Image by Billy Lindblom. Some Roghts Reserved.  The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) reported on March 7, 2018, that the average summer temperature in land areas of the Arctic has increased approximately 2 degrees Celsius in the past 15 years, suggesting that summer warming has been progressing in the Arctic along with drying of the soil. A research group of the Institute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research (IACE) of JAMSTEC conducted a statistical analysis of satellite observation data and land-surface reanalysis data. These data were collected for 15 years from 2002 to 2016 in the Arctic tundra region (about 5,530,000 square kilometers), which accounts for about 80% of land in the Arctic region. For the first time in the world, JAMSTEC showed that the average summer temperature (June to August) in the Arctic tundra region had increased about 2 degrees Celsius, notwithstanding a lack of signs of this warming in the mean annual temperature. JAMSTEC also revealed that evapotranspiration has been increasing in the region as global warming has progressed. It analyzed data on the amount of the water retention on land after taking out the amount of evaporation and outflow to rivers, etc. The results showed that in the past 15 years, approximately 110 billion tons of water have evaporated from the region, equivalent to a water depth of 2 centimeters. Summer warming may accelerate the melting of permafrost, leading to emissions of greenhouse gasses that were previously locked in the earth and, consequently, accelerating global warming. JAMSTEC expects the findings of its study to contribute to the investigation of the climate change issues on a global scale including global warming. It plans to conduct a more detailed analysis of global warming mechanisms in the Arctic region and evaluate their impact on wetlands, lakes, and vegetation.

JFS Newsletter No.189 (May 2018) Image by Ponta. The Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union (Seikatsu Club) is a joint association of 32 co-ops throughout Japan. Based on the idea that consumers themselves should purchase the food they need to live, the club has been making collective purchases for more than 50 years through affiliations with trusted producers across Japan. Its efforts to purchase secure and safe products are now expanding to businesses that respond to various social challenges, including building livable communities and energy problems. JFS Newsletter No. 179 (July 2017)Seikatsu Club: Japanese Cooperative Managed by Members' Will to Confront Social Problemshttps://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035882.html Electricity and energy are as indispensable to our lives as food. However, unfortunately it is difficult to be energy self-sufficient within our own local living environment. To tackle this challenge, the Seikatsu Club is building region-to-region relationships related to energy, using its 50 years of experience linking producers and consumers. Aiming to supply and sell its own electricity rather than leaving it up to the national government or power companies, several Seikatsu Club co-ops invested funds to establish the Seikatsu Club Energy Co. in 2014. It purchases electricity from 46 renewable energy power stations in Japan to sell mostly renewable energy to approximately 10,000 households and businesses nationwide. This issue of the JFS Newsletter introduces the "Yumekaze" Seikatsu Club Wind Turbine built in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture (northern Japan), focusing mainly on how it connects urban areas and the countryside, as well as production and consumption. This project was the starting point of the Seikatsu Club's activities in the energy sector. ("Yumekaze" literally means "dream wind.") Yumekaze was built in March 2012 in Nikaho as a joint venture of four co-ops operated by the Seikatsu Club in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama). This wind project is operated by the Green Fund Akita, a general incorporated association that functions as the business entity, while the four co-ops invest and lend funds and are involved in planning and operations. Yumekaze is a large wind turbine with an output of 1,990 kilowatts, generating 4.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, all of which is sold to Seikatsu Club Energy Co. A Little Different from Other Wind Projects Since it was the first energy project for the Seikatsu Club, many discussions and suggestions were made among members as to what kind of relationship the club should build with Nikaho. Some members said "Our relationship should not be 'invisible,' with electricity generated locally just transmitted through power lines and used far away in the metropolitan area. We should build an active relationship that also benefits locals for hosting wind turbines and renewable energy." Such comments triggered exchanges between Nikaho residents and co-op members in the metropolitan area. To mark the first anniversary of the wind turbine's operation, Nikaho locals and co-op members from the Tokyo area celebrated together at a barbecue party. Now the club, in cooperation with Nikaho City, runs regular tours for members. In addition to visiting the turbine, the tour participants can also enjoy activities like trekking in the rich nature around the city and making soba (buckwheat) noodles. Recently college students from the metropolitan area learned about the project and activities of the Seikatsu Club and Nikaho, also started to visit the city. In this way, the circle of exchange between people in the urban and rural areas is expanding. Thanks to these exchange activities, the Seikatsu Club's unit is now seen as "a wind turbine with faces" for the locals of Nikaho, which means that the locals know the actual faces of people who are buying the power generated by the turbine. Nikaho