125TH YEAR | NO. 43,445

ISSN 0289-1956 © THE JAPAN TIMES, LTD., 2021

Head Oﬃce:
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The Japan Times Cube Inc. Tel: 03-3512-0330
Email: jtc-csinfo@japantimes.co.jp
Web: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/

Saturday, July 24, 2021

On wood and its ties toour lives

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A building with two purposes: gallery space and bridge. Completed in 2010.

FeaturePHOTO: TAKUMI OTA

Many Japanese architects have successful
practices that span the globe, but few compare with Kengo Kuma in sheer number ofprojects.
Based in Tokyo, with a second office inParis, Kuma currently has more than 200
projects underway in Japan and abroad.
Having worked on the new National
Stadium, the main venue for the Tokyo
Olympics and Paralympics, Kuma is without doubt one of the nation’s leading architects. We sat down with Kuma to hear histhoughts on the future of architecture, andon contemporary architecture’s relationship with wood.
“From the very beginning, traditional
Japanese architecture has been made ofwood and has been designed with harmony with the natural environment in
mind,” Kuma said. “For example, in houses
there are eaves and also deep awnings
designed to control exposure to sunlight.
Open up the shoji (sliding doors) and acooling breeze will enter, and an indoor
space will become one with the garden andexternal scenery. The floors are made fromWOOD

ARCHITECTURE
Architect Kengo Kuma reapplies
wood to create 'spiritual sustainability'
INTERVIEWER: YOSHIKUNI SHIRAI WRITER: TOSHICHIKA IZUMI

Kengo Kuma was born in 1954. Before
establishing Kengo Kuma & Associates
in 1990, he received his Master’s Degreein Architecture from the Universityof Tokyo, where he is currently a
University Professor and a Professor
Emeritus. After his time as a Visiting
Scholar at Columbia University in New
York, he established his office in Tokyo.
Since then, Kengo Kuma & Associates
has designed architectural works inover twenty countries. Kengo Kuma &Associates aims to design architecture
which naturally merges with its culturaland environmental surroundings,
proposing gentle, human scaled buildings.
The office is constantly in search of
new materials to replace concrete andsteel, and seeks a new approach forarchitecture in a post-industrial society.

PHOTO: KOUTAROU WASHIZAKI

Summary
建築家・隈研吾が語る、木のサスティナビリティ。

日本人建築家の中で、一番多くの建築プロジェクトを抱えるのは隈研吾に間違いない。国内外で200件以上のプロジェクトが同時進行している。東京五輪のメインスタジアム＜国立競技場＞の設計に参画するなど、日本を代表する建築家だ。その隈研吾に「現代建築と 木 の関係」について聞いてみた。

「木を使用することには、いわゆる地球温暖化を防ぐためのサスティナビリティという意味もありますが、それと同時に、その空間を使う人にとって 精神的なサスティナビリィティ を生む効果があると考えています。つまり、木という素材には、
高密度な都市の中で人間が感じるストレスを、やわらげるという効果があるということです。木を空間の中に置くだけで、その空間の質が全く違うものに変わってしまう。木を建築の内部空間などに使用すると、学者などが数値を使用して示すサスティ
ナビリティ以上の 何か が建築に現れる、ということを知ってしまったのです」。

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JULY 2021 EDITIONSUSTAINABLE JAPANMAGAZINE
BY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MINAKO SUEMATSU
EDITOR IN CHIEF : YOSHIKUNI SHIRAIDIRECTOR : SHIMPEI KISHIMOTOMANAGING EDITOR: MARIANGELES DEJEAN
TRANSLATOR: EDAN CORKILL , SHELBY SAND
COVER PHOTO: NIK VAN DER GIESENDESIGN DIRECTOR: QULLO & CO.
WEB DESIGNER: ERIKO OZAKIWEB DEVELOPER: TAKAAKI OGURA

The next issue
will be published on August 28, 2021
The Sustainable Japan section of The
Japan Times highlights the efforts oforganizations and communities toward
a new way of life. For more information
on sustainability, ESG and SDG issues,
see www.sustainable.japantimes.com

The library in Yusuhara, Kochi
Prefecture, a town that boasts
several of Kengo Kuma’s key
buildings and is a mecca for
his fans. Completed in 2018.
PHOTO: KAWASUMI・KOBAYASHI KENJI PHOTOGRAPH OFFICE

wooden boards and tatami mats, both ofwhich are derived from plants. One of themain styles of traditional Japanese housing is known as shoin-zukuri. If you visit
Japan, I hope you get the chance to look atsome examples. One of the best would be
Kojoin Kyakuden at Miidera in Otsu, Shiga
Prefecture, which is a National Treasure.”
Shoin-zukuri was a style of residentialarchitecture favored by high-ranking samurai around the Muromachi Period (13921573), in which a living room doubling asa study (shoin) was at the center of thehouse. Floors are covered with tatami
mats, and there is a tokonoma alcove — itis the architectural style most commonly
associated with traditional Japanesehouses.
“That environmentally friendly and sustainable Japanese architecture exemplified
in shoin-zukuri lost many of its good parts,
especially since the period of high economic growth after World War II,” Kuma
said. “Many square buildings made of concrete and steel were made, wood was nolonger used, roofs and shades were lost.
My idea is to reapply the wisdom of traditional Japanese architecture to contemporary architecture.”
Many of the buildings you make use
wood. Why is that?

“The choice of wood of course stems inpart from the need for sustainability tocounteract global warming, but at thesame time, I think wood has the effect of
creating ‘spiritual sustainability’ for those
who inhabit a space. In other words, wood
as a material has the effect of relieving thestress that builds in humans in a dense city
— just by placing wood in a space, you canchange that space’s essence completely.
This is what I discovered — that beyond
any ‘sustainability’ that scholars mightmeasure in numbers, there is somethingmuch greater that wood brings to an interior.”
So what was it that made you aware ofwood as a material, and its ability to transform the quality of a space?
“The turning point for me was when I
became involved in a town called Yusuhara
in Kochi Prefecture, which had a thriving
forestry industry. I first visited in 1992, justwhen the bubble economy burst, and I had
some time on my hands. I got involved ina movement to preserve a wooden theater
down there. Until then, I had only built inTokyo, so I had never really had to reckon
with wood as a material. But in this town
I tried making six buildings with wood — atown hall, hotel, museum and others —and I had to learn about it as a material: itsarchitectural expression, psychologicaleffect on users and the need to addressenvironmental problems. I came to understand wood’s potential.”
One of Kuma’s buildings in particularpossesses the essence of traditional
Japanese architecture: the multipurpose
Aore Nagaoka facility, in the Niigata
Prefecture city of Nagaoka, which includes
the City Hall.
“There is a semi-outdoor space called
Nakadoma between the City Hall and theCity Assembly chambers. It is a place forthe citizens to relax, where a pleasantbreeze is allowed in. In other words,
instead of creating a closed-in air-conditioned space for people to spend theirtime, we’ve created a space that in traditional houses would be akin to the doma(internal areas of earth flooring where
shoes are worn) or engawa (wooden
porches around a house). Those spaces arealso both simultaneously internal andexternal, and naturally air-conditioned.
That’s the kind of sustainable thinking I’ve
tried to incorporate.”
An exhibition of Kuma’s architecture is
being held in Tokyo at the National
Museum of Modern Art until Sept. 26(https://www.momat.go.jp/english/am/
exhibition/kumakengo/). One of the exhib-

