THE BIG
ENERGY
QUESTION
SUSTAINABLE CITIES:
Challenges and Opportunities in Japan
A Roundtable Discussion
OCTOBER 16, 2014, AT THE GRAND HYATT, TOKYO
Hosted by National Geographic in Partnership with Shell
2
4
Introduction
Setting the Scene
6
10
The Challenges of Japan’s Cities
Finding the Right Energy Mix
14
16
Improving Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Developing Sustainable Transport Systems
20
24
Key Priorities for Energy in Japan’s Cities
In Summary
NOBUKO ASAKAI
Senior Manager, Accenture Japan
DAVID BRAUN
Director of Outreach, National Geographic
CLAY CHANDLER
Director, The Barrenrock Group
SATOSHI CHIDA
Director for International Relations, Bureau of
Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
JEFFERSON EDWARDS
General Manager, Global Gas
and LNG Market Development, Shell
HIRONORI HAMANAKA
Chair, ICLEI Japan and Chair, Board of Directors,
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
YOICHI HORI
Professor, The University of Tokyo
Participants
TOMOAKI KOBAYAKAWA
General Manager, Corporate Marketing and
Sales Department, Customer Service Company,
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)
HIROSHI KOMIYAMA
Chairman of the Institute, Mitsubishi Research Institute
YUTAKA MATSUMOTO
Project General Manager, Toyota Motor Corp.
ALEX MOEN
Vice President of Explorer Programs,
National Geographic
HIDEKI MORI
Deputy Executive Director, Climate Change Policy
Headquarters, City of Yokohama
SHUZO MURAKAMI
President, Institute for Building Environmental
and Energy Conservation (IBEC)
SHIGERU MURAKI
Vice Chairman and Director, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
HIDETOMO NAGATA
Vice President, Cities Solution Centre Japan,
PricewaterhouseCoopers
TERUYUKI OHNO
Executive Director, Japan Renewable
Energy Foundation
SHIGEO OTSUKA
Editor in Chief, National Geographic magazine
(Japan edition)
NOBUYUKI OZAKI
Senior Fellow, Railway & Automotive Systems
Division, Social Infrastructure Systems Company,
Toshiba Corporation
MASAHIRO SHIRAKAWA
General Manager, Social Engineering Systems
Division, Power & Social Infrastructure Business
Group, Fuji Electric Co.
MINORU TAKEDA
Country Chairman, Shell Japan
NOBUO TANAKA
Global Associate for Energy Security and
Sustainability, The Institute of Energy Economics,
Japan (IEEJ)
TOSHIFUMI YOSHIZAKI
Vice President, Smarter Cities, IBM Japan
As part of the Great Energy Challenge, a National Geographic initiative in partnership
with Shell, key experts from business, academia, government and non-profits met in
Tokyo on October 16th. The event, titled
SUSTAINABLE CITIES:
Challenges and Opportunities in Japan
was designed to explore how we plan, create and manage the model sustainable city of
the future from an energy perspective. Taking a global view but with a focus on Japan, it
addressed overarching themes of how we meet the increasing demands for energy supply
while reducing carbon emissions, and the role innovative technology may play in advancing
energy efficiency. This was the fifth event in a global series supported by Shell, and
followed an earlier discussion on sustainable cities held in Istanbul, Turkey. Other debates
held around the world have covered subjects including biofuels, the Arctic and natural gas.
Masahiro Shirakawa, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Satoshi Chida, Tokyo Metropolitan Government (opposite top, left to right);
Teruyuki Ohno, Executive Director, Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, Nobuko Asakai, Accenture Japan,(opposite center, left to right);
Yoichi Hori, The University of Tokyo (below, left); Roundtable convenes (below, right)
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Framing the forum’s discussion topic,
several questions helped guide the conversation:
What are the biggest energy-related issues facing
Japan’s cities?
How do we fuel Japan’s city of the future?
How can Japan’s technology leadership advance
energy efficiencies in its cities?
