SustainableCommunity
Now that’s an E-idea! Introducing Eco-Idea Competition Winners : 3rd Prize Part03
Aug 20th, 2010
SustainableCommunity
Now that’s an E-idea! Introducing Eco-Idea Competition Winners : 3rd Prize Part03
Aug 20th, 2010
Tomoaki Ishii received third prize for Resources & Revolution
Previously at greenz.jp we introduced ‘Long Cycle Project’ by Yuri Yahara and Recycled Tire Sandals by Akiko Kawase, the third winners of the E-idea Competition held by the British Council, with support from LRQA (Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance) Japan.
The next project that won third prize and a grant of 400,000 yen is….
SustainableCommunity
Now that’s an E-idea! Introducing Eco-Idea Competition Winners : 3rd Prize Part04
Aug 16th, 2010
Akihiro Matsui received third prize for a food scrap composting initiative
Previously at greenz.jp we introduced ‘Long Cycle Project’ by Yuri Yahara, ‘Recycled Tire Sandals’ by Akiko Kawase, and ‘Resources & 3R Revolution’ by Tomoaki Ishii, the third prize winners of the E-idea Competition held by the British Council, with support from LRQA (Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance) Japan.
We’ll introduce the fourth project that won third prize and a grant of 400,000 yen.
SustainableCommunity
Now that’s an E-idea! Introducing Eco-Idea Competition Winners : 3rd Prize Part02
Aug 11th, 2010
Yakiko Kawase received third prize for an eco-business recycling old tires into funky sandals
Previously at greenz.jp we introduced ‘Long Cycle Project’ by Yuri Yahara, one of the third prize winners of E-idea Competition held by the British Council, with support from LRQA (Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance) Japan.
We’ll introduce the second winner of the third prize and a grant of 400,000 yen.
Previously at greenz.jp we introduced the E-ideas Competition held by the British Council, with support from LRQA (Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance) Japan. After a tough selection process, the best eco ideas and projects were separated from the rest, and granted a share of the five million yen on offer.
Greenz.jp caught up with nine of the recipients to check out what is behind the E-Ideas that made the cut.
In this first installment we introduce four projects that won third prize and a grant of 400,000 yen each.
SustainableCommunity
The First in Japan: A Social Design Magazine for Social Contribution, Social Enterpreneurs, and NPOs
May 24th, 2010
The first issue of Sym+Press by Vision Partners Inc.
The aim of the magazine is to, through access to superior knowledge and expertise, and with the cooperation of individuals and organizations that are determined to action, strive for the actualization of a mutually-beneficial era that brings about long-term growth and development for all stakeholders, while at the same time stress the importance of both individuality and networking in
On April 4th, the monthly publication Sym+Press launched as a “social design paper” to connect entrepreneurs, businesses, specialists, and administrations. (more…)
SustainableCommunity
Seattle Social Innovation Training Session aims to Inspire Japanese Youth
Apr 30th, 2010
2009 SIIS participants enjoy a Seattle Mariners game
‘I want to do something good’, ‘I want to try something new’, and ‘I want to be able to do it in English!’… These are a few phrases Japanese youth often use when talking about their goals. This spring, a course in Japan may just help some take the first step to reach these goals. (more…)

Keyboards, iPod, fur and more knit together. Photo: Nooshin Navidi
Here at greenz, we love cultural creative design that reinforces positive messages for the future of society. Take for example the Sustainable fashion challenge: One dress, 365 days, or Forest Milk, winner of the 2009 Good Design Awards. So, as a recent transplant to Tokyo from the green and techie Silicon Valley, California, I was doubly intrigued to come across MODE less CODE, a high concept eco + art + LAN lines + fashion exhibit at Nanzuka Underground by Kosuke Tsumura. (more…)

