Today (April 22nd, 2014) is 「アース・デイ」 (“Earth Day”). It is observed in many countries, including Japan.
This is the day set aside to remind us to protect the environment, not only on Earth Day, but always.
At the very least, we should remember the “3Rs”…reduce, reuse and recycle.
In honor of Earth Day, a website has been made by Google and Time Magazine that allows visitors to upload their photos of “My Beautiful Earth
Click here to visit the “My Beautiful Earth” website.
About five years ago, Australia began turning all non-essential lights off for an hour on the last Saturday of March.
They called it “Earth Hour” and it was done to remind people to conserve energy.
The following year most major cities around the world followed suit and now Earth Hour is a world-wide annual event in which all lights (except those that are absolutely necessary) are turned off from 8:30 – 9:30PM on the last Saturday in March.
Yesterday was Earth Hour 2012.
It says 「つながる気持ちが 世界を変える」 ("This attitude can change the world").
—(The “60” in their logo represents the sixty minutes that lights are dimmed)—
So, last night from 8:30-9:30PM (Japan Standard Time (JST)), all non-essential lights were turned off…including the usually illuminated Tokyo Tower (it was only lit enough to prevent planes from hitting it).
The darkened Tokyo Tower at Earth Hour 2012.
Tokyo’s new, bigger tower…the Tokyo Sky Tree won’t be opened to the public until this May—so it’s not illuminated at night yet (except for the lighting necessary for air safety).
But, beginning next year, the Tokyo Sky Tree will be joining the world every year in dimming it’s lights for Earth Hour every year.
Tokyo Five 
Recent Comments