I pass through the torii gate of Meiji Shrine. The dense, luscious forest encircles me, and I forget the bustling city at its edge. This shrine encapsulates Tokyo’s deft balance between ancient wisdom and modern innovation. As a theology student who is passionate about sustainability, I am living my dream of studying Shinto in Japan. This indigenous religion reveres nature’s power (in the form of Kami), rather than viewing the environment as a resource to exploit. When confronted with today’s convenience culture and instant gratification, Shinto reminds me to center respect and intentionality.
This is embodied by mottainai, the concept of ‘going beyond avoiding wastefulness’. Mottainai encourages us to consider our relationship with other living beings, and the journey food takes before it reaches our table. Before eating, the Japanese say itadakimasu (‘I humbly receive’). I’m trying to echo this gratitude practice through planning meals ahead, eating leftovers and reducing my meat consumption (SDG 2, 12 & 13). I hope to aid the Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy (ZETS) goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. I’m also using Localvore to source local, seasonal ingredients and Happy Cow to find vegetarian restaurants (SDG 12, 13 & 15) (https://www.english.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/w/029-101-007757 , https://www.happycow.net/).
I’ve learnt that Shinto even holds a ceremony to honour broken sewing needles: Hari Kuyō. Instead of mindlessly discarding and replacing objects, Shinto cultivates appreciative awareness. This is reflected by the ZETS aim to increase the recycling rate to 37% by 2030. I’ve been contributing via prioritising eco-friendly materials over single-use plastics and using my reusable water bottle (SDG 12 & 14). Additionally, I’ve continued shopping second-hand on Vinted, upcycled and locally made (SDG 8, 9, 11 & 12) (www.vinted.com). Sometimes it is hard to resist impulse purchases and fast fashion, but I’m determined to keep avoiding them (SDG 12, 13 & 15).
Sometimes these little, every-day decisions feel inconsequential. The 1.5t carbon emission from my roundtrip London-Tokyo flight engulfs me in climate anxiety. But paralysis is the last thing our environment needs. Fear causes us to shrink away from problems instead of addressing them. While flying was my only option to reach Japan, I could still lower my carbon emissions through using Skyscanner to find direct flights on a bigger plane (SDG 12 & 13). Although donating to carbon offsetting is not a perfect solution, it was more effective than guilt (SDG 12 & 13). Now that I’m in Tokyo I’m using Docomo and Bike Map to travel by second-hand bicycle (https://docomo-cycle.jp/tokyo/?lang=en, https://www.bikemap.net/). For longer distances, I’ve been exploring Japan’s amazing railway and public transport system (SDG 11 & 13)!
These decisions can seem small, but each mindful action accumulates to make an impact. I am reminded of kintsugi, an art form that repairs broken pottery with gold. Piece by piece, I believe we can come together to heal our hurting planet: joined by optimism and action.