its, “Kuma Looks to Cats to Show Us theCity’s Future,” is particularly interesting.
Completely opposite to the kind of city
planning proposed by architect Kenzo
Tange in 1960 during Japan’s period of
rapid economic growth, Kuma’s proposal
is to think of the city from the perspectiveof a cat, much closer to the ground thanhumans. In an era when we have toaddress sustainability in a range of situations, thinking about things from a different perspective may just provide clues fora pathway forward.
Located in the center of Nagaoka, Niigata
Prefecture, this multipurpose facility including
the City Hall features a semi-outdoor spacecovered with a glass roof. Completed in 2012.
PHOTO: FUJITSUKA MITSUMASA

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PHOTO: OZU CASTLE STAY

FeatureOzu castle is a symbol of the town on the bank of the HijiRiver. The castle was once abandoned due to its aging, but it
was completely restored in 2004.

WOOD

TRAVELThe cool, smooth touch of
century-old wood
This summer,
experience life in a kominka
WRITER: ARINA TSUKADA

Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town
888 Ozu, Ozu-shi,Ehime Prefecture, 795-0012
TEL: 0120-210-289
https://www.ozucastle.com/

PHOTO: OZU CASTLE STAY

Traveling across Japan, wooden houses
with tiled roofs are a regular sight. Todaythese traditional houses, known askominka, are enjoying a resurgence inpopularity. There is no clear definition of akominka, but most houses that receive theappellation are of wooden construction andbetween one and two centuries old. The
main appeal of kominka is the natural timber used for floors, ceilings, support pillars
and other parts of the house. After long
decades of use, this timber takes on a deep,
warm patina.
Kominka are generally designed toensure good ventilation, important in acountry as humid as Japan. The spaceinside the house is partitioned by thin paper
screens, with little clear demarcation evenbetween interior and exterior. Corridors
known as engawa open directly onto gardens, forming a mild buffer between interior and exterior that gives the space a mys-

Summary
この夏は、古民家の暮らしを体感する旅へ。

terious depth. Sitting in an engawa andlistening to the birds and insects outside,
one understands how these houses wereconceived of as part of nature itself.
Opportunities to experience life in akominka through temporary stays are
increasingly prevalent. Old buildings arerenovated in accordance with contemporary style and made available as accommodations. Some are divided into individual suites, while others are offered as awhole. Renovating and continuing to use
old buildings instead of constructing newones is truly sustainable. And unlike hotels
and ryokan inns, renovated kominka cangive travelers an experience almost likeliving in a real traditional house. Here, we
introduce three accommodation facilities
housed in renovated kominka, each one
offering a unique encounter with a structure shaped by the local climate and history.

日本各地を旅すれば、そこかしこに木造で瓦屋根という家を見つけることができる。これらは「古民家」と呼ばれ、近年人気を集めている。古民家における明確な定義はないが、主に100〜200年前に建てられた木造の家のことを指す場合が多い。
古民家の魅力は、第一に天井や床、柱など家の随所に天然のNipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town
Where the whole town is the hotel
A private journey through castle town history
The city of Ozu is located at the western edgeof the island of Shikoku, 2½ hours by planefrom Tokyo. Often called “the Little Kyoto
of Iyo Province” (the old name of Ehime
Prefecture), it is a castle town that produced
more than its share of renowned militarycommanders over the centuries. Nipponia
Hotel Ozu Castle Town, which opened in
the summer of 2020, is made up of multiple
kominka and machiya townhouses scatteredthroughout Ozu, turning the entire city
into a single “distributed hotel.” Residences
formerly belonging to prosperous samurai
or merchant families have been renovatedinto luxurious accommodation facilities
where visitors can experience the region’s
history almost as if traveling through time.

木が使われていることだ。長い年月を経た木の風合いは味わい
深く、おだやかな温もりに包まれる。また高温多湿の日本では通気性を良くするため、仕切りは薄い障子紙で区切られ、庭や外の空間との隔たりが少ないのも特徴だ。特に「縁側」と呼ばれる庭に面した廊下は、室内と屋外をつなぐゆるやかな境界で

One building was constructed in the Taisho
Era around a century ago as a residence for
a former feudal lord, skillfully integrating
Western-inspired modern flourishes into
the refined forms of early modern Japanesearchitecture. Another was built by a wealthy
merchant during the same period and isnoteworthy for its luxurious private garden,
complete with engawa where visitors can sit
and gaze at the garden while breathing in thescent of old timber. There is even a “castle
stay” option offering accommodation inside
Ozu Castle itself, which is a DesignatedCultural Asset. This is the first programin Japan allowing visitors stay inside an
actual castle, representing a rare, private
opportunity to live like a feudal lord.