faces the Sea of Japan, which makes it a prime location for wind power. There are dozens of wind turbines within the city's boundaries today owned by other entities , but Yumekaze appears to be the locals' favorite, as Seikatsu Club members often hear comments like "The Seikatsu Club's turbine reminds me of the faces of the co-operative members," and "I get worried if I see the Club's turbine not turning." Disaster prevention agreements and various other future projects are being discussed to further deepen exchanges and cooperation. Adults are not the only ones who feel an affinity to Yumekaze. The turbine is used as a learning tool to study the topic of energy at elementary schools in the city. The turbine provides a venue for students to learn about the environment and energy as they can actually observe how the turbine operates not only from the outside but also from the inside. The turbine's name was decided through a naming competition. A call was put out to elementary school students, parents and guardians, classes in local schools and groups active in Nikaho, resulting in 270 entries. From a shortlist of ten names selected by the Nikaho City Municipal Board of Education, about 1,800 co-operative members voted to select "Yumekaze" as the winner. In a way, the name embraces hopes of the both the Nikaho locals and co-operative members in the distant Tokyo metropolitan area, and perhaps that is why many feel a close connection with the turbine. Joint Development of Yumekaze Brand Products The relationship between the Seikatsu Club and Nikaho has been growing more than ever. The Seikatsu Club purchases farm products grown in Nikaho, such as tomatoes for processing, and soy beans, as ingredients for its original consumer products. In addition, a part of the profits from sales of the turbine's electricity is allocated to the processing of local farm products. They have jointly developed branded products since 2015. Four Seikatsu Clubs in the Tokyo metropolitan area, in partnership with food processors and a sake brewery in Nikaho, have jointly developed products using local specialty products under Yumekaze brand. In fiscal 2016, the following products were produced and sold to co-operative members: Yumekaze Junmai Daiginjo (a top-quality sake) by Seikatsu Club Kanagawa; Taramen codfish fermented sauce-based ramen (Chinese noodles), by Seikatsu Club Tokyo; Tara Shottsuru codfish fermented sauce by Seikatsu Club Chiba; Beppin-san Ichijiku fig compote by Seikatsu Club Saitama. Housewives and other co-operative members from the Tokyo metropolitan area participate in the joint development of the Yumekaze brand products. They go back and forth to Nikaho to develop products through trial and error over almost half a year. This is a great opportunity for Nikaho's local companies to hear directly from metropolitan consumers and develop new business opportunities. The renewable energy situation in Japan has changed significantly since the Fukushima nuclear accidents in 2011, the introduction of the feed-in-tariff (FIT) system for renewable energy in 2012, and the liberalization of electricity power sales in 2016. The introduction of the FIT system encouraged an increasing number of communities to promote renewable energy. The liberalization of power sales enabled buyers to purchase electricity from new power companies focusing on renewable energy. Consumers in Japan can now choose their electricity based on where and how it is generated. A key feature of the joint efforts by the Seikatsu Club and Nikaho City is connecting metropolitan and regional communities through two essential ingredients of modern life: "energy" and "food." Today, we live in a society where consumers cannot usually see where their food and electricity come from, while producers cannot see who consumes their products. In this context, their joint efforts, which enable consumers and producers to know each other, are more important than ever. Written by Yuka Kume

Image by photo-graphe. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and the University of Tokyo jointly announced on September 14, 2017, the results of an analysis of changes in tropical cyclone activity and structure associated with global warming. The joint group conducted the analysis by running a program called NICAM, or Nonhydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model, on the K supercomputer; NICAM is capable of calculating the formation and vanishing processes of clouds globally. Comparing the distribution of wind speeds around tropical cyclones, the analysts found that, under warmer climate conditions, the radius of gale force wind will expand for cyclones of the same intensity categories. The analysis compared historical data covering 60 years (1979 to 2008) with the results of a simulation of future climate around the end of the 21st century (2075 to 2104). The results showed that, globally on average, the number of tropical cyclones will decrease by 22.7 percent (%), the number of strong tropical cyclones will increase by 6.6%, and rainfall levels accompanied by tropical cyclones will increase by 11.8%. The radius of gale force wind will increase by 10.9% under warmer climate conditions. Global atmospheric calculation models previously used for climate predictions had a low horizontal resolution, of tens to hundreds of kilometers, compared to the present analysis, which had a horizontal definition of 14 kilometers. Predictions have been unreliable because cloud systems were explained based on assumptions derived from past experience. The research group succeeded in eliminating uncertainty by using high-resolution NICAM and collecting data on the changes in tropical cyclone scale and on cyclone mechanisms. The group now hopes to further eliminate uncertainty by achieving higher resolutions and deepening their understanding of changes in tropical cyclone activity.