What is next for improving transport efficiencies
in Japan’s cities?
What solutions should Japan focus on to support
sustainable growth in its cities and cities around
the world?
} On behalf of National Geographic
Alexander Moen, Vice President of
Explorer Programs, welcomed participants to the Big Energy Question.
Providing context for the event, he
explained that National Geographic
is, at its core, an educational and
scientific organization supporting fieldbased research and science to better
understand the world around us. For over
125 years it has shared its findings to
inspire people to care about the planet,
and now, through a series of initiatives,
National Geographic is deepening its
audience’s engagement with some of
the world’s most important topics. A key
program in this is the Great Energy
Challenge, which launched in 2010 in
partnership with Shell. Acknowledging
that the attendees for today’s event
were drawn primarily from Japan,
Moen expressed his hope that
the event would be the start of
a broader global dialogue.
Moen introduced the event’s
moderator, Clay Chandler, who
brought a broad perspective to
the table as an award-winning
journalist in Asia. Chandler has
written for distinguished publications,
including the Wall Street Journal,
the Washington Post, and Fortune
magazine. As the former Asia editor
for McKinsey, Chandler has worked
on a series of high-profile publishing
projects, including “Reimagining
Japan: The Quest for a Future That
Works.” Chandler now lives in
Hong Kong and is the Director of
the Barrenrock Group with specific
expertise in Asia. |
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler launched the debate by
describing his own experiences of
living in Tokyo during the 1980s.
He befriended a professor of urban
planning who provided a real insight
into “how complicated, unique
and amazing” Tokyo is. This was
reinforced by the daily commute on
public transport. “It was amazing to
me that this city worked as efficiently
as it did,” said Chandler, who
recalled a day when the trains and
subways went on strike. “Millions of
people who had been underground
were suddenly walking above ground
to get to work … single-file, step by
step, inching along the sidewalk.”
This made Chandler recognize that
Tokyo is so complicated, delicate and
well organized that “even the tiniest
shock throws out its equilibrium.”
Chandler reflected that Tokyo had
once again been forced to restore
its delicate equilibrium after the
3/11 earthquake.
For Chandler, Tokyo is the best place
in the world to discuss the challenges
and opportunities for energy and
cities. Recognizing that 50% of the
Earth’s population now lives in cities,
which consume 75% of our energy
and produce 80% of our carbon
emissions, Chandler believes that
in “thinking about the problem of
energy, cities have to be part of the
equation.” Tokyo is the world’s largest
metropolis and “in many ways the
most complicated and efficient.”
What’s more, Chandler noted Japan’s
exceptionally high dependence
on energy sources outside the
country, making Tokyo “the perfect
ground zero to discuss energy
and sustainable cities.”
Setting the Scene
JAPAN’S CITIES AND THE GLOBAL CONTEXT
Olympics published exactly 50 years
before. The author had observed
the acute problems that came with
Tokyo’s 10.6 million population:
overcrowding, congestion, housing
shortages, pollution and more.
Although the author’s fears that Tokyo
would destroy itself have proved
wrong, Otsuka fully understood
his anxiety.
Otsuka stated that the global
population stands at over seven
billion and is projected to grow by
about one billion every decade.
This would further increase the
concentration of people in cities.
In 2007 urban populations exceeded
rural populations for the first time,
and by 2100 cities will probably
house 70% of the world’s population,
with UN estimates expecting Tokyo
to remain the world’s largest city in
terms of population.
Otsuka noted the world’s continued
dependence on fossil fuels and the
enormous pressure to extract the
energy resources needed to support
urban populations and economies.
Tokyo, for example, consumes as
much as 674 petajoules of energy,
“equivalent to Nordic states.” Most
of this energy comes from overseas.
Otsuka expanded on this idea,
asserting that to feed the world’s
growing population would require
“more concentrated agriculture,”
which would demand more energy
and “increase the burden on the
environment.”
