Season 3 episode 8 - Land of the Renewable Sun

Japan is often thought of in two different ways. As a country that has great respect for nature. And as a great metropolis with world-beating technological innovation. These two realities have coexisted in Japan. Such industrial ingenuity has come with a large carbon footprint, so the Japanese government has an ambitious plan to be a net zero carbon country by 2050. With technology and nature working together, we can keep our city alive and preserve our unique natural scenery.

I have been exploring and camping throughout Japan since I came here ten years ago. Forests cover over two-thirds of Japan’s land, but in the Mie region you could feel it was even higher. Moving here, it struck me how the Japanese view nature as an integral part of their lives. There’s great respect for rivers, mountains, and trees. The sun has had great value culturally, and now in the country’s power generation too.

In partnership with Suzuka and Tohoku Electric Power, the Haze Project construction started in 2019 and then we started commercial operation in February 2023. We installed around 100,000 solar panels into 77 hectares of the mountain area. Being on top of a mountain allows us to obtain more solar radiation, and as a result, we have been able to install 51 MW solar modules. We have been able to supply 20,000 households with that electricity.

The other day, a tree on this slope fell, causing this damage. This area often gets typhoons with wind speeds of up to 25 m/s. The Haze power plant was designed to withstand earthquakes, typhoons, and winds up to 34 m/s, so you’ll be fine. Rainfall here can get very heavy. So, drainage is important for the site, but also for the surrounding areas. Controlled water retention means local farmland isn’t deluged by water running down hills.

As well as keeping local communities in mind, there is rich biodiversity to be preserved. During construction, we planned to avoid the grey-faced buzzard nests so that the nesting season would not be impacted. That’s right. A lot of wetland animals and plants were identified in this construction area, so we created a new wetland environment in this area. We then moved the animals and plants that would be affected.

In Japan, there is a saying, “jū yoku gō wo seisu”. Proactive measures can bring about a “virtuous cycle of economy and environment.” Solar energy has become the most productive renewable energy source in Japan. And with Haze, alongside a sympathetic approach to local communities and nature, renewable energy resourcing is both possible and prosperous.