[ATMoB-discuss] Japan and lights

[Mario E. Motta]

  A candle for conservation

March 30, 2007

/Third in a series /
/TOKYO /


JAPAN IS aided in its efforts at energy conservation by a deep, shared
reverence for the natural world. Seemingly every activist and bureaucrat
I met here said saving the earth was part of a national heritage.

"Traditionally speaking, the Japanese people have a culture of co
existence with nature," said Junko Edahiro, director of the group Japan
for Sustainability. "There is a baseline willingness of people to save
energy and resources that can be attributed to Japanese thinking of
nature as our friend."

Edahiro and other activists tapped this vein in 2003 when they launched
Candle Night, a charming, utterly Japanese celebration of the solstice,
when citizens are encouraged to unplug their frenetic electronic
lifestyles for two hours. The initiative is promoted as a way to save
energy, of course, but also as a time for "quiet contemplation," to
connect with tradition and to enjoy the beauty of the stars.

On June 21, according to Japan's Ministry of the Environment, 1.6
million people participated in Candle Night activities. From 8 to 10
p.m., people gathered by candlelight at cafes, parks, schools, and
museums. There were 437 separate events, including a concert at a
shopping mall in Utsunomiya, a river cruise in Tokyo, and a beeswax
candle-making workshop in Miyakonojo. Many people just stayed home for a
quiet family dinner. The iconic Tokyo tower went dark, as did a TV tower
in Nagoya.

Last year the environment ministry joined Candle Night to promote a more
extensive campaign dubbed "Black Illumination 2006." Over four days
Japan saved 800 megawatts, about three-quarters the capacity of the
Seabrook power plant. And the movement is growing worldwide; tomorrow,
39,000 people in Sydney have pledged to pull the plug for "Earth Hour."
There were winter or summer solstice events in Taiwan, France, Korea,
and Brazil. Last year even a coffee shop in Pittsburgh joined in.

Candle Night has been embraced in part because it mitigates the grim,
eat-your-peas aspect of responsible energy use. "It's not rigid, and
it's kind of romantic," said Edahiro. "You can enjoy that two hours any
way you wish." It operates with a loose, voluntary, 21st century spirit
of networking; joiners can log on to the website (candle-night.org
<http://candle-night.org/>) and post their own activities, possibly
using Google Maps to pinpoint the event and share messages with others.

The small personal gestures relentlessly promoted in Japan -- recycling,
"lights down," wearing thermal underwear -- may not be as effective as
fuel-efficient cars or green buildings, but they help build public
consensus for the larger campaigns. Rather than gripe about lifestyle
sacrifices, for a few nights at least, many people seem eager to light a
candle and bless the darkness.

RENÉE LOTH

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.