Seek Sustainable Japan

Elevating a traditional family-run Japanese Inn to Welcome All Guests | CEO Chizuka Tachibana

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0900

How can a traditional Japanese inn survive for many generations? CEO Chizuka Tachibana is following in the footsteps of her family's legacy to run Ryokan Ohana in Fukuoka. As a descendent of feudal lords, Tachibana-san maintains, and continues to elevate an impressive family business legacy.

Tachibana-san did a huge renovation of the buildings in 2025 and won the Grand Prize for the Japan Travel Awards in 2026 for her dedication to excellent, inclusive and accessible hospitality and service. Vegan-Vegetarian and international customer welcoming, they have a very sustainable Japanese business philosophy in hopes of being successful for their staff, locals as well as customers beyond the next 100 years & far into the future.

https://ohana.co.jp/en/

Japan Travel Awards 2026 Winners https://japantravelawards.com/en/winners/2026

- JOIN the Ryokan Ohana Crowdfunding Effort to preserve their beautiful pine trees https://readyfor.jp/projects/ohana1910/announcements/421132

Japan's Cultural Connections to KAMI Gods - 8M Ways to Happiness | interview with Hiroko Yoda

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Author Hiroko Yoda joins us to share insights from her latest book "Eight Million Ways to Happiness - Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan'.

It is a deeply personal journey of spiritual understanding, training and research into how Shinto, Buddhism, Shugendo and the many many Gods of Japan interplay in her thought processes as she grew up in Japan as well as gained more Japan life insights while living, working & traveling abroad.

Hiroko Yoda Links- Newsletter: https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/

Instagram: @hi_yoda_1

Bluesky: @hirokoyoda.bsky.social

Hiroko will participate in three Writers’ Festivals in Australia (Melbourne, Margaret River and Sydney) in May, 2026. Here are some links to tickets available for my talks.

More coming soon, and I will announce it later on SNS. "Hiroko Yoda 'Eight Million Ways to Happiness’ : How meaning, purpose and gratitude are woven into Japanese culture"

https://www.swf.org.au/program/festival-2026/hiroko-yoda-eight-million-ways-to-happiness/ Matt Alt and I will have a talk together too! : “The Japan Effect: How Japanese culture influences the rest of the world.” https://www.swf.org.au/program/festival-2026/the-japan-effect #seeksustainablejapan #talkshow #podcast #author #book #japan #japaneseculture #spirituality #culture #japanesetraditions #hirokoyoda #interview

LINKS

https://www.hirokoyoda.com/ https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/eight-million-ways-to-happiness

Sustainable Japan Updates with Tove & JJ - March 2026

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Sustainable travel, business and innovation on our radar as sustainability focused consultants in Japan - Tove Kinooka & JJWalsh

Setouchi Japan Sustainable Travel & Design with You Sakana

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0900

You Sakaguchi (You-Sakana) has been living and promoting the SETOUCHI area of Japan as a blogger, designer, photographer and content creator. Ryoko Ihara is the head of branding at GoField co and often works in collaboration with You on projects. We will talk about some of their work, philosophy and sustainable travel highlights for the Setouchi (Kagawa/Tokushima/Okayama) area of Japan.

You Sakaguchi | YouSakana https://www.instagram.com/yousakana.design/ https://yousakana.jp/

FEB 2026 Sustainable Japan Short-Takes with Tove & JJ - Sustainable Business & Travel Consultants

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0900

This month FEBRUARY we talk about some of our favorite low-waste, plastic-free products in Japan, the high-technology of trees & other great sustainable business & travel events, talks, innovation and inspiration

Tove Kinooka - sustainable business consultant based in Yokohama, Japan *Tokyo area*

JJWalsh - sustainable business & travel consultant based in Hiroshima, Japan *Setouchi area*

Diverse Stories of Success Working in Japan for Future Entrepreneurs - Educator John Rucynski

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Creating a textbook that engages with university students in Japan is a challenge but a Professor at Okayama university, John Rucynski has found a winning formula for writing a textbook with stories of successful international professionals working in Japan.

https://deepjapan.org/john-rucynski/

https://cengagejapan.com/elt/ListeningVideo/page/?no=1412662013bfq7a

Local Needs & Visitor Appeal Balance of Sustainable Travel in Japan - Paul Christie

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0900

CEO Paul Christie of Walk Japan started as a guide for tourists many years ago and has led the Walk Japan company toward a more sustainable business path where needs of locals and visitors are more in balance. He has also helped revive a small village in rural Japan with organic farming, community building, bringing in new residents and using tourism income to help fund projects.

https://walkjapan.com/

Why Preserve Traditional Japanese Boatbuilding? On location in the workshop with Douglas Brooks

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0900

I visited the traditional boatbuilding workshop of craftsman Tenkyou Hirofumi who was working with Douglas Brooks and filmmaker Chikara Motomura on a project this year in Miyoshi *Hiroshima* Japan - great to hear the sounds of traditional carpentry as we talk about the value of preserving these traditions.

Why are there so many cute & bizarre characters in Japan? Dr.Debra Occhi Linguistic-Anthropologist

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Visitors and new residents to Japan are often surprised to see so many wonderfully cute and bizarre characters in Japan and the characterization of everything from safety announcements to tourism promotion.

Dr.Debra Occhi has been studying the Japan world of characters for many years and shares some of her insights on the historical connections as well as how these characters function in business as well as for the benefit of society.

