Earth Day Tokyo 2017

What is Earth Day?

Have you ever heard of Earth Day?
I myself used to join it as a volunteer about 15 years ago and later as a exhibitor.
Earth Day is the day we think about the earth and respect nature and its environment.
The concept of Earth Day was created by UNESCO in 1969.
Its origin is not in Japan but in United States.
In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson in United States defines that April 22 as the date of “Earth Day”.
Later Denis Hayes from Harvard had been recruited and he became the national coordinator of first Earth Day.
He also found the Earth Day Network and spread it more than 180 nations.
Event of Earth Day is now held in more than 193 countries.
Here I introduce is Earth Day Tokyo in Japan.
It was held on 22-23 April.
Totally more than one hundred two thousand people came visit during the days.
Looks like the event has been getting larger year by year.

Report

Here is Yoyogi Park.
It’s a 5 or 10 minutes’ walk from Harajuku station.
Yoyogi park is famous for its sakura, too.
This Earth Day is held opposite side of the park in which sakura trees bloom.
It was sunny day, perfect day for Earth Day.
This is one of the main information centers of Earth Day.

Earth Day Tokyo 2017

Why vending machine?
Looks like company of natural water.

Mascot of vending machine

Animal Rights Center

This is NPO Animal Rights Center.
Every year I see this NPO and it stands out as it uses a bit grotesque pictures of animals.
Do you know how the animals such as pig, cow, cock, etc. are killed to become food we eat?
How some fur, cosmetics, etc. that we use are made before they become production we use?
I don’t say all of them are made in such a cruel and barbarous way but the reality is also true as we just don’t know or pay attention to it.

Animal Rights Center

Animal Rights Center
Website : http://www.arcj.org/en/_lang=en

There are many booths along this boulevard.

Shops along the boulevard

Yugeta Shouyu

Found Yugeta Shouyu!
Shouyu means soy sauce and this Yugeta is located in near my home town in Saitama Prefecture.
Once I visited Yugeta Shouyu and I could see a part of process soy sauce made.
Surprisingly I could enjoy soy sauce soft serve ice cream there!
Do you think it is a strange salty taste?
Actually not like that but the light salty flavor and smell of soy sauce add richness to the sweet soft ice cream.

Yugeta Shouyu

This is organic soy sauce.
Actually it is expensive but I’ve used it before and certainly it is a rich taste compared to ordinary soy sauce.
Even now I use soy sauce of Yugeta although different type as this.

organic soy sauce

Soy sauce is made from soy beans, wheat and salt.
What they use is all organic or natural ones without additives.

soy beans, wheat and salt

Can you see inside?
This is called Moromi or unrefined soy sauce.
Moromi is made in the process of making soy sauce.

Moromi

I could see the process of making soy sauce on the spot.
Soy sauce is dripping.

Dripping Soy Sauce

Yugeta Shouyu
Address : 475 Tawame, Sakado-shi, Saitama
Website : http://yugeta.com/english/

Lapin Noir (Kuro Usagi)

This is a famous natural yeast bakery shop.
Lapin Noir is French and it means black rabbit.
It is also located in Saitama but it is in far side of mountain area.
I myself visited the shop of Lapin Noir before and had bread there.
It was really good taste and you can find this is made of natural yeast once you ate it.

Lapin Noir

Oh “No Nukes” it says.
What’s inside?

Bread of Lapin Noir

After all I bought ordinary Japanese bread Anpan, that is, a bean-jam bun.
Yes, it’s a safe bet!

Anpan of Lapin Noir

Lapin Noir (Kuro Usagi)
Address : 1-18-12 Nosaka-machi, Chichibu-shi, Saitama
Website (Japanese) : http://www.lapin-noir.co.jp/

Looks like booth of rice shop.
They also sell rice millet, too.
They handle ancient rice such as black rice and red rice.
I sometimes see these ancient rices especially over the decade.

Rice and Rice Millet

Bata Bata Yaki in Hokkaido

The instant I found it I decide to buy as I had tried it before and knew it is tasty.
This is called Bata Bata Yaki.
It is specialty in Hokkaido.
Looks like small Okonomiyaki or Japanese style pancake but it is not salty taste like Okonomiyaki.
It is made of red kidney bean, its broth, starch and salt.
It has a soft sweet flavor and fresh one is very hot.
I really recommend you to try this if you find it as it is taste very good.

Bata Bata Yaki

Bata Bata Yaki

I wanted to buy Okara or Soy pulp doughnuts at this booth of bakery shop but it has already been sold-out.

Doughnuts has already been sold-out

There is a talk at this small stage depends on the time.

Talk Stage

Terada Honke

Terada Honke is a Sake brewery located in Chiba Prefecture.
It still uses traditional technique of Kimoto method for making Sake.
The sake Terada Honke makes is naturally brewed and the Junmai (made only from sake
rice and rice koji) is unfiltered.
Actually I don’t drink Sake or any alcohol drink usually as I get drunk very easily.
But somehow I can drink only Sake of this Terada Honke.
Rather I feel it tastes good.
My recommendation is Musuhi.
I bet you’ve never experienced this really unique taste.
It is not like the taste you imagine form standard Sake.
Musuhi is made of brown rice and it is said to be “Living Sake”
Yeast and enzyme are alive inside.

Terada Honke

Terada Honke
Address : 1964 Kouzakihonjyuku, Kouzaki-machi, Katori-gun, Chiba
Website : http://www.teradahonke.co.jp/

Found bamboo shoot, haha.

