Yokohama – In a stretch of green in Yokohama spanning some 100 hectares, at a site that once housed a U.S. military communication facility, industrious teams of workers are busy planting trees and flowers as organizers strain to get the word out about the Green Expo, which begins in just five months. Ten million plants will blanket the grounds, including 600 cherry trees that should bloom around the time of the six-month event’s opening on March 19. The international horticulture expo, which will run until Sept. 26, aims to highlight the human relationship with the natural environment, while also stressing the need for global collaboration in solving environmental issues.
The organizers are hopeful they will attract an international crowd as they strive to offer a uniquely Japanese perspective under the theme of “The Blooming Field of Planetary Citizens.” As with any major event in Japan, a mascot has been tasked with providing a marketing boost. The brightly colored Tunku Tunku, who is described as an extraterrestrial creature mesmerized by Earth’s natural beauty, can count a photo opportunity with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as among its recent efforts. The mascot may be whimsical, but the expo has a serious aim: to shift perceptions and relationships with the environment, and showcase the possibilities offered by cutting-edge technology.
It will also put forward a “Japanese model” aimed at “achieving sustainable development,” ahead of 2030, the target year for the realization of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. But while much of the focus will be on technology of the future, organizers of the expo are also taking a long look at the past in order to highlight sustainable practices. Thematically, part of the event will highlight the Edo Period (1603-1867) — a time in Japan’s history during which a circular economy flourished.
Back then, with Japan largely cut off from international trade, the country turned inward. Pre-industrialization, experts describe it as a time when little household waste was generated and when reusing and repairing items was essential. As a result, the concept of mottainai — a phrase that expresses regret around waste — became ingrained.
Fearing deforestation amid rapid development, authorities also put in place strict restrictions around timber via the establishment of a forestry office. Rules were so stringent during that period that there was an adage connected to the severity of the punishment for stealing timber: “one cypress tree, one human head.” Yuko Tanaka, an academic and expert on the Edo Period, describes a society in which the thinking around materials and objects was focused on circularity and recycling and reuse across everyday objects. Traditionally, it was taken apart for washing, the individual pieces were washed, and then the garment was sewn together again.
This meant that it could easily be repaired or remade,” Tanaka explains. Long before modern recycling, people of that time also made use of discarded paper. The collected paper was pulped and made into recycled paper for use again,” she says.
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