Image photo A citizens' group, the Kodomo-Shokudo Safety and Security Improvement Committee, announced in April 2018, that at least 2,286 "kodomo-shokudo" (cafeterias that provide free or reduced-price meals to children) have been set up throughout Japan as a part of efforts to address child poverty. This figure was based on a survey conducted between January and March 2018 through social welfare councils and other entities in the country's prefectures. The term kodomo-shokudo first appeared in 2012. According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, as of the end of May 2016, the number of such cafeterias was at least 319 in Japan. Since then, in less than two years, the number increased by approximately 2,000. The Committee was established by members of the executive committee of a kodomo-shokudo promotion tour -- a nationwide tour launched in 2016 to expand people's understanding of such cafeterias -- with the aim of addressing challenges that were revealed through the tour. Based on the survey, the Committee concluded that these cafeterias have started to shift from being perceived as "special places operated by special people" to local places that are accessible to many people. The group aims to make such cafeterias more widely-accepted and an essential part of community development, and hopes that not only children but also adults will visit the cafeterias, where children and adults can have positive interactions with each other.

Image by ujasnpandya Some Rights Reserved. The Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on March 22, 2018 that they have succeeded in quantifying the CO2 uptake by the Arctic Ocean. Their researchers estimate CO2 uptake in the Arctic Ocean at 10% of the total for the world's oceans, even though it accounts for only 3% of the world's total ocean surface area. These findings are expected to contribute to calculating the global carbon budget and better understanding ocean acidification. JAMTEC in collaboration with an international team of scientists including the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency, the University of Bergen, and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, created a distribution map containing 216 months (1997 to 2014) worth of air-sea CO2 exchange in the ocean north of latitude 60 degrees North. The result revealed that the annual Arctic Ocean CO2 uptake is 180 plus or minus 130 TgC. Generally, as the water temperature rises, CO2 uptake decreases. It has been found that long-term changes in overall CO2 uptake in the Arctic sea are diminishing, as the effect of rising water temperatures decreasing uptake is being offset by increased uptake due to decreasing sea ice. High uptake is seen in the Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea on the Atlantic Ocean side and the Chukchi Sea in the Pacific Ocean side where there are strong winds and low sea-ice concentrations. During seasonal changes, high uptake is seen in winter in the Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea when there are strong winds. In the Chukchi Sea, high uptake is seen during summer when seawater temperature is high with little sea ice and autumn when winds gradually become stronger. In the Arctic Ocean, uptake is at its peak in October when there is little sea ice and winds start getting stronger.

JFS Newsletter No.189 (May 2018) The 2nd meeting of the Round Table for Studying Energy Situations on youtube Japan's Basic Act on Energy Policy directs the government to draft a Basic (or, recently, "Strategic") Energy Plan and review it once every three years. The Basic Energy Plan of 2010 stated that to boost the zero-emissions power supply (nuclear + renewable energy) to a 70% ratio, 14 or more additional reactors would need to be built, increasing the utilization rate of nuclear power plants and deploying renewable energy to the maximum extent possible. After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 and the subsequent accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the Basic Energy Plan of 2014 positioned nuclear power as "an important base-load power source," stating that dependency on nuclear power generation would be lowered to the extent possible by efforts to save energy and introduce renewable energy as well as by improving the efficiency of thermal power generation, etc., while proceeding with the restart of the nuclear power plants. Renewable energy was rated as facing "various challenges" in terms of stable supply and costs at that moment, but as a promising, multi-characteristic, important energy source that could contribute to energy security as it can be domestically produced and is free of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the Strategic Energy Plan, the Long-term Energy Supply and Demand Outlook compiled in July 2015, stated that the electric power supply-demand structure in fiscal 2030 would be as follows: renewable energy approximately 22 to 24%, LNG 27%, coal 26% and oil 3%, reducing dependence on nuclear power plants, which had been about 30% before the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, to around 20 to 22%. In response to subsequent changes in circumstances, the Strategic Policy Committee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy began meeting in early August 2017 to discuss the next Strategic Energy Plan. Establishing a New 'Round Table for Studying Energy Situations' Beyond the nation's Strategic Energy Plan toward fiscal 2030, we need further study and initiation of a discussion about the future. With a mission of determining the future direction of long-term energy policies based on energy-related forecasts for 2050 in response to the Paris Agreement, the Round Table for Studying Energy Situations (hereafter, the Round Table) was established by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. As a member of the Round Table, I would like to tell you about the discussions we had there and the final proposals of the Round Table. The