediate technologies to share with the world, and we want to act as a catalyst, creating interactive knowledge sharing.

In five years, I think "real" experience will be more valued, in a more virtual-IT-oriented society.
We want to gather people from all over the world to come experience Japan, learn through the variety of layers of time and space.
Maybe around 20 people will be working in our headquarter, and we will be working with various worldwide networked partners.

Okay, time to go to bed.

Have a good weekend!

Check out Ustream in two hours

Panasonic is launching an interesting event yesterday to today.

Earth Lunch Hour
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/earthlunchhour

They are streaming the lunch time from their offices all around the world on the topic of "Ecological lunch."
I will be in their Tokyo streaming center from 7am Japan time as a talk guest
and talk about some green items original to Japan that you can use in your daily life.

Check it out!

Now on my way to Ariake Tokyo on the first train...

My Favorite Place

Sometimes when it is just too busy, I escape the office with my laptop and sit outside on the terrace of Starbucks.

Today the sight in front of me is like this.

She just makes me smile.

http://www.greenjapan.com/

Spiral Market Paper Products Exhibition 2010.09.11-23

One of "Kami no kousakujo" paper items, Airvase, is now exhibited at Spiral, a complex of cultural facilities located in front of Omotesando station (Exit B1).

What is very unique about Airvase is that it is developed under a project called “Kami no kousakujo (Paper Factory).” The project was launched in 2008 by Fukunaga Print, a paper processing and printing company located in the west side of Tokyo, in collaboration with 14 different emerging Japanese designers. It is skilled workers at Fukunaga Print that enable designs to become actual objects with practical and artistic appeals.




Read more on >> eco+waza online http://www.greenjapan.com/goods_en_jpy_325.html?htpl_id=6

The Magic Tenugui

TENUGUI is a Japanese version of towel, usually made of cotton, thin and more like a cloth rather than a "towel." It has been around for ages, since the Edo period, and although once denied for being old fashioned, many Japanese young people are appreciating its usefulness these days.

I am using a tenugui myself, and this summer what surprised me was its ability to soak water and sweat!
Really, when you are sweating like crazy (which often happened this summer), just gently touch with the tenugui and it dries your skin in a second. Especially when you are wearing makeup, it helps if you don't have to rub your face off.

All tenugui designs have traditional meanings, which is something we can learn as a small trivia to tell friends.
And the eco-friendly part of this is its product design. Tenuguis are supposed to be used till it wears out, and then reused as a cleaning towel, and after that we tear it into thin straps and make it a duster.

Check out our TENUGUI collections at www.greenjapan.com ! >> Tenugui

Photo of Nanao (editor) with her favorite tenugui.

The small dots are called "uroko," meaning fish scales.

It is thought as a charm against evil.

Find us at Hiroo Crossing!

Nanao will be handing out flyers with coupons at Hiroo crossing tonight,
around 7pm.... Find her and get 500 yen off!

This photo is from Saturday.

I was there too...

Visit GreenJapan.com!!!

http://www.greenjapan.com/

Check out our new website GreenJapan.com!
You will find many hints to greener your lifestyle.
Ideas and products are all from Japan.

We started working on this renewal project a year ago,
but as always, (just like homework) it started rolling in the last one month.
Fun but hectic days of countdown.
We hope you like our new website!

http://www.greenjapan.com/  eco+waza editorial team

Press Release: Leading Japan Eco Goods and Ideas Site Opens Redesigned Web Shop

(Tokyo)- eco+waza, Ltd., Japan’s leading source for news, information and products for inspired green living—Japan style—celebrated the opening of its completely redesigned and updated website (www.greenjapan.com) on September 10th, 2010.


The new site features a special corner targeting foreigners living in Japan, highlighting products and eco solutions ideal for greener living in this small island nation. In addition, a range of innovative, attractive new products were added for the website re-launch. With updated shopping cart and payment systems, customers around the world will enjoy shopping on www.greenjapan.com.

To mark the launch, company founder and president, Reina Otsuka, will be hitting the streets of Tokyo between September 10th and 12nd, together with eco+waza’s other leading ladies, Nanao and Naomi, to promote the new site and distribute promotional flyers and discount coupons.

Since its establishment in 2006, eco+waza has been working to connect green ideas from Japan with the rest of the world, supporting cross-border business of environment-related Japanese firms, spotlighting cutting-edge eco products and producing an attractive quarterly bilingual magazine, “eco+waza,” which is sold in select stores across Japan.
 
Contact
Haruka Sakurai
info (atmark) ecotwaza.com for details.

3 More Days to Renewal Open!

Our online media, http://www.greenjapan.com/ will be renewed on September 10th.

The editorial team is now working haaaaard on this project.