あり、この場所が空間に不思議な奥行きをもたらしてくれる。
そんな古民家の暮らしを体感できる宿が続々と増えている。
新しく建物を建てるのではなく、古い建物を改装して使い続けることは実にサスティナブルだ。そして従来の旅館やホテルとも異なり、その家に暮らすかのような体験が可能になっている。

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Ha159-1, Omoricho, Oda-shi, Shimane 694-0305 TEL: 0854-89-0022
https://kurasuyado.jp/takyo-abeke

PHOTO: SHUNICHI ITO

Setoda 269, Setoda-cho, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima
TEL: 0845-23-7911 https://azumi.co/| B5

PHOTO: YUNA YAGI, SAKASHITA TOMOHIRO

Iwami-Ginzan Kurasu Yado

Azumi Setoda

Learning a lifestyle through architecture
Journey to a way of life from two centuries ago

Experience sukiya-zukuri aesthetics
Architecture designed for continuous coexistence with nature

The Iwami Ginzan silver mine was inscribedon the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2007,
partly in recognition of the four centuries ofmining history it represents. Right nearby
is Iwami-Ginzan Kurasu Yado, where oldJapanese landscapes and ways of life canstill be experienced. Kurasu is Japanesefor “spend one’s days” or simply “live,” andjust as the name suggests, Iwami-Ginzan
Kurasu Yado offers a relaxed, congenial
taste of life as a householder in a traditional
town. The facility includes two buildings.
The first, Takyo-Abeke, was originally built
as a samurai mansion in 1789. More than
10 years were spent on renovating it fromnear-ruined condition before reopening it

Setoda is a small town on Ikuchi Island in
the Setouchi Inland Sea. Administratively it
is part of the city of Onomichi, Hiroshima,
one end of the Shimanami Kaido bridgeconnecting Honshu to Shikoku. Rich innatural beauty and resources, Setoda
prospered as a center for salt-making andfishing, with the local Horiuchi family
rising to prominence as wealthy merchanttraders in the 17th century. Azumi Setoda,
which opened in March this year, lets
visitors experience a stay in the former
Horiuchi residence, fully renovated formodern comfort. The original building wasconstructed in 1876, with no expense sparedon gathering the finest materials and mostto visitors in 2008. Household furnishings
and tools from a former age have also been
restored for use, including the kamado stove
and stone basin. At mealtimes, all visitors
sit down around the same table to enjoy
seasonal home-style cooking made using the
freshest local ingredients. The other building,Tadaima Katoke, is also a renovated samurai
mansion, and caters
to visitors seeking
a longer stay in thearea. (Reservations
are not currently
being taken, as thebuilding has a longterm resident.)skilled artisans from across the country.
The restoration was overseen by architect
Shiro Miura, a specialist in the traditional
sukiya-zukuri style of architecture. Miura’s
work has created a contemporary space
for today’s visitors that incorporates key
elements of the original design, such as thewooden pillars and shoji partitions. There
are multiple inner gardens on the grounds,
and the positions of the trees and rocksin each are carefully calculated to ensurethat guest rooms and corridors facing thegardens always enjoy light filtered throughleaves. Combined with the brisk breeze off
the Setouchi Inland Sea, this offers guests a
fully immersive experience.

In search ofJapan’s lost wolves
Is this enigmatic beast— said to be extinct
since 1905 — still out
there? In a special fivepart series, we trackan enduring mysterythat has captivated theimaginations of manyAlex K.T. Martin
STAFF WRITER

T

here aren’t supposed to be
any native wolves left inJapan.
Once roaming wild acrossthe nation’s abundant forests and mountains, the Japanese wolf’s population was decimatedby disease and humans hunting themdown in the name of protecting livestock. By the early 20th century, thewolf was presumed extinct.
Yet to this day, the animal continues
to transfix the minds of many. Worshipped in parts of the nation as adivine messenger and protector of
farmland, it appears in numerous leg-ends and folk tales handed down for
centuries in rural communities.
It now lives only in our imagination.
Or so we thought.
In early 2019, I stumbled upon apeculiar tale — one that took me on an
unexpected journey centered aroundthe lost beast.
A resident of Chichibu, a mountainringed city some 70 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, claimed she saw a wolf.
It was a cloudy winter afternoon, themiddle-aged woman said, when ascrawny animal appeared by the rim ofa small, empty pond in her yard. Theireyes met for a few seconds before thecreature disappeared into a bamboo
forest. “I’m confident it was a wolf,” sheinsisted.
The episode wouldn’t have been particularly noteworthy if it had takenplace in, say, Canada or China, nations
with sizable gray wolf populations. The
Japanese wolf, however, officiallybecame extinct in 1905. Surely the
woman must have mistaken a feral dog
or a fox for a wolf.
But what if she wasn’t mistaken?
What if an extinct apex predator still
lives among us?
It soon became evident that this wasmuch more than a quirky yarn about
dubious wolf sightings.
It’s a story that brings to life a cast ofcolorful characters, weaving together a

A pair of wolves carved from wood on
display in a museum at Mitsumine Shrine in
Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. OSCAR BOYD

mix of ancient mythology and modern
science against a backdrop of sweepingchanges that befell this nation over the
past several centuries.
Take the young American adventurer
and the German physician, both ofwhom find themselves in Japan playing
crucial roles in the animal’s zoologicalhistory.
Then there’s the aging mountaineer
on a lifelong mission to find the missing creature, and the renegade academic on a relentless campaign toreintroduce wolves into thearchipelago.
Meanwhile, DNA researchers fromaround the world are collecting rare
genomic data to unravel the taxonomic
puzzle surrounding the mysterious
beast.
The Japanese wolf isn’t just anotheranimal that has vanished into the mistof extinction. Its tragic fate and thesaga of those invested in understanding the enigmatic carnivore offer aunique window into this country.
Some see the wolf as a victim ofJapan’s modernization, going so far as
to say its disappearance represents thefollies of the nation’s decision to open
up to the West.
Others see the creature’s death as
symbolic of the environmental havoc
wrought by industrialization andglobalization.
And for the few who believe in its
survival, proving its existence could
produce one of the greatest comeback
stories of recent times.
So, is the Japanese wolf still alive, as
the woman in Chichibu first informedme?
The search begins
here.

Read this special series
online at http://jtimes.
jp/wolves.

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As Japanese society ages, akiya (empty
homes) are a growing social problem. A
2018 survey by the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications found that
13.6% of residences in Japan were empty,
the highest level ever recorded. There are
more than 8 million akiya across thecountry in total.
At the same time, traditionally constructed houses known as kominka are
increasingly being renovated and repurposed as accommodations, cafes or sightseeing facilities. The latent market for
kominka could be as high as ¥1.8 trillion($16 billion), the Development Bank ofJapan estimated in 2015.
Nevertheless, akiya continue to be demolished every day. The company Rebuilding Center Japan has recognized thepotential for reusing the vast amounts ofscrap wood this creates. It was foundedby Tadafumi Azuno, originally a designerof commercial and residential spaces nationwide, and his wife, Kanako Azuno.
After seeing many beautiful old houses
destroyed, the Azunos decided to “rescue” their old fittings and timber, which
would otherwise become scrap, andfounded a shop and cafe dealing in oldtools and construction materials in Suwa,
Nagano Prefecture, in 2016. They also
launched a business that involved visiting