Predicting Sustainable Japan Innovation, Products and Trends of 2026

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0900

First of our 30-min Short-Takes series for 2026

In this episode JJ & Tove give their predictions for Sustainable Japan 2026: Food Diversity - Zero-Waste - CleanTech - GenderEquity - Apps - Minka - Traditional Rural Japan Travel - Japan EV's - Innovation - Entrepreneurs - Biodiversity

=Tove's top 5=

1) TooGoodToGo Food Waste/Loss App Launches in Japan / https://www.toogoodtogo.com/ja

2) Multi-lateral Thinking to Sustainability - like the IKEA 2050 Project / https://www.ikea.com/jp/en/this-is-ikea/community-engagement/life-at-home-2050-pub2ef982b0/

3) UpScrolled App - More Sustainable Social Media / https://upscrolled.com/en/faq/

4) Women-Positive Events on the Rise - IchigoBloom / Joconne / Rocklit https://www.rocklit.com/ https://luma.com/8jcxj6ef

5) Biodiversity-Forward BIODIVERSIFY https://biodiversify.com/

=JJ's top 5=

1) Japan EV's 2026 - HONDA - Mazda - Suzuki - Nissan - Toyota all have exciting cars in JAPAN

2) Sustainable Travel Innovation - The Japan Travel Awards 2026 - event 2/12/2026 / https://japantravelawards.com/en/home

3) Traditional Japanese MINKA houses, craftspeople, rural living, sustainable travel - Minka Summit event 4/24-26/2026 / https://kominkajapan.online/events/

4) CleanTech Innovation - Smart Energy - Green Entrepreneurs - Events in Tokyo-Chiba-Osaka https://www.wsew.jp/hub/en-gb.html

5) PlantBased Vegan Vegetarian Forward Eateries - VeganOsaka delivers https://www.veganosaka.com/en / Japan Times article on plantbased vegan rise japan https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2025/01/29/sustainability/veganism-rise-japan-climate/

--------------- JJWalsh's Inbound Ambassador Website: https://inboundambassador.com/

Douglas Brooks has been the Last (and Only) Apprentice to many Japanese boatbuilders

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Douglas Brooks joins the show again this month to talk about his 10th apprenticeship with a traditional Japanese boatbuilder in Hiroshima as well as other projects in 2026.

His backstory is that he had a roommate from Hiroshima at University and when he first visited Japan as a backpacker he got bored of the typical sightseeing, but fascinated by wooden traditional Japanese boats he found his way into an apprenticeship. This has led to 9 apprentices with traditional wooden boatbuilders in Japan - often as their only and last apprentice before they retire.

https://www.douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com/

The Art, Beauty & Fun of a Hiroshima KAGURA Performance - talking with Rachel Nicholson

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Rachel Nicholson shares insights on her work with Hiroshima Kagura performances - she translates the story subtitles to English and hosts the live shows every wednesday night in Hiroshima city.

LINKS https://www.rccbc.co.jp/event/kagura/en/

This is the website for the Wednesday Night Kagura performances (that start on 4/1) https://www.hiroshima-kagura.jp/en/

This is the big “what is Kagura” for Hiroshima website Notes from Rachel about Hiroshima Kagura: As for favorite performances, here are some videos my top 3:

Ox-Baby - Ushi-gozen (Asahi-ga-Oka Kagura Troupe)
Lady Takiyasha (Kaminakachōshi Kagura Troupe)
Maple Leaf-Viewing Party (Miyanoki Kagura Troupe)

Episode 555 - Go-Go-Go Boldly into 2026 Flaws & All

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0900

Welcome to a new year of Seek-Sustainable-Japan - here are some dreams and thoughts as we start the year as best we can- hope it's a good one for all of us!

Feel free to drop comments or questions to me somewhere & I will give you a shoutout in the next episode!

LINKS: #seeksustainablejapan on YouTube #inboundambassador on IG & FB #jjwalsh on BlueSky

Best Sustainable Japan Short-Take Picks of 2025 with JJ & Tove

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Our top picks of Sustainable Japan for 2025 - enjoy!

Did we miss your faves? Please let us know and we will give you a shoutout in the next episode!

LINKS: #seeksustainablejapan on YouTube #inboundambassador on IG & FB #jjwalsh on BlueSky

Our Quality of Life is Handmade NOT AI - Author-Architecht-Artist Azby Brown

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Wonderful discussion here with educator, author, architect & artist Azby Brown where he shares his deep insights into the beauty and meaningful design of traditional buildings and art where you can see the I WAS HERE mark of the human who crafted it. There is a warning here from Azby Brown about our fast shift to destroy these handcrafted things of value (like MINKA) in the rush to embrace technology and AI - this will not make us happy and will DESKILL and UNSKILL us.

LINKS

Azby Brown https://azbybrown.com/about/

Sustainable Japan Short-Takes with Tove & JJ

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0900

What are the latest sustainable japan topics on our radar for November?

Monthly chat about sustainability trends, innovation, events and issues for Japan & beyond with JJWalsh & Tove Kinooka / Topics & Updates - November 2025

LINKS

The Conduit - Climate and Conflict https://www.theconduit.com/programme/...
The Burning Question: Climate & Conflict
• The Burning Question: Climate and Conflict
Talk with traditional-Japanese design expert author-architecht Azby Brown about how Humans connect to human-made things
• Hand Crafted Design Appeal of Traditional ...
Blacksmith in Fukuyama:
/ akitakazuyoshi
Deep Travel Experience with Alex Kerr in Kagawa via ONESTORY
/ onestorytraveller
LinkedIn Univ Exeter COP30 Summary https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/exeter...
Home- Work Village https://homeworkvillage.com/

Japan Rural Life & Classic Homes Event - Minka Summit 2026 - Chat with Stuart Galbraith

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Kominka Japan has set the date for the annual Hanase Village Minka celebration in Rural Kyoto for the weekend of April 24,25,26 2026 - save the date!

