Migrating from a little town in the north of England, to London, to Tokyo, can often force the hand of overindulgence. New city, new clothes, new food— it’s tempting to get greedy. However, budgeting and sustainability are key to a successful life abroad!
Skip a trip: you can walk that seven-minute long Uber ride. Make a trip to the skip: don’t be lazy and separate that garbage.
Tokyo runs on a smooth and cheap public transport system, and the nationwide Shinkansen runs on electricity, emitting minimal greenhouse gases in comparison to other modes of transport like cars, however it might not be the cheapest way to get from A to B. But when in Tokyo… Walk. I can say that I have the privilege of living in what is, in my opinion, probably the most walkable city on earth. Many a time have I decided a stroll from Harajuku to Shibuya Crossing is well worth the trip, and why not? Tokyo is the place to be in terms of entertainment, culture and diversity. The chances of passing a Buddhist or Shinto shrine on your walk are relatively high and it’s much easier to familiarise yourself with an area from above ground— not in the subway. The UN says we’re almost at the point of ‘climate calamity’ (number 13, ‘combat climate change’), which spells trouble for future generations and the youth of today. I believe there’s no reason we can’t be sustainable without enjoying the wonderful world we live in. Being able to walk from one place to another is a privilege I have often taken for granted, but I now know it’s important to be grateful for walkable cities as they’re surprisingly few and far between.
There are seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals, and it’s important that we all try our upmost to implement at least a few of these to make the world a better place to live in. I’ve already mentioned goal number 11 (‘sustainable cities and communities’) but it never hurts to go the extra mile. Goal number 4, ‘quality education’, stems from my attempt to tutor people on the subject of English— whether it be on syntax or creative writing. There’s the twelfth goal, ‘sustainable consumption and production patterns’, which, as said, can be a bit of a challenge when there’s so much to see and experience. Consumerism is an easy vice to fall into, though extremely difficult to wiggle out of. It’s important to be diligent about what you spend money on, but you do not need that bag just because your friend bought it! The key? Focus on needs, not wants.
Even within my own dorm, we have a strict rubbish-separation policy. Clearly, that principle applies all over Tokyo, as one of the cleanest mega cities in the world. It makes a small but accumulative difference to pick up a wrapper from my university campus or ensure I put food waste in the correct bin: remembering that small is mighty creates waves!
