CulturalCreative

Spotlight on Number Two: Nature’s forgotten cycle

By KenMar 21st, 2010

unko01

Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved. Photo by Nohch

Feces, stools, poo, number twos… the English language is full of words for this simple movement we do every day. The act of going to the toilet is as indispensible as eating, however for most of us it is rarely given a second thought. For eco-minded folk though, few things could be closer to the essence of our very lives. Maybe it’s time for society to re-assess the humble merde, if you’ll excuse my French. To do just this, Masana Izawa is planning an event called ‘Tokyo Unko (poo) Night’. 

[NOTE: This article was translated by Ken from the original Japanese post by Kenji Ishimura (Feb 3, 2010)]

Izawa, an avid proponent of pooing in nature, has been credited with coining the term ‘uncology’ joining the Japanese word for poo (unko) with ecology.

What happens to our poo after we flush it down the toilet? That it is taken somewhere and treated somehow before being discharged into some river or sea is about the extent of most people’s knowledge. Izawa started thinking seriously about our bodily discharge after visiting a sewerage treatment facility, and decided to do something about the way his own waste was treated. His idea: pooing in nature. Tokyo Unko Night will be an introduction to ‘uncology’, and why it has the potential to save the earth. Izawa will talk about the benefits of pooing in nature, based on his experience of not doing a poo in a toilet this century.

Izawa will be joined by Tetsuya Ebisudani from ‘Daichi Wo Mamoru Kai’ (Japanese only) which provides safe organic food deliveries. Not long ago in Japan, before flush toilets and centralized sewerage treatment were common, everybody used long-drop toilets, which were emptied onto fields and used as fertilizer. What is happening to this once precious resource?

More information on pooing in nature can be found on the website of Izawa’s book ‘Eat, Sleep, Shit Outside’, but be warned that you may not want to see this during dinner.

Animal excrement has long been an important part of nature’s cycle, returning nitrogen and other elements back to the soil. However modern sewerage disposal has put an end to this loop. What effect does this have on the environment, and how can we revive this important cycle?

If you’re interested in composting, think there is something lacking from urban ‘ecology’, or just want to find out more about the cycle of life, then this event is not to be missed.

Date: Friday, February 5, 2010

Place: Loft Plus One, Shinjuku, Tokyo

For details, click here.

This article was translated by Ken from the Original Japanese post by Kenji Ishimura (Feb 3, 2010)

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