Tickets are now on sale and you can get a discount if you buy before the end of 2025

https://kominkajapan.online/events/

LINKS:

My talk with Paul & Kim Fredale about their stunning home and garden renovation: https://youtube.com/live/yjVcsFL09sU

Buy your MINKA SUMMIT 2026 tickets, dinner tickets, lunch tickets.. on Peatix:

https://minka-summit-2026.peatix.com/

Some Highlights of the event to be announced in the show:

· Speaker Presentations

· Minka and Machiya Tours!

· Hands-On Workshop Demonstrations!

· Minka Mall!

· Friday Night Meet-and-Greet

· Saturday Night Dinner & Keynote Speech

About Stuart Galbraith from KominkaJapan website

Stuart Galbraith IV is a film historian who has lived in his 1810 minka in the mountains north of Kyoto since 2016 with his wife, Yukiyo, and daughter, Sadie. He is the author of seven books, including The Emperor and the Wolf – The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune and Japanese Cinema and a co-writer of Academy Award-winner Steven Okazaki’s documentary Mifune – The Last Samurai (2015). A former archivist for Warner Bros. and MGM, Galbraith writes reviews for the website The Digital Bits and frequently does audio commentaries and produces short documentaries for DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K releases, including such films as Kurosawa’s Rashomon, Sanjuro, and Dersu Uzala, Kinji Fukasaku’s Battles without Honor and Humanity, Martin Scorsese’s Silence, and Joshua Logan’s Sayonara. His most recent credit is an audio commentary for the Powell & Pressburger classic A Matter of Life and Death. He also wrote and produced the documentary short, The Minka of Gaijin Alley (2019).

The Human Connection to MINKA traditional houses comes from Handcrafted design - Azby Brown / MinkaCon2025

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Inspiring talk from Azby Brown at MinkaCon2025 about how the beauty of hand-crafted things in traditional houses is what we as human beings respond to and NEED to have connection to in our homes and lives.

Azby Brown is a respected MINKA MASTER, educator, author, researcher, advocate and advisor based in Japan for many years.

https://azbybrown.com/about/

Watch the video here to see the images he shows and talks about on Seek Sustainable Japan YouTube https://youtu.be/02XeH-FnOZg?si=Vb6UMOoHUkm6YwQZ

October Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan with Tove & JJ

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Monthly 30-min news and topics catch up

Talking with Toru Muramatsu CEO of Chiiori Alliance - recreating Japanese guesthouses

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0900

CEO Toru Muramatsu talks of the great work of Chiiori Alliance and is an inspiring designer and manager who has done great work alongside Alex Kerr to develop beautiful, high-value stays for both international and Japanese guests by renovating old traditional Japanese homes into guest houses.

Chiiori Alliance

https://www.chiiori-alliance.jp/

Introducing Ideas of Living Earth Lab Workshop in Okayama - chatting with Phil & Kyle

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Kyle Holzhueter is a master plasterer in Japan and founder of Kamimomi Permaculture center in Okayama joins Seek Sustainable Japan once again to talk about their upcoming Living Earth Lab - a 7 day workshop experience in natural living and sustainable life skills- with Phil Cashman of Awa Farm and other Tokyo area permaculture projects.

Kyle Holzhueter & Phil Cashman are both long-time Japan based permaculture masters who are running a workshop in Okayama focused on Sustainable Living called LIVING EARTH LAB.

Phil is passionate about urban farming - growing your own food even in small spaces, compost toilets and founded Awa Permaculture Farm in Chiba.

Phil's Awa Permaculture farm community page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064494287906

Kyle: https://pamimomi.com/

Kyle Holzhueter on the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow-podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh9VhKmd2_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2cJPZa1bc8

More about Phil: https://therongolianstar.com/2013/06/29/for-permaculture-in-japan-visit-permaculture-awa-farm-dojo/

Beyond Traditional Japanese House Passion - talking Minka Con 2025 with Lauren & Andrea

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Lauren and Andrea are Minka Preservation Society founders and talk here about what we can look forward to at the MINKA CON event coming up in November 2025

https://www.minkasociety.com/

Sustainable Japan Day - Circular Diapers - Tech4Impact | Short-Takes Sept 2025

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0900

This month sustainability focused, Japan based consultants, educators and entrepreneurs Tove Kinooka and JJWalsh discuss Sustainable Japan Day event and awards featured by the Japan Times ⁨@thejapantimes⁩ - One Young World - Sustainability in the Himalaya mountains with Carole Fuchs - Tech for Impact event in Tokyo October - Global Perspectives workshops and INTRApreneurship training programs - Digital Collage September event ICHIGO BLOOM - Responsible Finance and Investing with Morisawa Michiyo - Wooden Barrels Craft Award Yamaroku Shoyu Shodoshima - Made-in-Japan apparel - Sustainable Forestry in Wakayama - Zero-Carbon baseball stadium HANSHIN Tigers - GLIN impact capital investments in startups with social and environmental impact - Outrage & Optimism podcast ⁨@OutrageandOptimism⁩ - HGPI Health and Environment intersection - Yamaroku Soy Sauce - Yamagata rural revival ..