Well, three more days to go.

Please check out http://www.greenjapan.com/ on Friday morning!

BAKOKO Brings a Fresh Design Perspective to Japan Part 2

More recent projects like Comploo, a teahouse heated by compost, reflect the firm痴 fresh approach to environmental design. Composting can reach temperatures of 50C (120F) . BAKOKO designed a structure to exploit this free energy from what is commonly regarded as waste. As microorganisms decompose organic matter within its walls, heat is transferred to warm the interior. The shelter provides a steady supply of rich organic fertilizer for growing new plants. The team thinks that the idea will not only be useful in parks and gardens throughout Japan, but can also be adapted by NGOs to serve as self-heating homes in developing nations.

The architects have already completed a number of renovation projects. Their first project in Japan transformed a typical 'mansion' apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo. Internal partitions were removed to maximize light penetration and provide an open-plan living arrangement. Sliding doors run along one side of the space, opening to reveal a walk-in closet, bookshelves, and working desk. The connection between the kitchen and main living space is kept unobstructed by suspending the cabinetry above the dining counter. Lush vegetation and recessed lighting accent the interior and provide character.

BAKOKO believes these types of home renovations are becoming an important trend in Japan. The country's rapidly ageing population means that there are more houses than households. “Continuing to scrap old buildings and build new ones is no longer sustainable,” says Alastair Townsend who blogs his observations about housing in Japan at alatown.com . “Renovating offers better value as existing homes in ideal urban locations can be adapted for much less than the cost of constructing a new suburban home.” Renovation is also an opportunity to improve insulation, replace glazing, and make other energy-saving modifications.

BAKOKO believes the biggest challenge clients and architects face is learning to speak a common language. This not only entails bridging the Anglo-Japanese divide linguistically, but also in thought and approach. “Our international viewpoint imparts novel insights and flexibility when sitting down to think with our clients about the core questions they face,” explains Kayoko Ohtsuki, who spent half her life living overseas. “We work to make sure our ideas don't get lost in translation.”

More of BAKOKO's projects and background can be viewed online at www.bakoko.jp

BAKOKO Brings a Fresh Design Perspective to Japan Part 1

BAKOKO is an emerging design practice. Founders Kayoko Ohtsuki and Alastair Townsend met while studying at London's Architectural Association (AA). After working in the UK for a number of years, the couple moved to Japan in 2008 to establish their own practice in Tokyo.

BAKOKO's first project was a temporary museum for the famous Cutty Sark clipper ship in London. The exotic form was designed to attract visitors while the ship was closed for restoration. Although highly contemporary, the design refers to the ship's nautical vocabulary of sails, timber masts, and rigging. The irregular tensile fabric and timber structure was defined using computer algorithms. Each of the components was robotically cut in order to accurately assemble it in a matter of days.

More recent projects like Comploo, a teahouse heated by compost, reflect the firm痴 fresh approach to environmental design. Composting can reach temperatures of 50C (120F) . BAKOKO designed a structure to exploit this free energy from what is commonly regarded as waste. As microorganisms decompose organic matter within its walls, heat is transferred to warm the interior. The shelter provides a steady supply of rich organic fertilizer for growing new plants. The team thinks that the idea will not only be useful in parks and gardens throughout Japan, but can also be adapted by NGOs to serve as self-heating homes in developing nations.

Taking on the Challenge of Building a Solar-Powered Log Home Part 2

When the Lowells were contracting for their house, the builders wanted to flatten the lot, remove all rocks, and drain off excess water. However, the Sheppard’s insisted on retaining the terraced landscaping and on keeping and using unearthed rocks, thereby minimizing runoff.

Installing 4.25 KW of solar panels allowed them to go fully electric and implement a ‘no burn’ policy for cooking and heating, and lots of wood and windows provide passive solar energy to warm the house. Double walls ensure the retention of cool in the summer and warmth in the winter.

The house features 450 tsubo (approx. 1,500 m²) of former vegetable garden and orchard. The logs for the house were imported from Finland, a decision that came down to economics. To repay the atmosphere for carbon used in transporting the logs, the Sheppard’s have planted over 300 trees and bushes including kiri, mimosa, sakura, Himalaya pine, and more.

The result of their endeavors is Hillside Place, a highly sustainable, solar-powered log home with clean air, wonderful views and a peaceful atmosphere. Their next project is to build a guest house that is totally ‘off the grid.’ For more info check out www.hillsidebridal.com

Taking on the Challenge of Building a Solar-Powered Log Home Part 1

-----ABOUT-----

Lowell Sheppard is Asia Director of HOPE International Development Agency (www.hope.or.jp), vice-chairman of the CSR Committee, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), author, speaker, fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, long-distance cyclist, and adventure-seeker. Kande Sheppard is an event producer with a focus on environmentally friendly, outdoor weddings (www.hillsidebridal.com).

