Climbing for Cleaning

In May 2006, Ken Noguchi, the internationally famous Japanese mountain climber, returned to the Himalayan peaks with colleagues to carry out "climbing for cleaning" for the fifth time. Every visit they find several tons of garbage left behind by members of climbing expeditions, including heavy climbing gear such as oxygen cylinders. The network supporting Noguchi's actions to clean up the mountains is spreading in both the public and private domain, and "climbing for cleaning" has begun on other mountains, including Mt. Fuji, Japan's highest mountain. Noguchi's dream is to find support for his efforts by getting more and more people interested in the environmental protection of mountains.?

Living with flowers

This segment introduces how the Japanese live with flowers. Many Japanese incorporate flowers into their daily life, and more than five million people learn the traditional style of flower arrangement called "ikebana". There are many scenic spots for flower-viewing all over Japan and each season has its special blooms. The most popular are the morning glories in summer, the chrysanthemums in autumn, the ume Japanese plum trees in winter, and the cherry blossoms in spring. Some people take pleasure in planting miniature flowering trees in pots.

Furoshiki -The Flexible Wrapping Cloth

The Japanese have traditionally used a furoshiki, a cloth about one meter square, as a handy way to wraps things. The furoshiki is now experiencing the revival. More and more people are using them as a bag or even as headwear, and there are classes available to learn how to wrap things efficiently and attractively with a furoshiki. Yuriko Koike, the Minister of the Environment, has been promoting use of the furoshiki as a means to save energy and encourage environmental conservation. This segment introduces the revival of the long-neglected furoshiki.

Self-Expression through Digital Art

Personal Computers have become an intrinsic par of daily life in Japan, and the number of "digital artists" producing animations works using their computer is increasing today. This segment introduces several people deeply involved in the world of digital animation who produce original works based on their personal interests: a young woman who produces animations using traditional brushes and sumi black ink; a bar owner who tries to express himself by animation his original wire dolls; and a clever teenage boy who can easily produce an animated story in a short time.