demolition sites and receiving scrap
wood to reuse.
“You can visit a home center and buy
cheap and convenient materials fromoverseas,” Kanako said. “Antique timber,though popular, is also largely imported.
Meanwhile, good old timber is constantly
being discarded across Japan. We noticed
this inconsistency.” Materials from Japan
were not reused in the past because “ittakes a lot of effort,” she explained. Before scrap can be reused, it must be
cleaned and processed, which can be an
involved, multi-stage task.
“On the other hand, the costs of procurement are zero,” Tadafumi said. “Onlylabor costs are required, making it a highgross margin business. You don’t need amajor investment in facilities to get started, so it’s easy to create employment. It
may hold many hints for supporting independent regional economies in the future.”
Supplying just the right amount of material for each individual customer makes
consumer needs visible, even without going through construction firms or architects. In the past, the Azunos say, old timber was ordered for its antique, aesthetic
value, but recently more people seek oldtimber based on an SDG perspective,
hoping to eliminate unnecessary waste aspart of a circular consumption model.
Furthermore, not all scrap wood comesfrom the demolition of existing houses.
Even when constructing new buildings,
sometimes the material ordered is not
used up. If a system could be established
to redistribute this scrap instead of simply discarding it, Tadafumi says, market
prices would go down and local timber

production would become sustainable,
ending reliance on imports and making
room for business models that do notburden the environment. “Recycling
scrap is expensive and energy-intensive,”
he said, “but if you think of it as recognizing the value in discarded materials andreusing them instead, I believe we cancreate a more sustainable market.”

Rebuilding Center Japan’s original patchwork table, made from a variety of old timber.
PHOTO: REBUILDING CENTER JAPANFeatureWOOD

INTERIOR
From recycling to reuse: New market for
old timber finds value in scrap wood
WRITER: ARINA TSUKADAPHOTO: REBUILDING CENTER JAPANFlooring and construction
materials are carefully removed
and cleaned for reuse in newbuildings.
Rebuilding Center Japan
3-8 Kowata, Suwa-shi, Nagano
http://rebuildingcenter.jp/

Summary
廃材に価値を見出す、
新たな古材マーケット。

日本では空き家の増加が大きな社会問題となっている。2018
年の総務省の調査によれば、全国に800万戸以上の空き家が存在する。だがその空き家は活用されず、ほとんど解体されているのが現状だ。そうしたなか、解体時に大量に出る廃材のリユースに着目したのが「Rebuilding Center Japan」だ。

東野唯史・華奈子夫妻は、趣のある古民家が解体されていく現場を何度も目の当たりにし、ゴミとなってしまう古い建具や木材を「レスキュー」するというコンセプトのもと、長野県諏
訪市を拠点に古道具や古材を扱うショップ兼カフェをオープン。
同時に古い建物の解体に立ち会い、廃材を資源として引き取る事業をスタートした。
これまで国産材の再利用が進まなかった理由は、廃材を活用するまでに清掃や加工など多くの手間がかかるからだ。だが最近では SDGs などの観点からゴミを無駄にしない循環型モデル
として古材を求める人が増えているという。

|

Leaders & Readers| B7

This article was published on June 21
at The Japan Times“Rector” commonly
known in Japan as“president,” denotes
a senior official in an
educational institution,
as used in Europe andLatin America.

Five languages, multiple degrees
David Malone was born in Ottawa but has
lived and worked around the world. He holds
multiple degrees, including a BAA from HEC
Montreal, an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy
School of Government and a D.Phil. ininternational relations from Oxford University.
Prior to taking on his current position at theUnited Nations University, Malone served
as president of Canada’s International
Development Research Centre from 2008
to 2013. Among his other positions, herepresented his home country as highcommissioner to India while concurrently
ambassador to Bhutan and Nepal from 2006
to 2008.
Malone has also held research and teachingposts at multiple academic institutions,
including adjunct professor at the New York
University School of Law. He has publishedextensively and speaks five languages. Whentime permits, he enjoys traveling to new places
in Japan, particularly the national parks.

David Malone, rector of the United Nations University

U.N.’s No. 3 heads
global think tank focused onneeds of developing countries
WRITER: LOUISE GEORGE KITTAKA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTO: HIROMICHI MATONODavid Malone, the rector for the United
Nations University in Tokyo, has worn
many hats during his distinguished career.
“I have tended to be a gypsy throughout mycareer; I’d get offered something that might
be interesting or I’d go looking for something I’d enjoy doing. I’ve moved aroundquite a lot, compared to most people, particularly those involved in diplomacy,”
Malone said.
Through his role at UNU, he also servesconcurrently as an undersecretary-generalof the United Nations — the third-highest
rank within the United Nations system.
Although born in Ottawa, Malone left
Canada at the age of 4 with his globetrotting parents and had lived in four countries
by the time he was 18: the Netherlands,
Iran, Nigeria and finally France, where heattended boarding school.
“All four countries are very close to myheart still,” he said fondly, adding that it
wasn’t until he returned to his country ofbirth for college that he started to develop
his Canadian identity. Given his background, it is perhaps not surprising that
Malone went on to work around the world
in his diplomatic career, adding Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, the USA and India to thecountries he has called home.
“Much as I liked aspects of it, I didn’t
want my life to be confined to diplomacy.
I’d been a weak student when I was young,and it was only starting professional workthat made me much more curious in termsof what I could learn academically. Once I’dstarted work, it came home to me howmuch I didn’t know,” he said with disarming honesty. “I thought, as I’m single andmy own boss in that sense, I could try to fix
that by going back to school whenever I
can. That was the beginning of three stints
in the world of research and universities.”
His introduction to his current positionin Japan, which he has held since 2013, wasrefreshingly old school. “Actually, it was
through reading an advertisement for thejob in the Economist magazine! A lot of
people think those job ads in the Economist
are ‘for the record,’ rather than leading toactual jobs, but my last two positions camethrough reading the advertisements,” hesaid with a laugh.