website of Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy describes the role and status of the Round Table as follows: http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2017/0801_001.html "... under the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures based on the Paris Agreement, Japan decided to aim at achieving an 80% reduction in existing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as a long-term goal. Japan should achieve this goal under the fair and effective international frameworks for the agreement in which all major countries participate, while leading the globe in encouraging major greenhouse gas emitting countries to engage in reduction efforts and balancing global warming countermeasures, taking into account both their technical capabilities and the need for economic growth. Such an ambitious goal may be difficult to achieve if we only continue current efforts. To overcome this challenge, Japan needs to achieve technological innovations and reduce emissions totals through international contributions. To this end, METI will newly establish a Round Table for Studying Energy Situations under the leadership of the METI Minister, aiming to bring together a wide variety of ideas and provide experts with the opportunity to hold discussions based on the widest range of possible solutions." Awareness that the goals set under the Paris Agreement could not be achieved by continuing current energy policy and conventional discussions led to establishment of the Round Table. Nuclear energy policy is one option toward this end, and the Round Table was established not for questioning the existence of nuclear power plants, but as a place to discuss Japan's energy policy from various perspectives for achieving "an 80-percent reduction target of GHGs in 2050" -- which is extremely high. The Round Table has a total of eight members: Masami Iijima of Mitsui & Co., Ltd.; Makoto Gonokami, President of The University of Tokyo; Masahiro Sakane, Councilor of Komatsu, Ltd.; Takashi Shiraishi, President of the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization; Hiroaki Nakanishi, Executive Chairman of Hitachi, Ltd.; Yoichi Funabashi, Co - founder and Chairman of Asia Pacific Initiative; Naoko Yamazaki, Astronaut; and myself, Junko Edahiro. I joined the Round Table discussions with three perspectives: the environment, local communities and citizens. In particular, there had not been much focus on "local communities" thus far in the Basic Energy Plans and energy policies. In previous energy policies, how to import fossil fuels, including oil, in a stable manner from abroad had been given much attention. In Japan, however, where the population is decreasing and society is aging, how to meet local energy demands will be increasingly important from now on. I couldn't believe that in 2050, large-scale power plants would be able to deliver power to households in all corners of Japan with long distribution lines. I expected each local community to be more resilient, with a local system that used locally generated power flexibly, eliminating transmission losses. I hoped for there to be highly resilient communities, where even if energy imports were to stop due to international events, it wouldn't cause havoc in people's lives or the economy. Little attention, however, has been paid to technology or legal frameworks for communities aiming for energy independence. The first discussion agenda proposed by the Round Table secretariat lacked the perspective of "local communities." Deliberations of the Round Table for Studying Energy Situations The first meeting was an introduction and briefing from the secretariat. After that, at the second to seventh meetings, we spent two and a half hours each time hearing from guest speakers, mainly from overseas, who imparted knowledge important to considering energy in 2050. The four main themes were "trends in geopolitical risks concerning energy" (second meeting), "climate change countermeasures and energy policy" (third and sixth meetings), "energy companies' management strategies" (fourth and fifth meetings), and "technology and innovations" (sixth and seventh meetings). The guest speakers were as follows: <Geopolitics>  Dr. Paul Stevens (Distinguished Fellow, the Royal Institute for International Affairs, UK) Mr. Adam Siminski (Chair for Energy and Geopolitics, Center for Strategic and International Studies, USA) <Climate Change>  Prof. Jim Skea (Professor of Sustainable Energy, Imperial College London, UK) Mr. Michael Shellenberger (CEO of the NGO Environmental Progress, USA) Dr. Felix Chr. Matthes (Research Coordinator, Energy & Climate Division, Oeko-Institut e.V., Germany) <Energy Companies> Mr. Matthias Bausenwein (General Manager for Asia Pacific, Orsted, Denmark) Mr. Ralph L. Hunter, Jr. (Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Exelon Nuclear Partners) Mr. Guy Outen (Executive Vice President, Royal Dutch Shell, UK) Mr. Didier Holleaux (Executive Vice-President, ENGIE, France) Ms. Marianne Laigneau (Senior Executive Vice President, EDF, France) <Technology and Innovations>  Mr. Takeshi Uchiyamada (Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan) Mr. Richard Bolt (Secretary, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, State Government of Victoria, Australia) Dr. Arun Majumdar (Director, Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, USA) Mr. John L. Hopkins (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NuScale Power, LLC., USA) Content and Implications of the Recommendations The eighth and ninth meetings featured discussions toward compiling the final recommendations. The full version of the recommendations is available at the following link, in Japanese. "Recommendations by the Round Table for Studying Energy Situations ? Initiatives for Energy Transitions" http://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/committee/studygroup/ene_situation/pdf/report.pdf (Full version, in Japanese