Edo way consumed less: book | The Japan Times Online:
Here is an interesting article from the Japan Times. The article is about a book from author Azby Brown, a professor at Kanazawa Institute of Technology. The book describes how conservation techniques from the late Edo Period (1603-1868) can be emulated today.
"The lifestyle of people in Japan around 200 years ago, which was guided by the principle of consuming less, would help to create a sustainable society in the 21st century, an American expert on Japanese architecture said."
Brown states that people in the Edo Period overcame many of the same problems confronting present-day society — issues of energy, water, materials, food and population — in unique ways.
One of the points that Brown makes which I completely agree with is how in the United States, most Americans live in homes that are far larger then they actually need.
Daibutsu, Kamakura
Daibutsu in Kamakura, June 2010. There were thousands of school kids visiting that day. It was still great fun.
Hmmm...that's true, but many people all over the world use resources that they don't actually "need." Land happens to be more abundant in America, so it's cheaper than it is in countries like Japan...hence people who can afford it will buy it. Consider it a luxury, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it is a shame to see farmland go away and replaced with million dollar developments that are filled with McMansions.
ReplyDeletePeople can live well and frugally at the same time.
Agreed. I am not happy when urban sprawl around Los Angeles continues to grow.
ReplyDelete