Candle Night—Summer Solstice 2003

The summer solstice was celebrated in a new way in Japan this year. On June 22, 2003, people all over the country responded to an appeal to "Turn out the lights and just take it slow for two hours," starting at eight p.m. Many turned off their lights and enjoyed some quiet time by candlelight with family and friends.

Key promoters of this "Night by Candlelight" idea included Daichi O Mamoru Kai (an organic agriculture and food network) and the Sloth Club (an NGO that promotes environmentally friendly culture and lifestyles), and Ms. Junko Edahiro, the joint chief executive of Japan for Sustainability (JFS). The idea was also backed by Japan's Ministry of the Environment. Iwate Prefecture and NEC Corp. were among the parties that also supported the idea, which spread quickly across the country through the Internet and cell-phone networks.

At eight p.m., the lights went out in more than 2,000 facilities across Japan, including famous landmarks such as the Clock Tower in Sapporo, the Tokyo Tower, castles, and corporate buildings. Organizers also experimented with new approaches to show the results visually. Tokyo Electric Power Company provided a graph of power consumption that night and a satellite flying overhead tracked the event, showing images from the sky.

This idea originated from the Voluntary Blackout movement that started in the United States two years ago in protest against energy policies of the government. The approach in Japan this year went beyond energy-saving, anti-nuclear and other political messages, however, with the basic idea being to appeal to a wide audience just to "turn off the lights and enjoy some slow time." Major newspapers and television stations covered the story the next morning.

According to a Ministry of the Environment survey, 4.3 percent of 324 respondents had joined this event, suggesting that approximately five million people had participated nationwide.

The event will be held again next year.
http://www.candle-night.org/index.html

Posted: 2003/07/31 11:38:45 AM
Japanese version