LINKS

- Sustainable Japan day event 2025 on September 18 https://sustainable.japantimes.com/sjd-2025

- UNICHARM circularity in diaper business for babies and elderly - recycled pulp & recycle used https://www.unicharm.co.jp/en/csr-eco/education.html

- One Young World https://www.oneyoungworld.com/ ⁨@OneYoungWorld⁩

- Global Perspectives workshops & Intra-preneurship training https://www.globalperspectives.biz/intrapreneurship

- Tech 4 Impact Summit https://tech4impactsummit.com/

- Digital Collage event in Sept 2025 Ichigo Bloom Tokyo https://ichigobloom.jp/digital-collage-explore-the-hidden-footprint-of-our-digital-lives-tokyo-21-september-2025/

- Morisawa Michiyo feature about Responsible Investing https://sustainable.japantimes.com/unraveling/25

- Yamaroku Shoyu SHODOSHIMA island https://yama-roku.net/en

- Factelier made-in-japan clothing apparel https://factelier.com/aboutus/

- WAKAYAMA sustainable forestry https://nakagawa-forestry.com/about

- Hanshin Tigers Zero Carbon Baseball Stadium https://zerocarbon-bp.hanshin.co.jp/park/map.html

- GLIN social and environmental impact funding, startups and investing https://glinimpact.com/en/insight/insight-investment20231017

- Japan Health and Environmental policy intersection advising and diplomacy https://hgpi.org/en/

- Netchu Rural Revitalization in Yamagata - reusing abandoned schools to create community spaces https://www.takahata.necchu-shogakkou.com/

- Outrage and Optimism podcast https://www.outrageandoptimism.org/

---------------

JJWalsh's Inbound Ambassador Website: https://inboundambassador.com/

JOIN

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbjRdeieOLGes008y_I9y5Q/join

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jjwalsh

BuyMeACoffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jjwalsh

Peace Activist Playwright-Actor Michael Mears talks about Hiroshima play THE MISTAKE

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0900

UK actor and playwright Michael Mears joins Seek Sustainable Japan to

share insights about his latest play called THE MISTAKE - a two person

performance telling stories connected to the nuclear bombings of

Hiroshima 80 years ago.

https://michaelmears.org/

Arcola theatre about THE MISTAKE: A powerful reflection on the decisions

that changed the course of history and the human cost that followed.

In the 80th anniversary year of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings,

this is urgent, unforgettable theatre.

https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/themistake2025/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6_szLiCp5s

An important play about nuclear weapons and the nuclear bombing of

Hiroshima.

play description:

"Shigeko Nomura is a young woman living in war-time Hiroshima.

Leo Szilard is a Hungarian scientist and ‘father of the atomic bomb’.

Paul Tibbets is the American pilot chosen to fly the plane that drops

the bomb.

At 8.15am on a Monday morning in August, their lives become fatally and

forever entangled."

https://michaelmears.org/the-mistake-a-new-play-about-the-day-the-world-changed-forever/

Michel Mears will be performing a bilingual version of THE MISTAKE in

Tokyo, Hiroshima and Tottori in September this year.

Contribute to their crowdfunding campaign.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/taking-my-play-the-mistake-to-japan-in-september

Osmotic Power - Business Visa - Noto Recovery | August Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Welcome
Vegan-Friendly London
Vegan LUNA Burger
Hiroshima Nagasaki 80th
Noto Recovery Trip BCCJ
Wajima Lacquerware Recovery
Alex Kerr talks Wajima in Hidden Japan book
Benton Homestead Rural Entrepreneurs
Write Public Response about Manager Visa Changes
GTN Working with Foreign Residents as positive opportunity not risk
Circular System Tokyo includes Worm Composting
Fukuoka Clean Energy & Drinking Water Project
Michael Mears actor playwright THE MISTAKE

LINKS

Talking with Michael Mears about THE MISTAKE play on Hiroshima Nuclear Weapons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d2jaraQyuY

LUNA Vegan Burger in HASE Kamakura area outside Tokyo #veganfood #japan https://maps.app.goo.gl/BM8ZRHaTN57oy1R78

No More Hiroshima Nagasaki 80th Commemorations @medium #peace #travel

https://medium.com/@jjwalsh/no-more-hiroshima-nagasaki-80th-8d4c808638b7

Staying in NOTO after the quake talking with Bernd & Mitsue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVIFqBe-0f4

Alex Kerr book Hidden Japan mentions Noto peninsula and Wajima

https://www.youtube.com/live/plqAlGpCCvU?si=UWw12L1xdpuKLKmx

Benton Homestead @bentonhomestead

https://bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopify.com/

Please write in about the sudden changes to the Business Manager Visa

system- we don't want to lose businesses doing good like Benton

Homestead:

https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/detail?CLASSNAME=PCMMSTDETAIL&Mode=0&id=315000115

@theGuardian

Fukuoka OSMOTIC Clean Energy and Drinking Water Project featured by

the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/25/japan-osmotic-power-plant-fukuoka?fbclid=IwY2xjawMaiu5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwYWVwQjBzTk1KbFBrcnVrAR4NOapoCche5jHIsRTLksPSU699Acv72IxtqSpuTL0HCncHqOUM-Yvq19ooYA_aem_yaIjHbOaqJ0jl34TyKdZDA

====

Sustainably focused consultants JJWalsh & Tove Kinooka monthly

30-min Short Takes Chat about sustainable strategy, news, events and

innovation in Japan and beyond.

#sustainablejapan #seeksustainablejapan #shorttakes #japan #sustainability

Impact of going to both Hiroshima & Nagasaki 80th Peace Events - August 6 & 9, 2025

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Grateful this year to have had the rare opportunity to attend both the Hiroshima 80th and Nagasaki 80th commemoration events this year - may these two cities be the last places on earth to experience such horror, suffering and devastation from a nuclear weapon attack.