Founded in 1975, UNU is hardly yourtypical university, either: It is a global thinktank and postgraduate teaching organization that contributes to efforts to resolve
global problems through collaborative
research and education. The idea to create
the university dates back to discussion in
the U.N. General Assembly from the late1960s and early 1970s, at a time when
Japan was emerging as a global economic
power.
“There were two U.N. agencies being created around that time: One was whatbecame the U.N. Environment Programme,
and the other was the idea of a U.N. institution devoted to ‘knowledge creation andcuration,’” Malone explained.
There was also debate on what direction
the university should take. “That had afairly clear-cut outcome — that it focus primarily on challenges facing the developingworld — and we have remained true to that
vocation ever since,” said Malone.
“Whether the work is carried out in Japan,
Malaysia, New York or Venezuela, it hasremained focused on the needs and interests of developing countries.”
While UNU is based in Tokyo, Malone
notes that only about 15% of the work it
oversees takes place in Japan. He and his
team currently oversee about a dozen
research (and five teaching) programsaround the world.
“When you are small, like UNU, what
you constantly need are fresh ideas,” hepointed out. “Our subject matter in each of
our locations is relatively narrow, whichallows us to field a small team of researchers to do groundbreaking work. If wechoose a topic that’s a huge problem, orthat is being dealt with already by 20,000
universities or companies, then we would
have no comparative advantage.”
Much of UNU’s work is connected to the
17 sustainable development goals that wereadopted by the U.N. General Assembly in2015 to inspire global action on various
issues, from ending hunger and poverty toachieving equality and peace. By way of
example, Malone mentions UNU’s work at
its institute in Ghana, which is currently led
by Gambian-born researcher Fatima
Denton.

Summary
世界を維持するために様々な問題に取り組む
カナダ、オタワに生まれ、幼少期から家族と共に様々な国に暮らした経験のある、国連大学学長のデイビッド・マローン氏。同時に国連事務次長も務める。現職に就くまでにも外交を中心に数々の要職を歴任したが、外交だけにとどまらず、カナダをはじめ米国、フランスなどの複数の大学で学び、経営学
や行政学、国際関係といった多様な学位を取得。世界の諸問題、特に発展途上国における個別の課題解
決に取り組むシンクタンクとしての国連大学では、その幅広い知見と経験が生かされている。
「特定の地
域の比較的狭い対象分野に特化するからこそ小さなチームでも画期的な結果が出せる」と語るマローン氏。
国連大学が関わる事業の多くは SDGs に関連するものだが、日本国内の様々な大学での講演活動も行うマローン氏は、日本の若い世代の間でもサステイ
ナビリティへの関心は高まっているという。一方で、国外へ出たがらない昨今の若者に対し、世界と関わることで多くを得られるとエールを送った。

“It focuses on the management of natural
resources in Africa, which has a huge sustainability element — not just environmental, but sustainability of the industries
themselves,” Malone said. “This team has
been working steadily on those issues formany years, and now that sustainability hasrisen on the global agenda, African governments are much keener to do something
about the problems.”
On a personal level, he finds it “absolutely fascinating” to see the way foreign
influence has played out in relation to
Japan’s culture and values. “Japan has been
influenced by outside forces at various
times in its history, and it is very good at
adapting foreign ideas, technologies orwhatever to Japanese needs, tastes andinterests to achieve terrific results, often thebest in the world,” he said. “If you think of
the fashion field, for example, Japan didn’t
become creative beyond the textiles field
just by making kimonos for many centuries, it became particularly creative when it
was exposed to Western fashion, launching
several of the world’s best-known brands.”
Malone makes a point of volunteering his
services as a speaker at universities when
he travels within Japan, which invariably
take up his offer to address the students. He

Name: David Malone
Title: Rector, United Nations University,
Under-Secretary-General of
the United Nations
URL: https://unu.edu/
Hometown: Ottawa, CanadaYears in Japan: 8

also takes great interest in what Japan’s
young people have to tell him, and notesthat the rising generation are keen to know
more about major issues such as sustainability.
In line with this, while praising Japan’s
intake of foreign students, Malone
expressed concern about the trend inrecent years of young Japanese turningaway from overseas study and said hewould like to encourage more of them tomove beyond their comfort level andexpand their horizons by studying abroad.
“Young people would benefit from engaging more with the greater world. It isn’t
about how fabulous you are, but how fabulous you want to be — and what you’re
doing about it!” he said with conviction.

B8 |

|

All cattle raised on the farm are of the Jersey breed, which is native to the United Kingdom.
PHOTO: SHINRINNOBOKUJYO

FeatureWOOD

FOOD
Transforming forest into a cattle ranch.
Shinrin no Bokujo shows
how the dairy industry can save forests
WRITER: ARINA TSUKADA
Two-thirds of Japan is covered with forest — approximately 24 million hectares
in total. As of 2020, Japan had the thirdhighest percentage of forested land
among OECD countries, according to the
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
However, after years of reliance on cheap
imports, the prices paid for local timber
Recently a project to create a pond in the forest
began. Events that are open to the public areheld regularly.
PHOTO: SHINRINNOBOKUJYOSummary
森林を牛が暮らす牧場に。
乳製品づくりで森を守る。

are now so low that many of Japan’s forests lie unmanaged. Those include manyof the plantation forests developed inlarge numbers after the war. Without being regularly thinned, they have become
starved of light and denuded of living organisms. This has left their soil degraded,
which in turn results in natural damage
such as landslides. In order to preserve
these abundant timber resources for the
future, it is now becoming essential tomanage them, often at a high cost.
One company sees dairy farming as anovel way to make use of these forests.
Shinrin no Bokujo (Forest Ranch), which
was created in 2009 in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, raises cows in mountain forests
for milk and other dairy products. For
company representative Masahiro Yamakawa, a long-held love of dairy farming is coming in handy for forestry management.
“Until now, basically the only way tomake use of mountain resources was logging, but it occurred to me that maybe

日本の国土の2/3が森林である。しかし国産木材の価格が下がり、放置されたままの森林が日本全国にある。
そうした中、森林活用として「酪農」に着目した会社がある。
「森林ノ牧場」は、山間部の森林で牛を放牧している。
「農業を行いにくい山間部でも、牛であれば歩き回ることがで

dairy farming would be an alternative,”
he said. “Even in mountainous areas withno flat land where it is difficult to farm, if
you have cows they are still able to walkaround. We have found that the cows are
actually more active and so produce more
milk. These days the dairy industry imports large amounts of grain for livestock
feeding, but our cows eat natural grass.
As a result, the flavor of their milk naturally changes with the seasons, giving us
something unique for our brand.”Naturally, there is a risk that grazing
cattle might affect the local ecosystem.
But, Yamakawa said, “rice paddies andfields are artificial, too — they were created by humans.” He explained that“where land is managed by humans overa long period of time, as with rice fields,
new and rich ecosystems develop. Dairy
farms are the same, and if you make delicious milk and butter from them too, thenbusiness can be conducted while coexisting with nature. Currently, we are also
experimenting with making biotope