Hillside Place, event space and home of Lowell and Kande Sheppard, is located in the hills of North Seto near Nagoya. Lowell is Asia Director of HOPE International Development Agency, which focuses on sustainable development, and Kande is an event producer with a focus on environmentally friendly, outdoor weddings. When designing their eco-home they were committed to blending their shared interests - a home aesthetically pleasing and kind to the planet.

Restored Kominka Homes Combine Modern Comforts with Traditional Design Part 2

Ten years ago when Jacob Reiner, an eco-home designer from Cornell University, first found the village, he fell in love with it and decided to restore the homes one by one. Since then his Eden Homes team has been diligently repairing the homes and bringing in families to create new life in the village.

Jacob’s team preserves the traditional feel of the minka homes while creating modern comforts and safety. Double paned windows are added to fill the homes with sunshine, while keeping in warmth, walls are thickened with insulation to stop air leaks and yukadan (floor heating) are installed to make the homes warm even on the coldest winter nights.

This spring they completed the reform of a 150 year old thatched-roof house which sits at the very top of the village with views of Lake Shoji. The exterior of the home is elegantly Japanese, with oni (gargoyle) statues on the roof and a small koi (carp) pond in the garden. But upon entering one is amazed to find a light-filled, modern kitchen with an open plan and hardwood floors which opens onto a deck overlooking the gardens. The large hikoki (cedar) bath gives one the feeling of being in an onsen (hot spring). An irori (sunken hearth) in the middle of the house sits in a room filled with antiques. Along the eastern face of the home runs an engawa (low veranda) with large sliding glass doors to let the morning light into the private tatami (straw mat) rooms. Most spectacular is the upstairs loft with 3 meter ceilings and the old hand-tied beams still exposed.

For more information on these kominka homes and the nearby Earth Embassy Organic Farm and Guesthouse, visit their website at www.earthembassy.org

Want to buy your own restored kominka home? For sales information or to arrange a viewing, call Jacob on 090-9346-3774.

Restored Kominka Homes Combine Modern Comforts with Traditional Design Part 1

----ABOUT-----

Jacob Reiner is founder, Chief Designer & COO of Earth Embassy and Eden Homes, an eco-friendly architecture, design & building company. He has 20 years of experience in sustainable design, construction management, eco-technology and agriculture in Hawaii, New York, Canada and Japan. Seewww.earthembassy.org for more info.

If you are wondering where to find a true example of eco-friendly lifestyles, incorporating all the modern catch phrases -- sustainability, organic agriculture, LOHAS and slow life -- the best place to look is actually to the past. Traditional Japanese villages from the Edo period were self-sufficient, completely organic and the homes were built with readily available materials from nearby forests.

One such village that has escaped the hectic development of modern life is a small enclave of traditional Japanese kominka homes on the shores of Lake Shoji in the Fuji Five Lakes region known as Fujigoko. While nearby Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka are cluttered with hotels and chain restaurants, Shoji is a quiet, bucolic community where the locals still grow their own edamame (baby soybeans) and make their own miso.

The one street that runs along the small river in the center of the village is filled with classic Japanese homes dating back to the Edo period. The local family restaurant, Kotobuki, is run by a family that has actually been there for three generations. The menu includes wakasagi fish from the lake, pumpkins grown in the garden outside, organic mint tea from the nearby Solar Café & Farm, and venison from the local mountains.

Natural House Project

The Natural House Project is a collaboration between local people and design professionals. The project uses workshops to teach people how to build houses and other objects using natural or recycled materials such as earth, branches, wood and flowers. The project involves a collaboration between a gardener, David Pollard from England, and architectural firm WAKUWORKS (Tomonari Waku and Sae Waku). Started in 2008 it tries to create communication and interaction with people beyond their nationalities and ages, making the most of the differences between each other’s backgrounds, cultures, languages and skills. They have been actively conducting workshops with people around the country using local materials and get inspiration from the uniqueness of each area.

Ecotwaza Volume 10 Release, Today!

We are delighted to announce the release of Ecotwaza Volume 10, entitled 'Generation of Wise Architecture.' Inside we focus about the topic of sustainable buildings and architecture, and of course, the usual virtual showroom for eco-friendly goods from Japan. The magazine is 500 JPY.