Yet, while Otsuka acknowledged
the many challenges of urbanization,
including rapid unplanned growth and
the slow expansion of infrastructure,
cities also offer opportunity. They have
contributed to diversification of energy
supply and more effective utilization
of energy and improvements in
mobility. He believes that by making
the right choices for our cities, “the
world will become more livable and
be more environmentally friendly.”
Citing Tokyo as a positive example,
Otsuka argued that by “implementing
various measures, we have become
a mammoth city and driven Tokyo
to further development.” Otsuka
concluded that to maintain sustainable
development, Tokyo has to think
carefully about its needs and how
best to deliver them, especially
as its decisions would “receive
global attention.” |
Shigeo Otsuka,
National Geographic
Japan, Clay Chandler,
The Barrenrock Group
(below left to right)
Further global context for the discussion
was provided by Shigeo Otsuka,
Editor in Chief of National Geographic
magazine’s Japan edition. Otsuka
shared with the group a National
Geographic article on the Tokyo
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler opened the debate with
the question: “What is a smart city?”
Toshifumi Yoshizaki, Vice President,
Smarter Cities, IBM Japan, responded
that IBM referred to the “smarter city,”
not the “smart city,” “because we have
to improve the existing infrastructure.”
For IBM this involved utilizing IT. He
outlined two meanings of “smart city.”
“Literally it has to become smarter ...
we have to improve the environment for
the city’s residents to live in. Secondly,
smart has to mean autonomous as
well. As an ecosystem, improvements
must be made. So the perspective is
always from the people who are living
there, and from their perspective the
city environment must be improved.”
Hidetomo Nagata, Vice President,
Cities Solution Centre Japan,
PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that he
would replace the word “smart” with
the word “bespoke.” He explained
that, “each individual has different
needs, so rather than trying to provide
the same solution to all people we
want to deliver the optimal service to
each individual, and we will utilize
information for that.” He warned that
“utilizing IT does not always mean it is
smart. We have to design the system
and utilize the infrastructure to enable
it to be smart.”
Hiroshi Komiyama, Chairman of the
Mitsubishi Research Institute, commented
that after hearing the previous speakers
he was now thinking about ”smart” in
terms of a city’s residents. “We have
an abundance of goods. So when we
have a lot of goods … how do we set
our next goal?” He gave the example
of learning, saying, “a city can continue
to become smarter by learning—a city
that has interactions and exchanges.”
An estimated one-third of Tokyo’s
residents will live alone by 2030,
possibly unhappily. “But if they can
have exchanges and interactions in
society, then I think they would be very
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
The Challenges
of Japan’s Cities
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ENERGY RELATED
ISSUES FACING JAPAN’S CITIES?
happy,” adding that this has important
health ramifications.
Here Chandler agreed that we
can’t “just think of smart cities in the
context of energy, because there is
a whole broader range of problems.”
He suggested that “there’s a cultural
aspect to the smartness of cities that
is not just technology and software.”
As an example Chandler referenced
recycling, contrasting Hong Kong’s
relaxed attitude to waste with Tokyo’s
complex but strictly enforced culture
of recycling. “That has nothing really
to do with technology,” Chandler
said. “It’s the culture. It’s this kind of
software that I think makes some cities
smarter than others…and makes Tokyo
one of the smartest cities in the world.”
Shuzo Murakami, President, Institute
for Building Environmental and Energy
Conservation (IBEC), agreed that “we
should not just consider smart cities in the
context of energy.” Citing the importance
of people’s health, he noted that in an
age of mass consumption we need
“to become slimmer.” To accomplish
this, “new lifestyles and new values”
must be created and provided in the
city. “I think that is akin to a smart
city. Information service as well as
education service is important … and
must be enabled by IT.”
Nobuko Asakai, Senior Manager,
Accenture, also agreed that smart
is not just limited to energy but “has
to encompass our whole lives.”
Considering the benefits IT brings to
optimization, Asakai said that “in the
context of cities, it will mean the kind
of services that can be provided.”