Read post on MEDIUM

#nonukes #hiroshima #nagasaki #japan #hiroshima80 #nagasaki80 #nomorehiroshima #nomorenagasaki #nomorehibakusha #nomorewar

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Walk-Thru 80 Years Later | August 6th 2025

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0900

August 6, 2025 is the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima city. The first part is a pre-recorded walk-thru of the most meaningful monuments that I introduce on guided tours and the 2nd part is clips from the August 6th livestreaming video from around the A-bomb dome on August 6th.

#peacenow #nonukes #hiroshima80 #peace #hiroshimajapan #hiroshima #japan

Watch the video of this podcast on the SEEK SUSTAINABLE JAPAN podcast playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcyYXjRuE20E18H3DZrT5FnAfxDiLFs32&si=poKQJQd1db7uSZZh

Beat the Heat in Japan & Sustainable Japan Short-Takes with Tove & JJ

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0900

July Short-Takes 30 minutes of sustainable japan & beyond highlights with two sustainability focused women entrepreneurs based in Japan, JJWalsh and Tove Kinooka

Luxury Travel in Japan & Beyond - talking with Brighde Reed of World Vegan Travel

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Sustainable travel definitely includes plantbased dining, but independent vegan travelers struggle with Japan travel as there are fewer options and sometimes hard work to research and explain what you need. World Vegan Travel does the research and tour plan for vegan travelers around the world and has great insights on Japan travel.

Brighde Reed is co-founder of World Vegan Travel Company and a plantbased expert for Japan and other parts of Asia and the world where they run their tours focused on supporting vegan travelers who want meaningful, fun, engaging and on track with their plantbased eating lifestyle values.

#worldvegantravel

LINKS

World Vegan Travel Website https://worldvegantravel.com/

World Vegan Travel Upcoming 2026 Japan Tour https://worldvegantravel.com/joyful-japan-2026-1/

NYT Gift Article about Vegan Travel Booming: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/travel/vegan-travel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.X08.m6Y7.N8dgzBURo9d4&smid=url-share

Japan ANIMO Animal Sanctuary @animosanctuary https://www.animosanctuary.org/

Hiroshima New Stylish Vegan Eatery https://jogesayu-hiroshima.com/en/

Vegan Food at Osaka World Expo 2025 https://www.itravelforveganfood.com/articles/vegan-food-osaka-world-expo-2025

PETA featured World Vegan Travel for plantbased sustainable travel safari tours https://www.peta.org/features/vegan-african-safaris/. @peta

Vegan Influencer Colleen Patrick Goudreau: https://colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/

Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan JUNE 2025 with JJ & Tove

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0900

After cataract surgery, can my eyes be reused? / Reading glasses LIONS club donation ‪@lionsclubs‬ / New Japan BioPlastic Tech discovery that dissolves in seawater ‪@Reuters‬ / Fujisawa Beach Clean event with SEGO / Popular keep-cool tech waste ‪@theGuardian‬ / Tokyo pride parade & LGBTQ+ issues in Japan / MrBeast viral generosity success on YouTube ‪@BeastPhilanthropy‬ / Daikin Air-Conditioner Sales Boom sticks to carbon-neutral targets ‪@thejapantimes‬ / Osaka Expo REUSABLE structure BLUE DOME ‪@TheEconomist‬

LINKS

BioPlastic Japan Scientific Discovery https://www.reuters.com/sustainabilit... ‪@Reuters‬
SEGO BeachCleanUp featured on Go Connect: https://goconnect.jp/2025/06/04/sego-... ‪@goconnectjp‬
MrBeast Philanthropy - Go Viral & Make Money while doing Good for People & Planet ‪@BeastPhilanthropy‬ https://www.beastphilanthropy.org

- ‪@medium‬ Beast Games and Mr.Beast inspiration for content creators doing good

/ how-youtuber-mr-beasts-kindness-collaborat...

LIONS club international takes 2ndhand reading glasses and hearing aides then donates them to people in need around the world- find your nearest location: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/explore.... ‪@lionsclubs‬
Sign up to be an organ donor in Japan (English) https://www.jotnw.or.jp/en/
Economist IMPACT about the Osaka Expo Blue Dome reuse: https://impact.economist.com/ocean/bi.... ‪@TheEconomist‬
Guardian article about keep-cool tech sustainability issues: https://www.theguardian.com/technolog... ‪@theGuardian‬
Daikin Air-Conditioner Industry Heats Up in Asia but sticks to 2050 targets: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environm...

Oops FORGOT to mention:

My podcast interview on ‪@worldvegantravel‬ is now up: https://worldvegantravel.com/vegan-po... ‪@worldvegantravel‬
Upcoming possible talk with Josh & Rebecca Tickell about Regenerative Farming and the huge potential of improving SOIL to reduce global warming impacts while enhancing health!
• Common Ground documentary - Official Trailer ‪@commongroundfilm‬ ‪@JoshTickell‬ ‪@KissTheGround‬
definitely worth watching both KISS THE GROUND and COMMON GROUND documentaries on Amazon Prime https://commongroundfilm.org/
Growing Avocados new potential in Japan to replace citrus: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environm... ‪@thejapantimes‬

Upcoming possible talk with Josh & Rebecca Tickell about Regenerative Farming and the huge potential of improving SOIL to reduce global warming impacts while enhancing health! • Common Ground documentary - Official Trailer ‪@commongroundfilm‬ ‪@JoshTickell‬ ‪@KissTheGround‬definitely worth watching both KISS THE GROUND and COMMON GROUND documentaries on Amazon Prime https://commongroundfilm.org/

Growing Avocados new potential in Japan to replace citrus: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environm... ‪@thejapantimes‬

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Join us each month for our (we are 2 sustainability focused entrepreneurs in Japan) 30-min Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan events, products, services, trends, news, strategies & people to inspire us all.