If you are in Tokyo, you can get your hands on a copy at the following book stores:

Maruzen Maru-no-uchi Oazo 4F English Books（Tokyo Station）

Yaesu Book Center 2F Business Books（Tokyo Station）

Kinokuniya Shinjuku Branch 4F Environment Corner（Shinjuku or Shinjuku-san-choume Station）

Book First Shinjuku Branch English・Business Magazine Corner（Shinjuku or Shinjuku-nishi-kuchi Station）

246 Books & Travel （Aoyama-icchou-me Station）

Ryusui Book Store Aoyama Branch Aoyama Twin Tower West 2F（Aoyama-icchou-me Station）

Tower Records Shibuya Branch 7F Tower Books（Shibuya Station）

Yurindo Atre Ebisu Branch 5F English Magazine Corner（Ebisu Station）

Yurindo Atre Meguro Branch （Meguro Station）

Mutsugoro Pharmacy （Gaien-mae Station）

Sanyo-do Book Store （Omote-sando Intersection）

National Asabu 2F English Magazine Corner（Hiro Station）

Ryusui Book Store Narita Branch （Narita Airport Station）

Miyamoto Unosuke （Asakusa Station）

Softener is a towels’ worst enemy

Hotman Co., Ltd., founded in 1951, is now one of the few towel companies left operating in the Aume area, famous for bedding, futons and cushions, including za-buton meaning “futon for sitting” in Japanese. Hotman’s sewing plants and its main office are located right across the street from Kosoen Studio, an indigo dyeing shop. Cotton-spinning is the only function that Hotman doesn’t own; from weaving to selling, it makes sure that all production stages operate in Japan for the best quality.

I could not help wondering what exactly are characteristics of towels that define the quality. Is it raw materials, cotton? Does organic cotton make finished products automatically feel better? The answer is NO.

It is work involved in the production process that makes all the difference in the quality of a towel. If a towel is manufactured in the same way, the final feel and texture will be the same.

Japanese Indigo Dye--The Clothes Dyed Indigo

One of the characteristics of natural indigo blue dyed items is long-term color resistance as well as robustness. However, by wearing and washing repeatedly, though it may happen unnoticeably, it certainly gets worn out and loses its color. Yet the difference between the synthetic dyes and plant dyes like natural indigo blue dye is that although it may leave colors in washing water, it rarely leaves stains on other items. And although that tends to happen the first few times items are washed, stains can be easily washed off with soap.

As organic indigo-blue is from plants, their products should not be washed with alkaline synthetic detergent with surface-activating agent; lye from wood ash as used before is best suited to maintain its quality. In terms of reducing the ecological footprint of the product life cycle, indigo-blue products are thoroughly designed for the “use” and “waste” stages.

“There is no other cloth like it. It does not lose color or wear out,” says the plant manager with a smile. With the time spent by repeatedly using a traditional craft like an indigo-blue dyed cloth, it adds charm. Aging for such product means accumulated beauty.

Related Articles:
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue is Bluer than Indigo
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo In the Making
Japanese Indigo Dye--The Clothes Dyed Indigo

Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue in the Making

Indigo dyeing was practiced and a color known as indigo blue or Japan blue was extracted from varieties of plants with indigo pigment in many parts of the World through distinct methods. In Japan, the color is acquired through a natural process of fermentation and oxidation from a plant called Polygonum tinctorium.

First, the leaves are separated from the stems and left for about 4 months until becoming leaf soil, then mixed with water, charcoal lye, sake (Japanese rice wine) and wheat bran, which you can imagine looks just like oatmeal.



At the controlled temperature of 25C, it is left for further fermentation. The indigo blue dye has the color rather closer to brown. An indigo dye artisan knows if the dye has the right alkaline pH and ready by just looking at it! Then soaking in the dye and exposing to the air for are repeated for an average of 5 to 6 times, even more than 10 times for darker color. It is when the dye is exposed to the air that the beautiful indigo blue appears gradually.



Related Articles:
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue is Bluer than Indigo
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo In the Making
Japanese Indigo Dye--The Clothes Dyed Indigo

Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue Is Bluer than Indigo

“Indigo blue is bluer than indigo” is a Japanese saying meaning that education and unstinting efforts are very important for one’s success, making an analogy to a long, difficult process involved to create indigo blue dye from indigo plants.

Mr. Murata is the third generation owner of a dye factory and also the founder of Kosoen Studio specialized in traditional indigo dyeing. While the color Indigo blue and even similar color shadings can be easily and cost-efficiently obtained with synthetic dye, Kosoen Studio chooses to adhere to a traditional, rather complicated method to express the hidden colors of indigo plants, which Murata explains as “the ultimate ecological way.”

This is the entrance of Studio Kosoen. Ome has flourished once through textile production. Yet Studio Kosoen is one of a few companies left in the area, which still runs businesses in textile industry.



Related Articles:
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue is Bluer than Indigo
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo In the Making
Japanese Indigo Dye--The Clothes Dyed Indigo