Here she cited electronic voting as
well as integrated services from buses
to banking. “By utilizing IT platforms,
what has [traditionally] been vertically
oriented can [now] be integrated for
the purpose of optimization. I believe
this is one way forward for the world
having a smart city.” Asakai went on
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
to reinforce Murakami’s point that “new
values can be generated and new
lifestyles can emerge by sharing,” and
that “open sourcing and crowdsourcing
could provide some answers.”
The conversation moved on to look
at specific examples of how cities
have become smarter. Hideki Mori,
Deputy Executive Director, Climate
Change Policy Headquarters, City
of Yokohama, stated that in terms of
energy and low carbon, Yokohama
is trying to create an environmentally
modern city by inspiring people to
live there. He explained that “by living
[in the city] there is less of a burden on
the environment.” He added that this
is not just an energy challenge but a
psychological challenge as well. Mori
cited an electric-car-sharing initiative
that enabled Yokohama citizens to
see “how we are saving energy and
reducing carbon emissions while
enjoying it” and assured them of
Yokohama’s proactivity in becoming
a smart city. This allows them to further
“solicit people’s consciousness.” The
scheme had 10,000 members, highlighting its attraction and how “it’s
building awareness for the environment.”
Mori also said that Japan's Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry is
producing a new initiative “to generate
a new lifestyle in terms of energy
management.” He concluded that
“many activities must be implemented
so that we can enhance the understanding of the people living there.”
Here Chandler reiterated the complexity
of getting “the technology and the cultural
software to mesh together.” He cited
Beijing’s failed efforts to encourage
cycling by providing free public bicycles.
“The idea may be a good one, but
the execution and how to coax people
to the program can be complicated.”
Masahiro Shirakawa, General
Manager, Social Engineering Systems
Division, Power & Social Infrastructure
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Business Group, Fuji Electric, detailed
how a METI subsidy is also enabling
four energy demonstration projects,
including one in Keihan with Nippon
Steel. “It’s an off-grid, regional smart
grid,” he explained, “and what’s
different from others is that, because
this is not a power company’s grid,
we are able to do different types
of tests and demonstrations.” One
of these is dynamic pricing, where
summertime peak rates were raised by
20%, 30% and 50%. The result was
“people just began to save energy.”
Shirakawa admitted they had not
been sure how to replicate this
nationwide until the 3/11 earthquake.
The nuclear power plant accident
at Fukushima prompted the need for
nationwide energy savings, “and so
TEPCO decided to introduce smart
meters to households.” He explained
that within seven years, 27 million
households will have smart meters,
rising to 88 million in ten years. “This
is a Japanese experience that we can
share with the world,” he said, though
cautioning that “Japan is different…
we are a very homogenous people,
so when we start something, we all
start all at once.”
Satoshi Chida, Director for International
Relations, Bureau of Environment,
Tokyo Metropolitan Government,
explained that in learning the lessons
from the 3/11 earthquake, Tokyo’s
smart energy initiative was to be low
carbon, livable and disaster resilient.
He stressed that “we need to have
more stability in the supply and
demand of energy, because we are
the largest city in the world and also
the center of the economy in Japan.”
This means that Tokyo’s “state-of-theart urban functions” and the lifestyle
of its residents has to be maintained.
Understanding these crucial factors
has led to two initiatives: the first is
to be energy-prepared for the next
major disaster, and the second is to
diversify its energy sources. On top
of this, Tokyo, like other cities, must
play its part in combating global
climate change, which means that
“energy conservation is going to be
important and greenhouse gases must
be reduced. We must take a proactive
stance as a city.”
Hironori Hamanaka, Chair, ICLEI
Japan, and Chair, Board of Directors,
Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies (IGES), responded to a
“difficult” question on whether smart
city strategies were purely local
or could be universally applied.