きる。牛の運動量も増え、ミルクの生産量もあがります。畜産
業は家畜のエサのために大量の穀物を輸入していますが、うちの牛たちは放牧地で自然に生える草を食べています。すると四季によって牛乳の風味も移り変わり、酪農ブランドとしての個性を出せるようにもなりました」と代表の山川将弘氏は語る。

Pasteurized Jersey milk that
captures seasonal flavors.
PHOTO: SHINRINNOBOKUJYO(habitat) ponds at the ranch, and we arealso researching new ecosystems createdfrom the cows’ manure.”
The dairy business at Shinrin no Bokujo has grown steadily over the years, andthey are now preparing to open a newranch. “Consumers’ tastes are diversifying,” Yamakawa said. “It has also become
easier to tell the story of our brandthrough social media, so more and more
people are supporting our products because of the contribution we make to regeneration of (abandoned) forests. But,of course, first and foremost, the mostimportant thing is for them to think thatour product is delicious.”
Yamakawa reports that for families
who visit the ranch, the sight of cows
walking freely through the forest is athrill. Keeping the farm at a manageable
scale, he is confident about continuing todevelop original and unique dairy products. A dairy business producing delicious food in the forest may well becomea model for a new circular economy.

もちろん、牛を放牧することで土地の生態系に影響を与える恐れもある。現在、牧場内ではビオトープづくりを実践中で、牛の糞などから生まれる新たな生態系の調査も行っている。
森林でおいしい食品をつくる酪農ビジネスは、新たなサーキュ
ラー・エコノミーのモデルとなっていくかもしれない。

|

ESG TALK| B9This article was published on June 28
at The Japan Times

PHOTO: YUICO TAIYA FOR PHOTOMATE

Hasebe with Japan Times publisher Minako Suematsu. Before becoming CEO, he led Kao Corp.’s
research and development and strategic innovative technology as vice president.

Rivals become partners
tackling environmental issues
WRITER: TOMOKO KAICHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Kao, a major Japanese maker of home
products and cosmetics, announced its
medium-term business plan at the end of
2020. Environmental, social and governance activities — collectively known as
ESG — feature prominently in the plan,
which aims to both contribute to creatinga sustainable society and achieve businessgrowth. Yoshihiro Hasebe, who this past
January became president of Kao in thefirst year of the plan, has promised to leadthe company to become a “presence essential for our society as a company that protects lives in the future.”“My top priority as president is to makeKao into a company that embodies what an
ESG-aware company is all about,” Hasebe
said.
Founded in 1887, Kao has offered suggestions for new lifestyles throughout its
long history of product development. Manyof its products have anticipated today’s
increased awareness about ESG. One is
Attack, the world’s first compact-box powder laundry detergent, introduced in 1987,
which Hasebe says he is proud of for “taking Kao the farthest forward” as a company. The product is claimed to require
only a “spoonful,” or one-fourth theamount of conventional products, to wash
a load of laundry. It realized the convenience of a box of detergent that lasts along time. Kao was also able to make theproduct’s box less than one-fourth the sizeof conventional products, radically altering
the image of detergent boxes as heavy andbulky. It significantly reduced the stress of
doing the laundry. “It made people feelmuch less reluctant to do the laundry and,ultimately, changed the way of overall
Japanese culture,” according to Hasebe.
After the debut of Attack, compact-box
detergent products came into wide use in
the United States and Europe. Suchsmaller, lighter products also had a significant impact on the reduction of carbon
dioxide emissions associated with theirtransportation.

Advances in detergents
Kao has continued to improve on Attack,which has maintained the top spot in Japan’slaundry detergent market for over three
decades. Attack Neo, an “ultra-concentrated
liquid laundry detergent” introduced in
2009, comes in a bottle smaller than existingproducts, achieved by increasing the liquid’s
concentration. This helped reduce theamount of plastic used for the bottles. And
thanks to a newly developed cleaning agent,laundry washed with Attack Neo requires
only a single rinse cycle. The product thus
enabled less water to be used in washing
and, ultimately, significantly cut emissionsof carbon dioxide. Attack Neo was wellreceived by consumers for its potential toreduce water bills and for its touted imageof allowing “anyone to take part in efforts toconserve the environment,” Hasebe said.
Endorsing this, appliance makers started
introducing washing machines with settings
that have only a single rinse cycle, rather
than two. Such a feature is now standard in
virtually all models on the market.
Hasebe, who was involved in the development of Attack Neo from the initialplanning phase, said he had a strong senseof crisis about the environment at the time.
The innovative product was born througha process of trial and error, he said.
“What we need to do is envision the
future,” he said. “I think what we should dois the things only Kao — not any of the global
giants — can do, either working with othercompanies or leading them by example.”

Recycling PET bottles
Kao, like many consumer product manufacturers, uses large amounts of plastic incontainers and packaging materials, which
is why the company sees helping create aplastic-recycling society as an especially
important mission. A recent example is its
use of 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for the bottles of its Attack
Zero detergent, launched this April. The
company has begun increasing the use ofSummary
業界一丸で環境保全を推進、事業の成長と両立を宣言。
花王は2020年末に25年度までの中期経営計画を発表し、持続可能社会への貢献と事業の成長の両立を打ち出した。今年１月に社長に就任した長谷部佳宏
氏は、「本当の意味で ESG を体現した会社にしていく」と覚悟を語る。
1887年創業の花王は、ESG を先取りした商品も多い。1987年発売の世界初のコンパクト粉末洗剤「アタック」は、必要な洗剤の量を減らして容器を小型・軽量化、輸送時の二酸化炭素排出量の削減に寄与した。液体洗剤も濃縮化による本体ボトルの小型化とプラスチック使用量の削減、水使用量を減らす「すすぎ１回」などを実現し、新商品は100％再生 PET ボトルを採用した。
使用済みプラスチック容器の回収とリサイクルなど、環境保全に必要と判断すれば競合他社とも手を組み、そのための技術も共有する。「モノづくり企
業にとって環境問題対策は不可欠。業界一丸で取り組もうという考え方が広がりつつある」と期待する。

recycled plastic in earnest and plans toswitch all of the PET bottles for its home
products that are used in large quantities
in Japan to recycled PET by 2025.
Kao is not averse to working with rival
manufacturers if it is good for the environment. This past May, the company
announced a deal with Unilever Japan on
the separation and collection of waste plastic containers for home products, including
detergents and shampoos. Kao also began
working with Lion Corp. in 2020 on a similar initiative for refill containers. “Rivals
that are making great products are our best
partners,” Hasebe said. “Recycling andenvironmental issues are something manufacturers must deal with, but there’s only
so much a company can do by itself. Rivals
may compete with each other in terms ofwhat’s inside the containers, but it’s ‘noside’ when it comes to containers after the
product has been used up, to use a rugby
term. There is a growing view that we will
be better off if companies across the industry work together.”
Kao is also working on a project to recycle contaminated or colored PET materials, which are difficult to recycle into packaging materials, as an asphalt modifier.
Added in very small amounts, the material
improves the durability of asphalt pavement. It can make asphalt, which typicallyrequires repaving every decade, last five
decades, according to Hasebe. It has theadded benefit of reducing the amount of
microplastic released from paved road surfaces and, therefore, their impact on thesea. The asphalt modifier has already beenused in the paving of parking lots andrepaving of roads controlled by local gov-

ernments, according to Hasebe.
“We have worked with many partners toget (this technology) to be introduced
more widely, and we have made a proposal
for a technology-sharing structure to the
Ministry of the Environment,” he said.

