Environmentalism, Japanese-style

Yes, Japan knows how to save energy: "The country embarked on a major effort to wean itself off oil. Japan now imports 16 percent less oil than it did in 1973, although the economy has more than doubled. Billions of dollars were invested in converting oil-reliant electricity-generation systems into ones powered by natural gas, coal, nuclear energy or alternative fuels. Japan, for instance, now accounts for 48 percent of the globe's solar power generation -- compared with 15 percent in the United States."

Two of my favourite film directors (Ozu and Kurosawa) and two of my favourite novelists (Kawabata and Tanizaki) are Japanese.

Here's another reason to love Japan.