only) http://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/en/committee/studygroup/ene_situation/pdf/keypoints.pdf (Key Points of the Recommendations, in English) The introduction is only one page long, but it articulates the basis of these recommendations and major orientations. It lists three particular points on which the recommendations are based, as follows: (1) The stance that the Fukushima Daiichi Accident is a starting point. This is consistent and immutable. (2) The essence of the evolving situation, which is "possibility and uncertainty." (3) A course toward energy self-sufficiency, an unvarying requirement in which discontinuous energy transitions through technological innovation will be indispensable. The recommendations have been widely covered by various media, focusing particularly on the explicit statements of "making renewable energy a major power source" and "decreasing Japan's dependency on nuclear energy." While every member of the Round Table agreed on renewable energy, there were heated discussions over "decreasing Japan's dependency on nuclear energy," between members from industry insisting, "This shouldn't be included," and our side, who wanted to include it explicitly. In the end, the statement remained in the recommendations with no changes. In addition, the recommendations also include certain points that are crucial from a mid- to long-term perspective. The following three points have importance from my point of view. First Point: Planning in Consideration of an Uncertain Future The first important idea embedded in the recommendations is a multiple-scenarios approach and scientific review mechanism. As one of the three basic ideas previously described, an understanding of uncertain, unpredictable energy situations is shared as a common ground for developing energy policies. As far as I can see, the existing energy policies have been developed conventionally under the premise of fixed visions of "how our future ought to be" or "our future has to be like this," upon which the public administrations implement measures to fulfill their expectations. However, after listening to the talks by the 14 guest speakers at the Round Table, we had come to a shared understanding that "since the future is uncertain, we face high risks if we proceed with the current presuppositions." Therefore, the recommendations state that Japan should develop a mechanism to develop multiple scenarios instead of just one scenario, conduct scientific reviews, and adjust goals and measures flexibly according to changes in circumstances and advancement of technologies. This is a crucial understanding and orientation. To achieve this, it will be necessary to consider how to develop multiple scenarios, who is to conduct scientific reviews as a mechanism and how to establish its governance. These points will be on the agenda for future discussion and development. Second Point: Perspective of Locality The second important point is that the recommendations feature the perspective of locality prominently. I am pleased to see this as I have strongly insisted on this point from the very first Round Table meeting. In the document, this is referred to as "distributed energy systems." The following is a quote from the recommendations, translated by JFS." Policies for Solving Issues with Efficient, Distributed Energy Systems Pursuing downsizing and high efficiency of renewable power generation facilities, technological innovations in batteries and fuel cell systems, electrification of transportation systems, advancement of technologies in digitalization and smart grids that enable demand and supply control at a local level, and effective combinations of these technologies will boost the feasibility of establishing efficient, stable, decarbonized, demand-driven distributed energy systems with compactly integrated systems of electricity, heat and transportation. Railway companies, information technology companies, hospitals, bases and other facilities have actively introduced in-house power generation systems. From the standpoint of energy security, they have an interest in distributed energy systems based on innovative technologies. These players contribute to acceleration of energy independence at the local level. From the viewpoints of both energy security and local communities, leadership should be encouraged to develop economically efficient, stable, distributed energy systems backed up with cutting-edge technologies, and promote such technologies worldwide. 　 Strengthening Emerging Energy Conversion Industries and Reconstructing Energy Infrastructure In the field of distributed energy systems, locally based companies with ambitious entrepreneurship are expected to emerge as leaders. In this situation, it will be necessary to have a group of globally developing comprehensive energy providers, a group of locally based companies responsible for creating distributed energy systems, and a business environment to produce such companies. Also, a structure to accelerate energy conversion and decarbonization should be established, utilizing the advantages of both types of companies. In this process, it will be necessary to accelerate the updating of energy infrastructure by using power grids designed for the next generation, developing distributed networks, and so on. Third Point: The Times Have Changed from Single Power Sources to Flexible Totally-Controlled Power Sources The third important point is that we are not in an age of choosing power sources based on cost anymore, that is, based on whether renewable energy is expensive or nuclear energy is less expensive. Until recently, ten power utility giants dominated the market from power generation to energy supply to industries and households in Japan. There used to be a limited number of power producers and countless consumers. The electricity market structure is changing significantly these days. New power companies have emerged. In-house power generation at companies and homes is