Eco Japan

In my experience, it's quite a widely held view in the UK that Asian countries are somewhat lagging behind Western countries when it comes to eco-awareness. And judging from my recent experience in Japan, climate change and environmentalism do seem to be less of a 'hot topic' there - in the media or as part of the 'national conversation'. But look around and evidence of environmentally friendly behaviour is everywhere, from the litter free streets, to the almost religiously used recycling bins, present in every home but also outside every convenience store. What seems to be the real difference vs the UK is the relative lack of debate or hand-wringing around the issue. Perhaps stemming from the culture's Shinto roots, respect for the environment is taken as a bit more of a given to aim towards. That said, awareness does seem to be growing and brands are beginning to take on more of a visible 'green' tinge - from familiar names like Starbucks with their 'reuse, reuse, reuse, recycle' carrier bags to more local brands such as this 'eco market' (ie second hand clothes store!) below. Whether this is real eco or more a case of green-washing I'll leave up to you...