quick look on invaluable Japanese culture (5) circulating system in society
(5) Circulating system in Japanese society
Japanese society who put priority on continuity, used to be also sustainable.
Until recently farmers made feeds and fertilizers by utilizing dead branches, dead weeds or unsellable products. They did not produce any refuse.
Recent study revealed the fact that people developed circulating system between farms and towns during Edo era. They tied farms and towns systematically and exchanged farm products with town garbage.
According to Japan Energy Research Center’s data provided in 2005, Japanese energy consumption rate against GDP was 1.0 while it was 2.7 for US, 1.9 for U.K. , 1.8 for France, 1.4 for Germany. Japanese rate was by far the lowest even among advanced nations. From above figures, we can clearly understand that Japan has developed the highest level of energy saving technology.
Japan also enjoys the highest level of technique for producing natural energy and also renewable energy. Therefore it might be possible to reorganize a circulating system between farms and towns to eliminate any garbage and refuse by utilizing these modern technologies.
To establish sustainable society, of course, it requires not only the highest technology and a sophisticated system but also self consciousness of every person involved.
Thanks to historical background, Japan has traditional theory of “being satisfied with minimum necessity” which warns luxury and waste.
Also we still keep memory of “Bushido” which encourages people to do right things and restrain from luxury. And moreover, anywhere in Japan, there are memories of the days of a successful sustainable system left unchanged.
It might be Japanese people’s responsibility to reorganize modern circulating sustainable system, by utilizing advanced technology together with those precious memories.
Terraced rice fields (yamaumi.seesaa.com)