also increasing. The situation has become one of countless electricity producers with countless consumers. Selling generated electricity and purchasing the necessary volume is like pouring electricity into a "big electricity pool" and taking out electricity from the pool. The electricity being poured into the pool originates from different sources, including renewable energy, thermal power and nuclear power. Ultimately, the total volume in the pool should match the volume of demand at the time. For consumers, it is not a matter of choosing a single electricity source anymore such as renewable energy stored in batteries or nuclear power. In short, this is the idea of complementing power with other power sources to stabilize the electricity supply. With the advancement of information technologies, the Internet of Things and digitalization, we will be able to link every power source and control the output to accommodate fluctuating demand. In addition, demand-side management to control power demand to match the supply will be integrated with supply control. By using surplus electricity to produce hydrogen and methane for use as fuels and storing them to be used when needed, energy storage will be possible. This is available now only with expensive batteries and pumped hydro. All of these technologies will increase the flexibility of whole energy systems. There is fierce competition in related technological development worldwide to bring forth the next competitively advantageous energy source. In the prospects for future energy systems stated above, we need to consider the cost of controlling the whole energy system to regulate individual sources, including costs for network operations and development of hydrogen, methane and other forms of storage in the future, in addition to the costs of the energy sources. This point has been added to the recommendations as "a shift from cost estimation by source to cost-risk analysis within energy systems for decarbonization." The above are the "three key points" from my point of view in the Recommendations by the Round Table for Studying Energy Situations. In Conclusion Having received the Round Table's recommendations, the Strategic Policy Committee, which was in charge of determining the next Strategic Energy Plan, undertook a review of the existing Strategic Energy Plan with a perspective toward 2050. On May 18, the committee finished arranging the draft of Strategic Energy Plan 2018, which will be finalized by cabinet approval. I appreciate that my participation in all meetings of the Round Table taught me many things and gave me an important chance to get a direct feel of the dynamic, rapid changes in the global energy situation. I am also happy that I could succeed in adding the local viewpoint in the proposals, as I've been involved with activities to recreate local communities across Japan for many years. At the meeting, I proposed several effective methods for implementing discussions such as scenario-planning and public consensus building through dialogue, which could be useful for further discussions on energy. Finally, let me tell you about a small contribution I made: a change in the seating style at the meeting. Governmental committee meetings in Japan usually have participants seated in rows, with the governmental officers sitting on one side of a long rectangular table in a row and the committee members sitting on the other side of the table in a row. That makes it hard to see the other members' faces. At the end of the first meeting, I requested a change in the seating style, saying "We can't talk without seeing each others' faces. Could you change the layout of chairs and tables so that we can all see each other?" At the second meeting and subsequently, the tables and chairs were placed in a circle. I believe it helped the participants -- members, guest speakers and officers -- by creating a good atmosphere for discussions. The "learning organization" concept embraces the idea that the quality of the atmosphere for communication at a meeting effectively determines the quality of the relationships within the meeting. In essence, a better atmosphere at a meeting improves the quality of the relationships therein, which in turn increases the quality of thinking, resulting in better actions and outcomes. Thus I believe this change in the seating style contributed to more meaningful discussions and better results. Written by Junko Edahiro

Image by Toby Oxborrow Some Rights Reserved. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and NTT Docomo announced on January 15, 2018, that they would conduct a demonstration trial of EcoBuy at a grocery store called mini Piago in Irifune 1-chome, Chuo City, Tokyo. The trial was carried out for 41 days from January 19 to February 28, 2018, as part of a model business series focusing on the sustainable utilization of resources. The joint project aims to raise awareness about food loss reduction among consumers and encourage shops and houses to reduce food waste. EcoBuy is an app for smartphones, developed by NTT Docomo. It is designed to reduce food loss by giving incentives in the form of points to consumers for purchasing foods designated as EcoBuy products due to the proximity of best-before dates or expiration dates. The consumers take photos of the receipt and the best-before or expiration dates on products and send the photos to a point-handling center through the app. Upon receiving the photos, the center checks the photo data and awards points, such as "d points" issued by NTT Docomo, worth about 20 percent of the listed price if the purchased food meets the conditions. During the trial period, the center sent reminders to consumers when the remaining time before the registered expiration dates reaches a certain time. If the food had already been consumed, a "thank you" message was sent to the consumers. If not, the center sent recommended recipes suitable for the purchased food to encourage consumption of the food.

