Why are we in Japan?

Waterase Basin Solar sharing      A question that I have been asking myself and that has been proposed to the class multiple times is, “Why are we in Japan?” Upon learning about this trip I decided that I wanted to come because of the adventure, it was one of the top...

reconstruction after Fukushima disaster

From our reading materials, we’ve learnt a lot about the disastorous tsunami that happened 8 years ago in Fukushima. According to the data online, more than 15 000 people were killed, over 6000 were injured, and at the time of this report around 2500 people are...

Destroyed by Technology: Watarase Basin

Environmental activist and politician Tanaka Shozo was quoted as saying that “the remnants of human life will be destroyed by technological civilization”. This statement reflects a well-justified pessimism of the effects of Japan’s imperial government and rapid...

Visiting Iitate Village and Nihonmutsu City

Today, we had the sobering experience of visiting the Fukushima prefecture in Northern Japan. On March 11th, 2011, Japan was devastated by the strongest earthquake it has ever experienced with an astounding magnitude of 9.0Mw. This mega-earthquake created a tsunami...

Solar Sharing in Fukushima Prefecture

On the 24th we visited the northeastern region of Fukushima prefecture, particularly the cities of Nihonmatsu and Iitate. This area had been important for rice growing and the raising of cattle, and home to some early adopters of organic farming. It was inland enough...