When one thinks of Japan, one thinks of a high tech nation, of sky scrapers, crowds and bullet trains, not of environmentalism (in fact, one is more used to negative press regarding whaling and dolphin hunting). Yet it is true that Tokyo, despite being the world’s largest conurbation, does not give a polluted impression at all. On the other hand, I was told that none of the lakes in Japan are considered safe for swimming (let me say that in Switzerland, all lakes are per default safe for swimming and it is regularly practiced).
So how ecological is Japan? It’s a hot topic these days and I am surely not an expert on the subject. English data is not so easy to come by, so I will simply collect here my own impressions after living here for two years. (more…)
