The 2025 Japan International Exposition (Osaka / Kansai Expo) will mark the second time the World Expo is held in Osaka, following the first in 1970. Over the past half century, both Expos have shared a common mission: to present technological innovations and visions for the future of society to the world. One of the key areas drawing attention is the electrification of the automotive industry, particularly the development of EVs (electric vehicles). In recent years, as inter

July 24, 2025 Sora Matsuo At the Osaka Expo in 2025, various companies exhibit products that contribute to society through the “Co-design Challenge program.” Edish, which is Marubeni Corporation’s recyclable tableware focusing on ocean issues. Edish establishes an upcycling process and has the advantage of being ecological. Edish is not the first eco-product, rather similar goods were created back in 1998. The core issue is whether people actually use these products. Environm

October 24, 2024 Rino Furuya and Kanon Kito Silk, once accessible only to the wealthy, is now attracting interest from Generation Z and seniors as an enabler of a more sustainable future. Can silk, which began to be used 5,000 years ago and has been patronized as the “queen of fibers,” become a part of our lives and a means to a sustainable world? Growing Environmental Awareness Across Generations People's concern for environmental issues is gradually increasing, with the mos

April 13, 2022 Yuka Yoshida Why was Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site, chosen as one of the 100 Most Sustainable Tourist Destinations in the World? There is sustainability's spirit inherited from Japanese ancestor. What Is Shirakawa-go? Shirakawa-go was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1976 by the Japanese government and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1995. The main point of interest is the Gassho-zukuri sty

April 21, 2022 Manyu Li Along with economic development, China has always had environmental problems. In recent years, environmental issues have received more and more attention from the general public. With the progress of technology and information and the development of the market economy, the Chinese automotive sector is undergoing great changes. Development of China's Automotive Industry New energy vehicles have come into many households with their intelligent configurat

April 9, 2022 Mizuho Kakiuchi There are many famous sceneries in Japan. For example, Mt. Fuji, the historic cityscape of Kyoto, and the skyscrapers of Tokyo. However, Japan’s cityscape is not only like that. One of the sceneries that you often see in Japan is that the many houses are densely adjacent to each other. This landscape is deeply related to the history of Japan and is often seen in urban areas of Japan, but various problems have been pointed out. "Wooden densely bui

April 21, 2022 Ayaka Shoji There are 1.4 million tons of wasted clothes in Japan. Recently, there has been a boom in used clothing in Japan. Buying used clothes could be one of the ways to reduce apparel wastes. The twelfth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, an agenda for global community set in 2015 by the United Nations, is “the responsibility to make and use.” This article will focus on the responsibility to make and use clothes. However, it is not an easy thing to

April 21, 2022 Yuna Inoue In Japan, the birth rate has been decreasing and depopulation is progressing. To solve this problem, a lot of local municipalities have been integrated. However, local people are sad to lose their hometown because they feel their culture fades away. Not only adults but also children are worried about that. Current Situation in Japan Japan has been faced with the serious concerns of rapid aging and a very low birth rate. Moreover, local areas in Japan

April 8, 2022 Minami Takamatsu Japanese Beech, a indigenous tree in Niigata Prefecture has created a new market in the traditional furniture industry. Niigata faces the Sea of Japan and there is a heavy snowfall area with an average of 462 cm in winter. A program called Snowbeech Project utilizes the Japanese beech in the sustainable way. The project team, led by Tomohiko Kamitani, a professor of forest ecology at Niigata University, consists of craft writers, architects, and

April 20, 2022 Miyu Iwamoto There is one unique activity in Japan called “a village with 700 citizens turns into one hotel.” In Kosuge village in Yamanashi Prefecture, the woodland accounts for around 95% of whole village area. The villagers have been carrying out activities to protect the natural environment for over 100 years. The reason why the mountain village started such an innovative service is because of the depopulation. They wanted to save beautiful natures, wild a

October 11th, 2021 Arisa Nokuo and Rena Katsumata Through the interview with Mr. Toda, who is engaging in building a risk management system at Taiyo Nippon Sanso Co., Ltd., about the relationship between BCP and CSR, we could learn some interesting case studies as below. The Risk of Mine Operation Palette: Even though the African continent is famous for copper or gold, why does the JX Nippon Mining & Metals have no base in Africa? We suspected that conflict minerals were the

June 15, 2021 Akari Odagiri and Nao Kazuma ESG investment is an investment activity that takes the factors related to the environment, society, and corporate governance into consideration. This activity has been expanding worldwide in recent years, but it is not widely known in Japan. Especially, it is unfamiliar to young people. How will the ESG investment have an impact on our future? Mr. Toshikazu Hayashi, a chief analyst of the ESG investment promotion department at the

July 26, 2018 Misa Ogura Currently in Japan, local revitalization is a buzz word. Yokosuka city is not an exception. Yokosuka city is located in the southeastern part of Kanagawa prefecture. It is known for Sarushima, the only uninhabited island in the Tokyo Bay, a popular summer BBQ venue foryoung people. Surrounded by the Tokyo Bay and Sagami Bay, Yokosuka area is a perfect place for marine sports. And in May 2017, the ANA Windsurfing World Cup was held at Tsukui Beach. Bec

July 26, 2018 Mamiko Yuasa Even though the Paris Agreement had set up from 2 years, however, the supply of primary energies occupy fossil fuels more than 90% in Japan (see Figure 1.). This country had Great East earthquake on March 11, 2011, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had broken. Japan were taken the place to the fossil fuels and have a plan to create 40 new fossil fuel facilities. The reason why, other country labeled Japan as “an environment developing countr