Fast health checks via skin oil
Hasebe, who has worked in technology
fields for many years, says he is now particularly excited about a Kao technology
called RNA monitoring. A Kao researcher
found that sebum — skin oil — contains
RNA. Analysis of sebum rubbed onto a blotting film can reveal the status of a person’shealth and immune functions, as well as
enable detection of signs of diseases suchas Parkinson’s, diabetes and infections. “It’s
not sufficient for an elderly person toundergo health checks only once a year ifthat person’s healthy life expectancy is to beextended, but with this technology you canlook into the health status easily and at low
cost,” Hasebe said. “I hope to make thistechnology widely available to the generalpublic before my term as president expires.”
Hasebe says he is also excited about
Japan’s technologies for frozen food andfake meat, although they are not Kao’s. “I
think it would be great if Japan’s technology to restore frozen foods in a short timeand its food culture could serve as catalysts for changing the environmental andwaste issues of the world,” he said, pointing out that these technologies enhancethe enjoyment of eating and reduce foodwaste at the same time. The potential for
new lifestyles from Japan is growing, starting from a no side to an initiative transcending industry boundaries.

B10 ||

PHOTO: MIYO-ORGANIC-

Bamboo grows to harvestable size in roughly
three years, so it has a much faster regeneration
cycle than wood.
PHOTO: MIYO-ORGANIC-

This bamboo toothbrush is organic and also makes use of bamboo nodes, which have few other applications.
The product is environmentally conscious right down to the paper for its wrapping, made from bamboo offcuts.

Feature

WOOD

GOODS
Bamboo products usedby the Japanese since ancient times arefull of wisdom for improving our lives

Chikuno Cubes deodorize and control
humidity. A single cube is effective for aroom of up to 6 mats in size (10 square
meters), and they are also pet-friendly.

PHOTO: CHIKUNO LIFE

WRITER: AI SAKAMOTO

Miyo Yamamoto, founder of the brand
MiYO-organic

Bamboo is attracting attention as an alternative to plastic and wood. Light, durable and easy to process, bamboo has
been used since ancient times in Japanfor daily necessities such as baskets andcolanders, as well as craft items andbuilding materials. Bamboo tools haveeven been found in Jomon Period ruins
from approximately 4,000 years ago.
Bamboo is an attractive material because it reproduces and grows so rapidly.
Once a year, new shoots emerge fromnodes in rhizomes underground, and they
can grow into mature bamboo in just a few
months. Sometimes bamboo can growmore than a meter per day, and be ready toharvest in just three years. Compared towood, its regeneration cycle is very fast.
However, as plastics became common
in the period of rapid economic growth in
the 1960s, demand for bamboo declined,
and it is only in recent years that bamboo
has been reevaluated as a sustainable, decomposable material.

In the movement to find new uses forbamboo, including as biomass fuel or forbamboo-based paper and other next-generation materials, one curious new product was released in December: a bamboo
toothbrush from MiYO-organic.
“In the winter of 2018, while I was on abusiness trip, I noticed the plastic toothbrush in the hotel and how it was usedjust twice — once in the evening and oncein the morning — before being discarded.
It occurred to me that this was happening
all over the world, and a massive amountof garbage was being generated. That
was the beginning, and I decided to takethe opportunity to make a toothbrushthat was comfortable to use, fashionable
and environmentally friendly,” said Miyo
Yamamoto, the brand’s founder.
Made from carefully selected mōsō tortoise-shell bamboo, the toothbrush is neither colored nor painted. It is made withan organic method that uses no bleach or
fungicides. The nylon for the bristles is

BPA-free. The head is small enough tosuit Japanese mouths, and the reasonable
price allows for everyday use.
Other unique new products include
some using traditional bamboo charcoal
for its deodorizing and moisture-absorbing qualities. Chikuno Life’s small deodorant Chikuno Cubes have sides dottedwith countless small hexagonal holes. By
shaping powdered bamboo charcoal intoa honeycomb structure to increase surface area, its deodorizing and moistureabsorbing effects are significantly enhanced. In addition to having a modern
design suited to contemporary lifestyles,
the product can also be maintained bysimply putting it out in the sun once ayear.
In recent years, untended bamboo forests have spread uncontrollably, crowdingout surrounding vegetation. That problem, as well as the problem of our need formore sustainable materials, could wellfind a common solution in the future.

PHOTO: MIYO-ORGANIC-

Summary
竹製品には、生活をよくする
知恵が詰まっています。

プラスチックや木材の代替物として、竹が注目を集めている。 部分のナイロン素材には、環境ホルモンの一種と言われる BPA
軽くて丈夫、加工しやすいので、日本では古くから竹を活用し （ビスフェノール A）不使用のものを採用している。
てきた。その魅力は生育の早さにある。約3年で加工用に使え、一方、消臭や調湿に効果のある、伝統的な竹炭を使ったユニー
一般の木に比べ、再生サイクルの早い循環型の素材と言える。 クな商品もある。
「CHIKUNO CUBE / AIR FOR」は、粉末に〈MiYO-organic-〉の竹歯ブラシは着色も塗装もなし。ブラシ した竹炭をハニカム構造にして表面積を増やすことで、消臭・調湿の効果を格段に上げているという。
近年、放置された竹林が、その強い繁殖力から無秩序に広がり、周囲の植生に影響を与える「竹害」が問題視されている。
サステナブルな素材としてのニーズの高まりと、竹林の整備。
この２つを解決していくことが、今後の課題となるだろう。

|Time Capsule

This article was published on June 21
at The Japan Times

THE JAPAN TIMES, SEPTEMBER 2,2007

125 YEARS Special Contents

Kabuki, kyogen, noh,traditional theater

BRAND
HISTORY& ARCHIVE

The theatrical arts are perhaps one of the most enduring traditions of Japan, andfrom the mid-20th century, The Japan Times has showcased the stories and thestars of the stage, from kabuki and noh to rakugo and kyogen.
In the 1940s and ’50s, Maj. Faubion Bowers, who wrote features explaining thecontext of Japanese theater on numerous occasions for The Japan Times, had a major
effect in preserving traditional theatrical arts’ place on the world stage. As Gen.
Douglas MacArthur’s personal Japanese translator, he was able to convince the
Occupation forces not to ban kabuki performances, which were thought to bepromoting feudal-era values.
Until the present day, The Japan Times has provided rare glimpses into the mindsof theater masters, whose craft has been passed down through generations.