Hamanaka pointed out that cities
vary enormously, even within Japan,
and there is even greater diversity
around the world. Hamanaka noted
that Japan’s cities are experiencing
“a nationwide aging and declining
population, a birthrate issue.” This
is a particularly serious problem for
rural regions where “you can see a
decline in regional cities—they say
‘cities full of shutters.’” Hamanaka also
pointed out that the industrial structure
of cities is changing as production
moves overseas, causing “a decline or
decaying in cities.” Citing Kitakyushu’s
steel and chemical industry as an
example, he explained that because
industry is the center of the city’s
economy, its decline means “less tax
income, which causes deterioration
of the financial status.” Because of
and in spite of this, municipalities
“must invest in infrastructure. You need
to renew infrastructure or you need
to invest in welfare and in health and
medical systems.”
Acknowledging that generating the
money to make a city more livable
“is a great challenge,” Hamanaka
argued that “you have to adjust to the
financial state…you need to prioritize
and make it efficient.” Hamanaka
suggested that families should develop
self-help to care for the elderly in the
community, and that public works
needed to be enhanced, such as
Toyama’s ongoing project to increase
accessibility. “But you need to have
a compact city…because as a “lowcarbon, socially and economically
sustainable city, it becomes an easily
livable city…opportunities for people
to interchange and opportunities
for health, these all come down to
livability.” In tackling climate issues
simultaneously with social and economic
issues “compact cities is a direction
that everyone is looking at globally.”
Chandler added that he feels that
despite current economic issues, Japan
is still a world leader and that “Japan
is right at the forefront of … dealing
with energy issues.” He cited the
author William Gibson, who said that
whenever he wanted to see the future,
he went to Tokyo, “because that is the
world’s future.” |
Masahiro Shirakawa,
Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.,
Nobuko Asakai, Accenture
Japan, Toshifumi Yoshizaki,
IBM Japan (opposite, top to
bottom); Group considers the
big questions (above)
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler refocused the conversation
on whether Japan has the right mix of
energy supply, a question that Japan
has had to wrestle with “more intensely
than almost any other major economy,
especially since 2011.” Chandler
highlighted Japan’s flexible and rapid
adjustment to suddenly losing 30%
of its energy supply when nuclear
power was removed from its portfolio
after the Fukushima nuclear power
plant disaster. “It is hard to imagine
another major economy adapting that
successfully to such a huge shock in
its energy portfolio.”
Minoru Takeda, Country Chairman,
Shell Japan, agreed that “the whole
world was amazed … Japan didn’t
have blackouts even though 30%
[of power production] was reduced.”
Japan increased their gas mix in
power generation from 29% in 2010
to 43% in 2013, and increased
their LNG use from 70 million tons
to 87 million tons—around 38% of
the world’s LNG availability. “So the
demand side and supply side globally
cooperated together and we were
able to secure emergency supplies.”
Looking to the future, Takeda agreed
that “a resilient energy mix is necessary.”
Without nuclear there is too much
reliance on fossil fuels, “but we have
to emphasize renewables as well.”
Government efforts have to focus on
securing the best energy mix and
supply that could resist future shocks.
Nobuo Tanaka, Global Associate for
Energy Security and Sustainability,
Institute of Energy Economics, Japan
(IEEJ), added that the government is
deliberating on the difficult question of
the proportions of each source for the
right energy mix. For energy security
and sustainability “there is no silver
bullet,” he asserted. “Nuclear cannot
solve everything, renewable cannot
solve everything.” Japan needs gas
and some oil in case of emergencies,
and coal, if technology could make it
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Finding the
Right Energy Mix
HOW DO WE FUEL JAPAN’S
CITY OF THE FUTURE?
cleaner. “We need all of them,” he
argued, adding, “energy-efficiency
conservation is also key.” Tanaka
recognized that as each energy
source comes with different costs
and benefits, “we have to make a
judgment and balance between cost,
sustainability and energy security.”
Although the IEA is pushing for a
20% nuclear mix, Tanaka believes
a 30% nuclear mix is needed to
meet the challenge of sustainability.