Bamboo Shoot

Uruma Gelato

I have a sweet tooth!

Uruma Gelato

Uruma gelato is a gelato shop in Okinawa Prefecture.
It doesn’t use chemicals such as emulsifier, stabilizer, Synthetic perfumes and flavor, etc. in it.
And they use vegetables that are grown organically or in environment of reducing agricultural chemical.
So many flavors from strawberry,sweet potato, green tea, milk to red pepper, parsley, etc.
Red pepper and parsley? > < Menu of Uruma Gelato

Well, I know it’s a risky choice but you know, take a chance!!
I tried parsley!
It is a poor vegetable destined to be left on the dish always when it comes with main dish.
First time in my life to taste parsley flavor gelato.
But it was not strong taste of that of parsley but fresh taste with sweetness.
Still I could also taste of parsley.
Anyway I like it, I didn’t sink!

Uruma Gelato Parsley Flavor

Uruma Gelato
Address : 1860-1 yonashiroteruma, Uruma City, Okinawa
Website (Japanese) : http://urugela.com/

Daichi wo Mamoru Kai

Daichi wo Mamoru Kai is company that fist started from NGO.
Daichi wo Mamoru Kai means association to protect the earth.
It handles organic vegetables.
I could see truck of it drives down the street a couple of times before.
I wanted to buy vegetables but I knew it becomes heavy luggage if I buy it now.

Daichi wo Mamoru Kai

Daichi wo MAmoru Kai
Website (Japanese) : http://www.daichi-m.co.jp/

Scarecrow?
I see, it sometimes stands in the rice field.

Scarecrow

Rice ball looks good!

Rice Ball

This Polan no Hiroba is also company that sells organic vegetables.

Polan no Hiroba

Fair Trad Chocolate.
Actually it is expensive but it might be fair price if we give it a thought for the process it made and its quality.

Fair Trad Chocolate

This shop looks like outdoor food shop.
I’m getting hungry.

Outdoor Food Shop

Outdoor Brand

I forgot to take pictures of outdoor brand.
But there are also booth of some famous outdoor brand.
This time what I could see was THE NORTH FACE, KEEN, PATAGONIA.
All are leading outdoor company in the world and I myself buy and wear clothes of them sometimes.
You can buy outdoor goods, too.

THE NORTH FACE
Website : https://www.thenorthface.com/

KEEN
Website : www.keenfootwear.com

Patagonia
Website : www.patagonia.com/

Organic food for dog.
I have not seen this organic food for pets before but especially over the decade I sometimes see it.

Organic Food for Fog

Penguin?

Penguin?

Now I’m coming closer to the center.

Getting Closer to the Center

It might be difficult to guess what this black thing is from my picture.
This is Didgeridoo.
It is a musical instrument that is used aborigine in Australia.
You can try it but to make a sound you need to get the hang of it.
Yes, I can not blow it! ^ ^ ;

Didgeridoo

Booth of Organic Cotton.

Booth of Organic Cotton

This is a main stage.
You can enjoy live music here.
Seems like students are singing when I arrived.

Main Stage

These are cute ones.
Owl?
Looks like it is made of gourd.

Display of Owl?

Display of Owl?

Gifts from sea!

Gifts from sea

This is T-shirt made by traditional Aizome technique.
Ai means indigo and some or zome means dying.
These T-shirts have been dyed with indigo.
It is a beautiful color.

T-shirt of Aizome

These are Zouri.
Japanese traditional sandals.
In the old days people wore this Zouri.
Samurai or warrior must have worn it.

Zouri

Here is food court.
You can enjoy food including organic and vegetarian food.

Food Court

Food Court

Food Court

Backside of Mini Van that sells curry and rice!
Cool, I like the decoration!

Backside of Mini Van that sells Curry and Rice

Gomi Zero Navigation and Dish Reuse System

After you had your meal you need to return dishes here.
This is Gomi Zero Navigation.
Gomi means trash and Zero means literally Zero.
That focus of this activity is to reduce garbage.
It adapts dish reuse system that you need to pay 100 yen (About $1) first to use dish but it is paid back when you returned it.
This is the one I joined first as a volunteer about 15 years ago.
I remember I was lending dishes instead of receiving cash and it was busy job.
But it became very good experience to me.

Gomi Zero

Gomi Zero

Gomi Zero Navigation
Website (Japanese) : http://www.gomizero.org/index.html

Summary

I could see many NGO, NPO and group of students, etc. that work on environmental issues here.
As you can see it is not like serious (in a positive way) event only people with grumpy face come together.
Anyone can enjoy this event even if one is not interested in this kind of theme.
I think it is very important thing.
We can enjoy but we can also learn at the same time.
Theme of Earth Day is turning our thoughts to the earth.
We are not live alone but are supporting each other.
It is not the thing only about human themselves but by forest, sea, nature, animals and earth.
Each of our action in daily life certainly effects something on earth.
Giving the earth a thought means, giving within yourself a thought.
I think kindness to people, nature, animals and earth is the key.
Beyond race, religion, nationality and border, we want to treasure the earth as it is just one to all of us.

Earth Day Tokyo

Date : 22-23 April 2017
Venue : Yoyogi Park
Address : 2-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya, Tokyo
Website (Japanese) : http://www.earthday-tokyo.org/

Earth Day
Website : http://www.earthday.org/

Sky




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