Conversations with Green Changemakers in Japan

Helene from Ekolokal•ekolokal.com

In the “Conversations with Green Changemakers in Japan” series, we bring along passionate individuals to talk about various topics around ecology and well-being in Japan. Hélène Quéguiner from Ekolokal Music: Kevin MacLeod "Too Cool"

Last refreshed: August 18th, 2025 at 1:18 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

#7 Edo-era Japanese circular society with Azby Brown, author of "Just Enough"

Azby Brown is originally from the US but has lived in Japan since 1985. He is a leading authority on Japanese architecture, design, and environmentalism, and the author of several books amongst which Just Enough: Lessons in living green from traditional Japan which was published in 2010. On top of that, since the Fukushima disaster, Azby has been lead researcher for Safecast, a highly successful global volunteer-based citizen-science organization devoted to developing new technology platforms fo...

Apr 13, 2022•46 min•Ep. 7

#6 Plastic-free lifestyle with Mona Neuhauss from No Plastic Japan

Mona is a strategic communications consultant. Born between German and Japanese parents, she spent most of her life in England, before moving to Japan in 2016. She founded No Plastic Japan in 2018 to raise awareness around our consumption habits and the waste it creates – one of its main activities is the replacement of plastic straws with stainless steel ones for individuals and businesses. In collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, Mona works on different communications and sustainabilit...

Apr 13, 2022•41 min•Ep. 6

#5 Organic Farming with Chuck Kayser from Midori Farm

Chuck Kayser is originally from the US and has been living in Japan for over 20 years, mostly in Kyoto. He started growing vegetables in the mountains of Shiga 12 years ago and what began as a hobby quickly turned into a passion. He established Midori Farm a few years ago to sell vegetables, host volunteers, and run tours and events. On top of that, he co-founded Seeds of Sustainability Kyoto in 2017 to host events in Kyoto city. Through Midori Farm and Seeds of Sustainability, Chuck hopes to gi...

Apr 13, 2022•48 min•Ep. 5

#4 Deforestation with Ian Shimizu, founder of weMORI

Ian Shimizu is the founder of weMORI , an app that aims to make protecting and restoring forests fun, easy and accessible for all. In this episode, he will tell us more about his story and how he came about starting weMORI. We will also talk about deforestation and how our consumption habits have an impact on it. You can find the summary of the discussion on the Mottainai Transition website as well as more tips on how to avoid contributing to deforestation while living in Japan. Check out the Ek...

Apr 13, 2022•50 min•Ep. 4

#3 Tackling the single-use plastic issue with Robin Lewis, co-founder of mymizu

Robin Lewis, is half Japanese, half English and has many years of experience working with inter-governmental organizations, social enterprises, and NGOs. One day in 2018, while visiting Okinawa, he noticed firsthand the impact of plastic pollution and decided to do something to address this issue. That is how the idea of mymizu was born. On top of being mymizu Co-founder, he is also the Co-founder & Director of Social Innovation Japan - a platform for social good focusing on the UN Sustainab...

Apr 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 3

#2 Plant-based diet with Noriko Shindo, co-founder and CEO of Veggino

Noriko Shindo is Japanese but was brought up abroad before moving back to Japan. After transitioning to a plant-based diet and seeing the positive influence she had on some of her friends, she decided to start Veggino . Veggino is a bi-lingual non-for-profit website and group that aims to spread a plant-based lifestyle in Japan. In this episode, she is telling us more about her story and some tips on how to follow a plant-based diet in Japan. Find the summary of the discussion on the Mottainai T...

Apr 13, 2022•42 min•Ep. 2

#1 Urban Farming with Jon Walsh, urban farming instructor and consultant

Jon Walsh is a New Zealander who has been living in Japan for almost 20 years. He is an urban farming and sustainability instructor and consultant based in Tokyo. Since 2012, he has taught nearly 1,000 people including individuals, families, students, and working professionals how to grow healthy urban food to improve health, support the environment, and reconnect with Nature. In this episode, he is telling us more about his story and some tips on how to start growing food in Japan. Find the sum...

Apr 13, 2022•41 min•Ep. 1

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