Image by jwco. A trial for a unique new service to virtually "keep" surplus power temporarily from residential solar panels is starting soon in Japan. It is hoped that the service will make it possible for households to use surplus power from their own solar panels even if they don't have storage batteries. Japan introduced a feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme several years ago requiring major utilities to pay specified rates to purchase electricity "fed in" to the grid from small producers of renewable energy. The electricity buy-back period for some households will end starting in 2019. In preparation for this situation, there has been much discussion about how to utilize the surplus electricity generated by households that have installed photovoltaic systems, including the use of storage batteries, after the current FIT scheme ends. In advance of the 2019 issue, TEPCO Energy Partner, Inc. (Toden EP) announced the launch of testing for a new service to "keep" (temporarily store) surplus power from household solar power generation systems. Even houses that have no storage batteries will be able to benefit from this service to make efficient use of their surplus power. The test is part of the "Next Generation Smart Town Project" conducted through collaboration between Toden EP and Toyota WoodYou Home Co. (Ustunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture). The project will test this new service focusing on energy and IoT (the Internet of Things) for single-family homes in large developments by residential developer Toyota WoodYou Home, with the aim of eventually commercializing the service. They plan to conduct the verification test on a total of 552 lots in three developments in Tochigi Prefecture. As part of the project's "Power Keeping Service" (tentative name) households that have installed photovoltaic panels will provide data on their power consumption and generation (for selling) to Toden EP. Analyzing the data, Toden EP will keep track of "unconsumed" surplus power from households and will be deemed to be "keeping" it temporarily. The company will then "return" the power to households when they consume electricity and allow it to be shared with other households. With this service, the aim is to make effective use of surplus power even in households that don't have storage batteries. The trial will test the system design and fee structure. The trial is planned to run from July 2018 to March 2019, and during this time, smart home devices and special electricity rate plans will be tested. Source: Smart Japan (in Japanese)　

Image by Skitterphoto. Japan's Ministry of Environment (MOE) announced on December 8, 2017, that it has revised its Guidelines for Private Sector Engagement in Biodiversity, a set of guidelines for private businesses and other organizations working on biodiversity issues. The revision was the first in eight years since publication of the first edition in August 2009. In 2010, shortly after the first publication, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets were adopted, providing direction for the international community to pursue the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and giving a major push to Japanese enterprises toward addressing biodiversity issues. Then, in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, and with the revision of ISO 14001, international standards for biodiversity became effective. During this time, the idea of 'natural capital,' in which the natural environment is perceived as an asset critical to the lives of individuals and the operation of organizations, has gained popularity. The social context surrounding biodiversity has also changed rapidly. One example is the expansion of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment, in which investors consider whether companies are consciously addressing ESG issues when selecting companies for investment. The responsibility of private companies to tackle biodiversity issues is thus greater than ever before. The second edition of the MOE guidelines lays out basic information and approaches necessary for addressing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, presented in a manner easily understandable to businesses that are not familiar with biodiversity issues, and useful for experienced businesses that want to be more effective. Key features of the guidelines are summarized below. 1) Clarifies the role of business in addressing biodiversity issues, with additional information on current trends and an explanation of the risks and opportunities these issues present to business organizations. 2) Describes the potential of business in contributing to the conservation of biodiversity; business activities can not only have a negative impact on biodiversity but can also improve it. 3) Explains how biodiversity is related to various value-chain processes, such as raw materials procurement, production, and processing. The explanations are provided for each industry, since a commitment to biodiversity should be made by businesses of all kinds, not just those in specific industries. 4) Offers a key message, basic concepts, practical tips, and case studies for each stage in a biodiversity program, from organizing a team to setting goals. Biodiversity efforts can work most effectively when supported by organic and flexible cooperation among various stakeholders. MOE plans to disseminate the guidelines not only to businesses but also to local governments and NGOs, which have a deeper understanding and greater expertise on local issues.

