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ecology

Synthetic fossil fuels made from light, water, and CO2 in the air tested in Osaka

A fuel that consumes the CO2 it produces to make more of itself.

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Kyoto town changes names for burnable, landfill trash so people will think about what they’re doing

As always, words have a second meaning behind them in Kyoto.

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Japanese government seeking power to turn down private home air conditioners remotely, report says

Ministry wants new authority to aid shift to renewable energy sources.

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Shopping at Japanese convenience store Lawson? Don’t forget to take a cooking pot with you!

New Oden Pot Discount is good for the environment and your wallet.

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Japan’s biggest family restaurant chain now lets you take your leftovers home with you

Order with gusto at Gusto, because whatever you don’t finish is yours to keep.

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Japanese city changes “burnable trash” bags to “the only option is to burn this trash” bags

The Internet rejoices at this new, potent meme fodder: trash bags that declare its contents have no other recourse than to be burnt to a crisp.

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Behold the cycle of life with new Japanese plushie sets depicting the food chain and more

Pair the talk of the birds and the bees with pregnant dolphin and manta ray plushies.

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Japanese restaurant chain starts bold new policy: Letting you take your leftovers home with you

Sustainable development goals cited as reason for change, but there’s probably another factor at play too.

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Leading bottled water brand in Japan goes label-free to reduce waste, angers many

Coca-Cola told to try harder in these trying times.

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X Japan’s Yoshiki makes large donation for Australian wildfire relief, rainforest conservation

J-rock legend calls on others to commit to conservation and sustainability.

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A tale on the etiquette of using Japan’s plastic umbrella covers

Our reporter gets a rude surprise while trying to ethically sheathe his umbrella.

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Major Japanese restaurant chain introducing bamboo straws to help reduce plastic and save forests

It’s a double whammy of environmental friendliness.

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Japan unknowingly wastes over four metric tons of vegetables a year in its instant noodles【Video】

Before you dig into your instant noodles, remember this important step that comes from caring for cats.

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Japanese architecture firm unveils plans for world’s tallest wooden skyscraper in Japan

The new building is a feat of environmentally conscious engineering that will stand taller than Tokyo Tower.

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Breathe easy – Toyota redesigning Prius plug-in hybrid to double car’s all-electric range

Toyota’s Prius is designed for one purpose, and it’s not to deliver the sort of exciting performance that will seduce you into taking a spirited drive through a moonlit mountain pass (that’s another car’s job). No, the Prius promise is that it will get you from Point A to Point B in the most energy-efficient way possible.

But while the standard hybrid Prius remains a popular choice for eco-conscious motorists, sales of its plug-in variant have been stagnant. Toyota is hoping to change that, though, with an updated Prius that can travel roughly twice as far under purely electric power than the current model.

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In Japan, things that are receiving a lot of love and attention are sometimes described as “shining.” These days, that’s a description you could apply to Mt. Fuji.

After receiving UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2013, Japan has rekindled its love affair with the country’s highest mountain. But just because Mt. Fuji’s star is brighter than usual these days doesn’t mean everyone wants the mountain to be literally shining, as angry online commenters are speaking out against one company’s proposal to light up Mt. Fuji’s summit at night.

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Hugh Jackman stars, sings J-pop cover, and speaks Japanese in ads for Toyota【Videos】

When you get to be as big a company as Toyota, you can afford to go out and get A-list talent for your commercials. Over the last few years, the automaker’s created a series of ads starring boy band SMAP’s Takuya Kimura and film icon Beat Takeshi.

In the commercials, collectively known as ReBORN, Kimura and Takeshi play historical figures Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, reincarnated in modern Japan. The latest installment even has a special guest star as Hugh Jackman, Wolverine himself, shows up to help spread the word about Toyota’s newest eco-friendly cars.

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While the vast majority of Japan’s population is crammed onto its four largest islands, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido, the country’s territories extend much farther out to sea. For example, if you head about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) south of downtown Tokyo, you’ll come to the Ogasawara Islands, one of Japan’s most remote settlements.

We’ve talked about the Ogasawaras before, and how their beautiful ocean scenery has been helping to attract tourists (and perhaps even a new chef), to the archipelago. Recently, though, the islands have been seeing an increasing number of extremely unwelcome visitors, in the form of ships coming from China to poach coral.

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How many abandoned bicycles can fit in just one Tokyo pond?

One of the odder problems you run into living in Japan is how to throw large things away. Say you’ve just bought a new bicycle, for example. In many countries you could find a charity to donate it to, or perhaps a relative or friend of a friend who’s just starting college or a career.

Japan’s predominantly middle-class society and general dislike of used durable goods means you’re unlikely to find someone willing to take your old bike off your hands, though. Trash collectors won’t haul off something that big unless you shell out an additional fee, either. In some cases, people will simply abandon their bike somewhere, such as a back alley or deserted parking lot.

Or, apparently, in a lake in one of Tokyo’s most beloved parks.

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Japanese company wants to send robots to the moon to build a laser to point at Earth (to help us, of course)

Right now, how terrified would you be if we told you that Shimizu Corporation, one of Japan’s largest and most powerful engineering and contracting conglomerates, is in the planning stages for a project to send a team of robots to the moon in order to build a laser to point at our home world?

Don’t worry though. Shimizu isn’t plotting to enslave the people of earth. Instead, the company is looking to provide us all with clean, renewable energy.

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