November 15, 2000

Zenta Claus comes to Japan on 'Mu-bai-day'

(By

Like No-Car Day, Buy Nothing Day has grown from a small "eco-holiday" to a worldwide celebration of simple living and environmental sustainability. It draws attention to the impact of first-world overconsumption: 20% of the world's population use 80% of the resources and create 90% of the garbage.
Last year media coverage in Japan was small, "but this will change radically" say Kyoto BND-organizers. "This year, we expect at least a thousand people will observe the holiday, and for 2001 events are planned in Kobe and Tokyo as well. 'Mu-bai-day' (Buy Nothing Day) is an idea that Japan has been waiting for. Many people are wondering what to do about dioxin, CO2, and radioactive waste. BND tells us that we as consumers have the power to change these things. We are not saying, 'don't buy what you need.' But do we really need all the things that we buy?
In Kyoto, each of us produces 5kg of garbage a day, so we had to build a 5th incinerator (in Ichihara). We have to think in terms of reduce, reuse, recycle if we want our children to grow up in a liveable environment."

BND Japan: www4.osk.3web.ne.jp/~mmlove93/bnd.htm
Recent interview with Kyoto Organizer Gabi Hadl: www.japanfile.com