Summary
歌舞伎、狂言、能、伝統芸能
20世紀半ばから、歌舞伎、能、落語、狂言などの伝統芸能を紹介してきたジャパンタイムズ。
1940年代から50年代にかけて、演劇の背景に関する特集記事をジャパンタイムズに何度も寄稿した
フォービオン・バワーズ元帥は、日本の伝統的演劇
を世界の舞台に残すことに大きな役割を果たした。

マッカーサー元帥の個人秘書として、また専属日本語通訳として、占領軍が封建的価値観を助長すると考え歌舞伎の上演を禁止しないように説得したのだ。
ジャパンタイムズは、これまでもそしてこれからも、世代を超えて受け継がれてきた伝統芸能の「心」、
そして巨匠たちの「思い」を伝え続けている。

This article was published on July 5at The Japan Times

ESG/SDGs

Recent actions by the Japanese government signal a potential tailwind in thetransition to a low-carbon economy.
In May, Japan’s parliament enshrined
into law Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s
pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050
with legislative measures for investment
in green technology and renewable energy projects. The establishment of this legislation and related targets, including apledge to slash greenhouse gas emissions
by 46% from the 2013 level by 2030, indicates a push to align Japan’s economy
with the government’s sustainability
goals.
The role of finance will be key in thisprocess, according to Green Finance Network Japan (GFNJ), whose stated mission is to provide a platform for the public
and private sectors to engage in dialogue
and find ways to enhance green investment — financial activity that is struc-

NIPPON TIMESMAGAZINE,
JULY 20,1946| B11

tured to ensure positive environmental
outcomes.
GFNJ’s most recent symposium washeld on June 19 and invited representatives from MUFG Bank and Mizuho Holdings, as well as from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Financial
Services Agency; and the Ministry of theEnvironment, among others. Under theoverarching theme of “Sustainable Finance,” participants discussed global
trends regarding carbon neutrality andthe role finance should play.
The symposium opened with a videorecorded message by Shinjiro Koizumi(Minister of the Environment) and keynote speeches from GFNJ cofounder
Takejiro Sueyoshi (special adviser to theUnited Nations Environment Programme
Finance Initiative) and Naoko Ishii (director of the Center for Global Commons,
University of Tokyo).

Symposium examines role ofﬁnance in path to sustainability
WRITER: JOE MUNTAL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Shinjiro Koizumi, minister of the environment
Naoko Ishii, director of the Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo
Takejiro Sueyoshi, special adviser to the United Nations Environment Programme
Finance Initiative

In his speech, Sueyoshi expressed concern about Japan’s lacking a sense of urgency regarding climate change. He observed that although conversations about
environmental considerations have become more frequent, such as in the formof SDG targets, these conversations have
yet to translate into substantial systemicchange. Citing a landmark German court
ruling that the government’s deferring of
cuts in emissions to after 2030 violated
the freedom of the young plaintiffs, Sueyoshi suggested Japan follow suit andsituate the notion of human rights at thecenter of decarbonization efforts.
Ishii echoed Sueyoshi’s call for a moreaggressive approach to decarbonization.
She further elaborated that any action tocombat climate change must be part of aholistic approach to restore balance between the current economic forces andthe planetary capacity, which only can beachieved through transformation of key
economic systems. There needs to be a“greening” of the financial system to drive
economic transition so that we can saveourselves away from the point of no return, she said.
Following the keynote speeches was apanel discussion among government representatives and financiers moderated by
GFNJ Secretary-General Hideki Takada(Counsellor, Climate Change Office, Cabinet Secretariat). In addition to conversa-

tions regarding ESG (environmental, social
andgovernance)
metrics,
representatives from the Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry discussed initiatives to revitalize local economies through green
technology investments. Representatives
from MUFG Bank and Dai-ichi Life Holdings also detailed plans to reach net zero
emissions across their portfolios.
A lively topic of discussion was the roleof government regulation in encouraging
sustainable investment. Considering thatJapan currently has no plans to issue
green bonds and that there is still an air of
uncertainty surrounding sustainable investments and their potential return on
investment, Mana Nakazora of the Frenchinternational financial group BNP Paribas
said the government should implement
more aggressive regulation to encouragesustainable investment. An example ofsuch regulation would be mandating that
half of all assets under management fulfill
ESG criteria, she said.
In his closing remarks, GFNJ cofounderSueyoshi explained that the demands to
respond to climate change and environmental issues will only become more
stringent. “There needs to be a consistentsense of urgency regarding the state of
the planet and the severe competitive environment to come,” he said.

Summary
持続可能社会の実現へ、高まる金融の役割と課題。
日本で５月、菅義偉首相が掲げる2050年までのカー
ボンニュートラル達成目標を明記し、グリーンテクノ
ロジーや再生可能エネルギー計画への投資を促進する法律が成立した。経済発展をともなう低炭素社会への移行に追い風となる可能性がある。
グリーン・ファイナンス・ネットワーク・ジャパン（GFNJ）は、金融機関や政府の代表者を招いたシンポジウムを開催し、目標達成に向けた金融の役割などを話し合った。GFNJ 発起人で国連環境計画・金融イ

ニシアティブ特別顧問の末吉竹二郎氏は、環境保全に関する議論が活発化したことを評価する一方で、制度改革など実質的な変化につながっていないことを指摘。気候変動や環境問題に一層の危機感を持って取り組む必要があると訴えた。参加者からは、金融シス
テムの「グリーン化」や ESG 投資を後押しする仕組
みや規制作り、グリーンテクノロジー投資による地域
経済活性化への早急な行動を求める意見が聞かれ、金融機関や政府代表者が進捗と方針を説明した。

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