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Tove Kinooka is the Director & Co-founder of Enteleco

& Global Perspectives

JJWalsh is the Founder of Inbound Ambassador & Seek Sustainable Japan | Co-Founder of GetHiroshima

Tove LINKS

/ tove-kinooka-35a39323

https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/

https://www.globalperspectives.biz/

JJ LINKS

/ jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador

https://inboundambassador.com/

https://gethiroshima.com/

https://seeksustainablejapan.com/

How YouTuber Mr.Beast’s Kindness & Collaboration Keeps Going Viral

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0900

With more than 406 million subscribers, Jimmy Donaldson- better known as Mr.Beast- has become the most successful YouTuber by doing outrageous acts of generosity.

The fact that Mr.Beast’s strategy of using video revenue, sponsorship and collaboration to fund lifechanging projects around the world is an inspiration to any of us trying to go above and beyond the status quo to do-good for others and the environment.

Spending a month off work was a perfect excuse to binge Mr.Beast’s unscripted reality gameshow called BEAST GAMES for Amazon Prime. I was in good company as one of 50 Million viewers in its first month.

Read the entire post on MEDIUM here' https://medium.com/@jjwalsh/how-youtuber-mr-beasts-kindness-collaboration-keeps-going-viral-cfbb106696e8

BGM is from Michelle Huang who is a DJ and a talented music-maker as well- check out her DJ Sparkill original tunes on @SoundCloud

/ myvanillatictac

Biodiversity - Urban Forests - Cycling for Charity - Sustainable Japan Chat with Tove & Joy

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0900

This month Joy and Tove talk about forests, conservation, solar projects and thinking of YES AND instead of stopping projects, Biodiversity and Cycling Events for good causes. Write your comments and questions below if watching replays.

LINKS

Conservation and Solar Farms

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2025/05/26/wildlife/kushiro-wetlands-solar-eagle/

SOLAR farms can protect habitat

https://environmentamerica.org/center/articles/solar-farms-can-protect-habitats-and-biodiversity/

SOLAR over parking AEON mall Sumitomo

https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp/news/release/2024/group/17340

KIWL Charity Ride: https://www.kiwl.net/events/500km-cycle-ride

Yokohama Connect Event

https://venturecafe-yokohamaconnect.org/event/yokohama-connect-14/

Tourism boom - need to manage crowds

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/05/21/japan/society/foreign-visitors-april/

Hiroshima museum should use these large A-bombed warehouses for large

group tours https://dive-hiroshima.com/en/explore/3526/

Japan's trees and forests loss and culture

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2025/05/26/earth-science/trees-environment-japan-sacred/

30-min Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan events, products, services, trends, news, strategies & people to inspire us all.

Tove Kinooka is the Director & Co-founder of Enteleco

& Global Perspectives

JJWalsh is the Founder of Inbound Ambassador & Seek Sustainable Japan | Co-Founder of GetHiroshima

Tove LINKS

/ tove-kinooka-35a39323

https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/

https://www.globalperspectives.biz/

JJ LINKS

/ jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador

https://inboundambassador.com/

https://gethiroshima.com/

https://seeksustainablejapan.com/

Peace - Patti Smith - Startups / April Sustainable Japan Short-Takes with Joy & Tove

Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Joy and Tove share their insights on sustainable Japan issues, news, updates for April 2025

3 Stories of Japan Sustainably-Focused Innovators for better travel, biz & startup

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Interviews with entrepreneurs Ally Hongo of Japan Travel Awards & Shiitake Creative, Elly Hirano a sustainably focused freelance entrepreneur & Robin Lewis of Social Innovation Japan & MyMizu

Japan Innovation Story- MyMizu app Journey to 5 Years | Robin Lewis

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Robin Lewis is the inspiring co-founder of the LESS PLASTIC, MORE FUN startup in Japan called MyMizu. In this talk, Robin reflects on the 5-year Journey to taking the innovative idea of creating a refill network across Japan (and beyond). What's ahead for the venture, and also offers insights and advice for leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.

Robin Lewis is also a social entrepreneur, speaker and educator who works as the Representative Director of Social Innovation Japan - one of NIKKEI’s ‘100 Companies Building the Future’.

Robin Lewis is also the co-founder of MyMizu, an award-winning community-building app listing clean water refill areas across Japan and beyond to improve health, reduce plastic waste and connect with more ethical businesses.

It is exciting to talk with Robin on Earth Day this year to talk about the MyMizu 5 year report insights and catch up on his other projects and hear about his hopes and vision of the future for sustainable innovation in Japan.

LINKS

https://robin-lewis.com/

https://www.mymizu.co

https://www.socialinnovationjapan.com/

What's it like to work as a sustainability consultant in Japan? Elly Hirano

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Elly Hirano is a freelance sustainability consultant in Japan with a

variety of project insights and a great philosophy about a better way

forward in business that balances the needs of people and planet with

profits.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellyhirano/

Rural Kyoto MINKA event & MINKA CON talking with Andrea Carlson

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Andrea Carlson is on the board of the Japan Minka Preservation Society

and will join to share some of her passion for preserving old houses and

rural traditions and culture in Japan.

Andrea will also be introducing some exciting events and meet-ups,

talks, experiences and more coming for the group for the enthusiastic

Minka-loving community.

https://www.minkasociety.com/

Sustainable Japan Short-Takes x 2 - Feb-March Episodes Double-Special

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0900

30-min Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan events, products, services, trends, news, strategies & people to inspire us all.