JFS Newsletter No.188 (April 2018) Image by acworks. The JFS newsletter introduces a selected series of examples of good companies in Japan, referring to the book "Jizoku Kano-na Shihon Shugi" ("Sustainable Capitalism," written in Japanese) by Kazuhiro Arai, director and asset manager of Kamakura Toshin, a Japanese investment company. In this article, we introduce companies that really care about the communities their businesses are based in and one company undertaking business in innovative environmental technologies themselves. Employees Supporting the Community Using Team-Spirit: Miyakoda Kensetsu Co. Miyakoda Kensetsu is a custom-home builder in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, but it also engages in a variety of community-related activities in and around the Miyakoda area, for example, week-end vegetable farms and a cafe in a renovated unmanned station building. The greatest advantage Miyakoda Kensetsu has is the tightly bonded team spirit among its employees, derived from the company's strong expectations for personal growth for its employees. "The company is where we learn and get ourselves to grow" is its motto. It has an open culture and egalitarian atmosphere, where employees call each other by nicknames, even when talking with the president or representatives. They feel free to give feedback to each other, including on weaknesses, regardless of their ages, positions or work experience in the company. That is an everyday occurrence here. Everyone wants to learn and get themselves to grow, so advice flows unhindered among them. A unique attempt to develop the teamwork capacity of the employees is a barbeque held every week in the office with all employees participating. Employees manage to keep the total expense within 10,000 yen (about $93), preparing, eating and cleaning in one hour. The barbeque is also a time they enjoy talking and is a chance to communicate with guests from outside. By being involved in organizing the barbeque, they get to know how to work effectively and help each other autonomously to enhance performance. That boosts employees' motivation and sense of being part of a team tremendously. Miyakoda Kensetsu has set a goal of "Ecology, Family Ties, and Community Relations." They have thus far tried out various ventures, for example, holding woodworking classes and a sea turtle releasing event, and building facilities to store disaster preparedness materials like hardtack bread or power generators, contributing greatly to the local communities involved. They attempt to transcend the boundaries of their core business, approaching local municipalities' fields of work, based on the principle that home builders exist for the sake of families and local communities. Employees' personal growth and teamwork spirit, enhanced through the weekly barbecue, has influenced the local communities together with whom they are working to boost local vitality and value. Launching Subsidiary to Contribute to a Local Community: Tsumura & Co. Tsumura & Co., based in Tokyo, has a 125-year history and its "Kampo" traditional Chinese herbal medicines, imported from China and processed in Japan, account for more than 80 percent of the Japanese market. This company actively employs workers with disabilities. In the fiscal 2009, Tsumura formulated a three-year plan for inclusive employment under the leadership of its president at the time, and the employment rate of workers with disabilities rose to 3.93 percent by the end of March 2012. Since then, the company has continued its efforts to create a comfortable and friendly working environment for its employees and maintain employment of workers with disabilities in the three percent range, exceeding the legally-required rate of two percent. Note: From April 1, 2018, the legally-required minimum rate of disabled worker employment has been raised to 2.2 percent. Tsumura established a subsidiary, Yubari Tsumura, in 2009 in Yubari, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, as a base for its Kampo business for all of Hokkaido. Yubari was going bankrupt as a municipality at the time, but its location was suitable for growing, procuring, processing and storing herbal medicine. Tsumura's idea was to support the local community in Yubari by establishing a facility for herbal medicines, and it hoped to create an affluent local community by working with local farmers. The reason Tsumura established this subsidiary as an independent company instead of establishing a Tsumura branch office is that the new subsidiary would pay corporate taxes to Yubari. Tsumura created a scheme to contribute to the city simply by focusing on its main business. In addition, executives and some employees of Tsumura's headquarters in Tokyo have donated to the city through a "hometown tax" donation program every year. In 2010, Yubari Tsumura signed a consignment contract for herbal plant cultivation with Temiru Farm Co., which was established to support the economic independence of people with intellectual disabilities. This partnership, which created job opportunities for workers with disabilities, was very well received, and was later awarded the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize, winning the Second "Japanese Companies Which We Want to Cherish Most" Award in 2012. Thus, Tsumura creates value for local communities such as increased tax revenues for a local municipality and broader job opportunities for people with disabilities through efforts derived from its own profit-making business. Recycling Business Model Working with Major Retailers: JEPLAN, Inc. JEPLAN, Inc., in Tokyo, is a company specializing in the recycling of unused clothes and plastic items. The company also develops new recycling technologies and operates a consulting business. Cotton is recycled into bioethanol, plastics into oil, and polyester clothes into new polyester fiber, thereby recycling waste into fuel and materials. A major challenge in launching a business utilizing innovative environmental technologies is to create a business model. Whether the business model works out or not is a big test of any company that tackles environmental or social problems. The challenge facing JEPLAN was to create a mechanism to collect materials for recycling from consumers that wouldn't be burdensome. To meet this challenge, the company located collection boxes at major supermarkets, clothing stores and sundry articles shops, and established a scheme for shoppers to bring along used clothes and plastic products when they went shopping. The stores and shops involved could enjoy the advantage of increased customers and sales while contributing to eco-friendly activities. JEPLAN has succeeded in turning mountains of waste into mountains of treasures by making its recycling system into a business and then involving society in the business swiftly and dynamically. The company says that most plastic items being produced in Japan will be available for recycling if the recycling business continues to expand its involvement with society. The example of JEPLAN discovering common values between companies and society will inspire great hope among companies tackling social issues. In this article, we have introduced examples of companies that support local communities through business and one company that has successfully incorporated a socially effective structure into its business model. In upcoming articles, we will cover more "good companies" in Japan from different perspectives. Please stay tuned! See also: "Good Companies in Japan" (Article No. 1): Valuing Employee Happiness and Trust https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id035984.html "Good Companies in Japan" (Article No. 2): Seeking "Happiness" for All Stakeholders https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id036022.html Edited by Noriko Sakamoto