I went to a really interesting workshop at the British Council in Tokyo sponsored by some people I know are thinking deeply about sustainability and environmental issues. The panel discussion was a bit unusual but allowed people to cue in ideas and pet topics. A good mix of unusual people joined and I had fun.
This was the first of a new series of monthly learning and networking events, The Green Leaders Forum: The Future of Food @ British Council. (more…)
Recently greenz.jp has been attracting a lot of attention from international sources. Two of our most recent listings were in i-genius, a world community of social entrepreneurs that seeks to inspire a new generation of social innovators, social business and social enterprise, and Wend Magazine, a forum for real people, writing real stories about real adventures and real environmental issues. (more…)
We’ve talked a lot about food at greenz.jp and about reducing waste associated with food, including ideas such as the okaeri plate and the “WASARA” Good Plate For Good Food, but there hasn’t been much discussion about wasted food itself. And yet, 19 million tonnes of food goes in the trash every year and 9 million tonnes of this hasn’t even expired before it hits the bin, while more than 650,000 people in Japan lack food security. Sad, wasteful and shameful statistics that Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) is trying to do something about. (more…)
As a recent vacation approached we found ourselves at a loss for what to do. Too short for a meaningful trip home but too long for milling about Tokyo, we searched for ideas. Even though we’ve been here almost a year, there is still so much of Japan that we want to explore and experience. How to choose? Finally, we found an answer – WWOOF!
GreenAdvertizing.com just launched the worlds first carbon neutral ad network.
GreenAdvertizing.com is unusal as advertising businesses go as the company is not just about profit. GreenAdvertizing.com is an ethical company and invests in green entrepreneurs and social enterprise. (more…)
Photo by Hot Rod Homepage. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Find inspiring people with Spysee. Help them make a difference with Cheer.Spysee
Spysee is a specialized search engine for finding people. It has has over 40 thousand profiles of people that you can browse and search. And it has its own charity site. (more…)

The world’s largest eco-products event, the Eco-Products Exhibition is in its eleventh year at Tokyo Big Sight and features a wide variety of organizations that in some form or fashion are doing environmental work. The most disappointing thing for me about the 2009 Eco-Product Exhibition is that I was only able to attend for one day. As one of the 180,000 guests for this year trying to see more than 700 booths was, to say the least, a bit tricky. But the time was well worth it, and my calendar for next year is already marked!
SustainableCommunity
Freecycle, the people movement that is changing the world one gift at a time
Dec 10th, 2009

Freecycle is one of the world’s largest online eco communities whose mission it is to reduce waste and keep things out of landfills for longer. The way it works is simple. Use the internet to connect people who want to swap things they no longer need. You can find anything from TVs to bikes, furniture or fondue sets being given away for free. In the words of founder Deron Beal, “The goal is to make it easier to give an item away than to throw the item away, thus keeping good stuff out of landfills and helping Mother Nature.”
Warm rhythm, and fun work.
A new school has opened in Fukuoka for those who would rather work in a fun, warm environment, than slogging away for some company.
NPO ‘Local Entrepreneur School’ (‘LES’) aims to provide business models to entrepreneurs who want to start their own community based enterprise. According to LES, “it’s important to create a society with more options; where people don’t just move to the city because everybody else is, or leave rural areas because there is a lack of work. A society where one can chose their field of work, and place to live based on the lifestyle they want to lead.”
LES provides training to improve the sense and skills necessary to make the dream of moving back to the countryside into an attainable reality.
The school is unique in that it provides both practical training to create business models suited to your lifestyle, and mental preparation through workshops getting you to think about why you are living in the city, why you want to move to the countryside, and what kind of attitude is needed to get by in rural areas.
The business models aim to create an income of around 100,000yen or less per month. ‘Can you really get by on that much?’ I hear you ask. Well, there is no need to limit yourself to just one business model. By combining businesses, one can earn 200-300,000 yen per month – enough to support a family of two-four persons.
This school was founded by an OB from the ‘Hatsumei Kigyo Juku’ (inventor entrepreneur school) lead by inventor Dr. Yasuyuki Fujimura. Dr. Fujimura combined ‘venture’ with ‘inventor’ well before any of the other big venture businesses caught on, and the school carries on the spirit of his concept.
Dr. Fujimura is also working on ‘Atelier Non-Electric’, a social movement developing various instruments that do not require electricity. If you don’t believe we can get by without electricity see here. (Japanese only)
Recently local activities have been on the rise. By making our own community better, maybe we can influence the wider society as well.
This article has been translated from the original Japanese post.
2010-09-063 days left
Sep 6 GREEN LEADERS FORUM (GLF8): CSR & Sustainability Communications
2010-09-096 days left
September 9 Green Drinks Tokyo: Love Your Community, Love Sustainability
2010-09-118 days left

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SustainableCommunity
Roof Gardens: A Smart Solution for Japan’s Dense Neighborhoods