Tove Kinooka is the Director & Co-founder of Enteleco

& Global Perspectives

JJWalsh is the Founder of Inbound Ambassador & Seek Sustainable Japan | Co-Founder of GetHiroshima

Tove LINKS

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/tove-kinooka-35a39323/

https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/

https://www.globalperspectives.biz/

JJ LINKS

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador/

https://inboundambassador.com/

https://gethiroshima.com/

https://seeksustainablejapan.com/

Planet DAO is Reviving Rural Japan Communities with Investment Projects

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0900

An innovative approach to Japan's AKIYA vacant house problem and dwindling rural communities through a DAO approach to ownership and investment in exciting projects to revive areas with great potential.

In this talk, Tamaki Nishimura and Monika Sadkiewicz of PanetDAO share their passion to working with amazing rural communities to preserve important cultural properties and places of rich heritage by opening up property investment in Japan. Open opportunities to both international and Japanese investors who want to be a part of building something positive, yet lack the knowhow to do it solo.

https://planetdao.world/about/

A Positive View of Future Japan Travel - Ally Hongo of Shiitake Creative & Japan Travel Awards

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Ally Hongo is the cofounder of Shiitake Creative KK which has produced the Japan Travel Awards since 2021. The awards are focused on better Japan travel for the inbound market which are also sustainable, accessible, and inclusive for LGBTQ & families - so these places, people and destinations are welcoming to all people who love to travel.

Originally from Bulgaria, Ally has had a long and interesting career in Japan as a student, academic, reporter, writer, editor and content creator. Now Ally as Director of the Japan Travel Awards, has a powerful and positive influence on the future of inbound tourism in Japan and the development of more sustainable tourism and travel in rural areas.

https://www.allyhongo.com/

https://shiitakecreative.jp/en/

https://japantravelawards.com/

A Passion to Preserve Traditional Japan houses - Lauren & Marcus of the MINKA Preservation Society

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Lauren Schraf & Marcus Consolini join us to talk about the Minka Preservation Society- the motto is: "They build it, we preserve it".

What is it and what are the elements of their inclusive work to support and preserve Japanese building traditions, artisans, tradespeople, and rural communities in Japan.

It is a very wide tent and they have some exciting events and activities coming up held across Japan. See more information on their social media pages and website below.

LINKS

https://www.instagram.com/minkapreservationsociety/

website: https://www.minkasociety.com/

Lauren Schraf is a tourism expert - find her work and contact on Nippon Discovery: https://www.instagram.com/nippondiscovery/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-scharf-05410712/

Marcus Consolini is a sake brewery CEO of Daimon Brewery in Osaka https://daimonbrewery.jp/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-consolini-a04847/

Creative Japan Rural Revival - Artist Michelle Huang CEO of AKiya Collective

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0900

Michelle Huang is a creative-technologist and Akiya Collective founder passionate about "renovating abandoned houses in japan and converting them into habitat installations."

How can we revive rural Japan? Michelle and her group are onto something new and important - by making good use of Akiya vacant homes in creative ways that reuse the value already there and build on the strengths of a positive community.

Exciting to learn more about what events, workshops, shared experiences and fun they are planning for their KOMONO 2025 Spring Event.

#akiya #japan #nagano #komoro #komorospring #komoronagano #akiyacollective #michellehuang #interview #seeksustainablejapan #ruraljapan #ruralrevival

LINKS

https://michellekhuang.com/

Akiya Collective

https://www.akiyacollective.org/

BGM is from Michelle Huang who is a DJ and a talented music-maker as well- check out her DJ Sparkill original tunes on @SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/myvanillatictac

Wonderful interview Michelle Huang did with Joi Ito about the Akiya DAO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=houer6d_YaU

1st Sustainable Japan Short-Takes of 2025 with Tove & JJ

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0900

First chat of 2025 for this monthly sub-series of the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow with Tove Kinooka and JJWalsh. A 30-min chat about sustainable Japan topics that focus on a better balance between the needs of people and planet with profits.

30-min Short-Takes on Sustainable Japan events, products, services, trends, news, strategies & people to inspire us all.

Tove Kinooka is the Director & Co-founder of Enteleco

& Global Perspectives

JJWalsh is the Founder of Inbound Ambassador & Seek Sustainable Japan | Co-Founder of GetHiroshima

Tove LINKS

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/tove-kinooka-35a39323/

https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/

https://www.globalperspectives.biz/

JJ LINKS

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador/

https://inboundambassador.com/

https://gethiroshima.com/

https://seeksustainablejapan.com/

Starting 2025 with an Optimistic View of Sustainable Japan Tourism & Branding

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0900

I hope you are surviving your first month of 2025 with a sense of hope and enthusiasm for what we can do this year.

Of course, there is a lot of depressing news these days. The fires in LA and being bombarded by unethical governance in the US is hard to take. But there is still some hope for this year in terms of sustainable strategy, innovation and creative passionate folks doing good work.

This podcast features the audio from a Jan 27th 2025 talk I gave to an enthusiastic group of amazing local women in Hiroshima Japan. I loved meeting them all and seeing their smiles and nodding heads as I talked about the things I love about Hiroshima, stories we need to tell of women in Japan's history, and some of the most impactful and inspiring stories of sustainable tourism at work in our area of Japan.

Talking about sustainable tourism strategy, branding and inspiring examples of success from Alex Kerr & his traditional MINKA to guest house projects, to Onomichi, to Setoda, to Kamikatsu, to Mukaishima, Teshima, Omishima, and AiAii on Awaiji island.

