So, I learned something really cool about Japan and sustainability today! There is a large (and still growing) movement in Japan called chisan-chishou　(ちさんちしょう  or 地産池沼）. In Japanese,  it means “produce locally, consume locally” and is a movement to encourage local eating (not unlike the movement for local eating in the United States).

 

An image promoting Chisan-Chishou

Many Japanese people are joining the movement and buying from local farms. At my friend Misa’s house, for example, they buy rice and vegetables grown in the fields directly next to their house! And, when I went to the store yesterday, I actually noticed that on the strawberries, it says exactly where they were grown. As you might expect, they were indeed grown same prefecture that I bought them in! How cool! In Japan today, most farms are still small-scale and run by families, so it is not surprising that in Japanese suburbs many vegetables at the supermarket are grown nearby and have just been harvested hours before!

And, just in case you were wondering, yes, I will be posting about the sustainable farming soon!