Since first coming to Japan in 2001 to teach English, I’ve been to this fascinating country 8 more times. I just arrived again on Saturday for a one week business trip. Every time I step off the plane, there is still a sense of intrigue and excitement from being in this extremely unique place. There are so many ways in which it is different from the U.S. Within the overarching obviousness of a foreign language and culture there are numerous seemingly tiny aspects of the lifestyle here that one reacts to with a range emotions, from fascination, to respect, to honor, to bewilderment, to frustration. These parts of the culture are discovered and ingested on a very personal level and are subtly different for everyone, though it is likely the emotions experienced will travel along the same wide-ranging curve for many people. These differences extend to the mentality and the mind set that is found in dealing with energy and waste that is generated in daily modern life. The Japanese have taken American and other overseas ideas and inventions and put a Japanese spin on them, often improving them in the process. Take the automobile, microchips, TV, and trains as examples. However, when it comes to recycling, energy conservation, transportation, and certain other areas, Japan is a world beater and the U.S. would do well to emulate or at least take the idea and fit it to the American market and culture. Japan went through a period of environmental degradation in the 1970s before the oil crisis and pollution put it on a more sustainable path. There are, of course, practical reasons why Japan developed some of its habits; reasons that don’t exist or have the same urgency in a huge and resource rich country like the U.S. Japan has limited space for people, let alone landfills. It has practically no oil of its own. It needs, in short, to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Previously, I’ve mentioned some of the ways Japan and the U.S. could work together on energy issues before, but it’s so important that I think it merits repeating. Some of the normal, taken-for-granted aspects of Japanese life that are different from America and could be imported include the following list:

- Dual flush toilets. These are standard all over the country. There’s a 小　(small) option and a 大　(big) option.　Use only what you need.
- “Cool Biz”. During the oppressively hot and humid summer, legions of “salarymen” are allowed to go without a tie. Offices also do their part to save electricity and money by usually keeping their thermostats at 28 degreees Celsius (82 degrees Farenheit). While this would never fly in America, it does make a difference with regards to sweating when stepping outside. American offices are kept so cool that the body can’t adjust to the natural temperature outside. Working in a warmer but bearable temperatures inside allows for the body to adjust to the heat and makes stepping outside into the summer heat less shocking.
- Trash bins for bottles, can, and paper everywhere. It goes without saying that a country with as many vending machines as Japan and no land for landfills would make it easy to recycle. They do. The trash is always separated.
- Hotels with key activated room controls. Many hotels have installed a slot for your key card right inside your room’s door. Put the key in the slot to activate the ability to turn on lights, TV, air conditioner and all electric appliances in the room. When you leave your room, you take your key, thus turning off the electricity and avoiding forgetting or purposefully leaving on the air or TV while there’s nobody in the room.

These are just some of the ways Japan is intelligently curbing its energy use.

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