I hope you also find some new and inspiring ideas here that give you hope for a brighter future in travel and how we want to do business and live our lives.

Catching up with Alex Kerr - Thatch roof design in Thailand & Sustainable tourism design in rural Japan

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0900

An interesting and inspiring first talk of 2025 here with the amazing Alex Kerr who has spent his entire life focused on a better Japan through his book writing, consulting, business projects. Also, in recent years has also added a love of design, traditions and life in Thailand to his life focus.

In this episode, Alex takes us through the design and process of making his thatch home in Chang Mai Thailand. Then we discuss some of his insights and ideas for better rural development tourism strategies in Japan based on Museums, Food, and Old House Reuse.

http://alex-kerr.com/

Time to shed old skin & declutter in Japan in 2025 for this Year of the Snake

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0900

It’s January 2025 which is a perfect time for me to share some goals for this year of the snake as well as highlight positive insights from Japan to give you a more proactive slither start to the year than a defensive coil.

Read the post on MEDIUM

LINKS:

Yoga & Wellness Entrepreneur in a Snowy Nagano Village - talking with ROWIE GERAERTS

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0900

Originally from Melbourne Australia, Rowie Geraerts has found a home and supportive community in the town of Nozawa Onsen in Nagano, Japan.

Rowie describes her career in Japan as an entrepreneur as a stopover before settling down which became a place to start planting roots. In Australia she says she always felt she was an easy-going water-baby, but has found more focus to run businesses among mountain people in the village of Nozawa Onsen where she has set up a yoga studio, runs wellness retreats and started a vegan cafe called SHIZEN.

At the end of our Seek-Sustainable-Japan talk in December, bonus clips from my in-person chat with her at her beautiful FUNKY COTTAGE - introduced by village Minka (traditional home) ambassador Ed Stratham:

https://seek-sustainable-japan.captivate.fm/episode/fixing-up-a-250-year-old-house-in-japan-snow-country-house-tour-talk-with-ed-stratham

BGM thanks to Casey Bean of The Beanpod podcast - support his original singing-songwriting on BandCamp: https://caseybean.bandcamp.com/

2024 Short-Takes Wrap Up with Tove & JJ

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0900

Tove & JJ wrap up their favorite sustainable short-takes of the year and give suggestions for great organizations to support, great blogs to read and shopping mindfulness as we enter the holiday season. Enjoy!

TELL mental-emotional support
Best of Sustainable Japan events
Fabric Regenerative Biz event
BCCJ Gender Equity event
Hiroko Yoda Blog
Import Concepts Localization
Sustainable PRIDE value
Useful Gift Japan tradition
Consider Gift End of Life
Recycled Wool Japan
Sustainable Shop Tours
Japan Denim
Japanese Indigo
HAKKO Fermented Goods
Venture Cafe Yokohama
Powerful Questions event
End-of-Year Mindfulness

LINKS

TELL mental-emotional support helpful https://telljp.com/counseling/

Japan Travel Awards 2024: https://japantravelawards.com/jta-2024-en

Sustainable Japan Times 2024 Awards: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/sjaward-company2024

Fabric Regenerative Business Report: https://fbrc.co/en/home

Hiroko Yoda - Japan Happiness Blog: https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/

BCCJ (British Chamber of Commerce Japan) https://bccjapan.com/

Art of Powerful Connections event: https://www.dccj.org/events/workshop-the-art-of-powerful-questions

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Tove & Joy are both focused on sustainable issues in work across Japan doing consulting, training, educating, advising & developing sustainable strategy for business, events, organizations and tourism.

Tove Kinooka is cofounder of Global Perspectives & Enteleco Consulting: https://www.entelecoconsulting.com/

JJWalsh is founder of Inbound Ambassador & cofounder of GetHiroshima: https://seeksustainablejapan.com/about/

Talking with Facundo Arena of The Kyoto Connection - Creating Music Inspired by Japan

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0900

Lead composer-producer artist Facundo Arena joins the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow-podcast to share insights about their Japan-inspired ambient musical journey as creators of THE KYOTO CONNECTION.

After years of admiration of Japan, especially Japanese music and culture, the trio are finally on their way to Japan in April 6th to May 18th 2025.

Join us as we talk about the 25 years they have been making Kyoto & Japan inspired music and their plans for visiting Japan on their tour.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thekyotoconnection

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekyotoconnection/

Website: https://www.thekyotoconnection.com/

BandCamp: https://kyotoconnection.bandcamp.com/music

What do we know about Japan PM Ishiba - Diplomacy & Policies talk with Dr.Donna Weeks

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0900

Dr.Donna Weeks joins us again on the Seek Sustainable Japan talkshow to give us her insights on some of the key issues since the latest 2024 Japan election which created a government party, leadership and power dynamics reshuffle.

Dr.Weeks has been following Ishiba's career over her political science career of 30+ years and has lots of great historical examples to draw on.

We focus on the key issues PM Ishiba outlined in his policy speech this week: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/29/japan/politics/ishiba-policy-speech/

BIO:

Dr.Donna Weeks was a Political Science Professor at Musashino University’ Faculty of Law in Tokyo from 2016 to 2024. She taught Japanese politics, political philosophy and security and her research focused on peace issues and Japanese elections.

Psephologist Dr. Donna Weeks has spent the last 40 years engaged with Japan's politics and peace issues. Now based back home in Brisbane, Australia, but still with an eye on Japanese politics Dr.Weeks can walk us through some of the key issues happening in Japan's government since the election.

Dr.Donna Weeks blog: https://psephyspix.blogspot.com/

on BlueSky, Instagram & threads: @psephyspix