He interpreted the government’s
call for reducing nuclear to mean
“reducing the share of the light water
reactor, not nuclear.” He advised
that “we need to replace it with a
fast reactor or advanced reactor …
which has less risk of proliferation and
is much easier for high-level waste
management.” Tanaka pointed out
that “there is already a solution in the
U.S.” He added: “We have to do it in
Fukushima.” What’s more, “Fukushima
Daini, the second nuclear power plant
in Fukushima, is a place where we
should demonstrate the technologies
readily available from the U.S.,” to
encourage uptake in Japan and other
countries. Tanaka acknowledged
this will be “really challenging,”
but argued that the way to restore
confidence in Japanese technology
and regain public trust in nuclear
was to “show that we can deal
with the Fukushima cleanup, and
beyond Fukushima, the new nuclear
technology, which is definitely
necessary … for Japan in the future.”
On this issue Tanaka knew he was
“challenging the public, challenging
the politicians,” and to his surprise
had received “fairly good support
from the nuclear community.” Their
investment in the light water reactor
system made them reluctant to change
technologies, “but there is no other
way.” Tanaka stressed that “we
cannot convince the public by just
saying, ‘We can go with the current
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
technology … we can go with light
water reactors.’ No way. We need
something new that is manageable
and already exists to convince the
Japanese public that, ‘Hey, nuclear
may have a future.’”
Tanaka then turned to coal, which
he considers “important for energy
security” because of its abundance.
The growing Asian economy is going
to use coal, so “Japan should help
these countries use coal as cleanly as
possible.” Japan could demonstrate
and offer its cleaner coal technology
and very efficient coal power plants,
as well as carbon capturing and
storage. However, Tanaka expressed
caution about expanding coal power,
asserting that it should only be used
where carbon capture and storage
(CCS) could be added later. “CCS
readiness is a condition to use coal
power plants in Japan,” he explained.
“We could demonstrate CCS with…
new efficient technologies,” showing
that coal can work with a certain level
of carbon price called the joint crediting
mechanism. “This is an important way
to transfer technologies to India or
ASEAN countries,” he concluded.
The conversation then turned to nuclear
power. Tomoaki Kobayakawa,
General Manager, Corporate
Marketing and Sales Department,
Customer Service Company, Tokyo
Electric Power Company (TEPCO),
expressed his company’s regret for the
events at Fukushima. He went on to
explain that although nuclear energy
was criticized, Japan has to “face
the fact that we don’t have our own
energy, so we have to rely on fossil
fuels. However, we have to reduce
the use of fossil fuels.” Kobayakawa
argued that although “nuclear power
generation has experienced an accident
…it is the ultimate way to generate
energy without burning fossil fuels.”
In considering other energy sources
Kobayakawa said there is hydro, LNG
and coal, and that “from our point of
view, we don’t have a preference on
using more LNG or more coal.” He
added that they want to reduce energy
usage but also must “generate energy
to use in the city,” adding that he
believes “we should not separate the
supply and demand side.”
Komiyama expanded the conversation
proposing that “you have to look at
[energy] as a global issue and…think
about the difference in the conditions of
developing nations and industrialized
nations.” Komiyama explained that
in industrialized nations, energy
consumption is declining because of
the abundant availability of goods.
For example, Japan’s 58 million cars
are regularly replaced, “so Japan’s
gasoline consumption is declining by
2% each year.” By 2050 “factories
will be about one-fifth,” and “energy
efficiency will improve by three times.”
This would significantly reduce the
energy consumption of industrialized
nations. Komiyama added, “I don’t
think we can build a new nuclear
reactor,” which would be expensive
and unpopular with the public.
Komiyama also stressed that it would
cost about the same to develop new
nuclear power as to develop new
mega solar power, pointing out that
with solar power, PV or renewables
“you spend a lot of upfront investment.
But after that it is virtually zero cost.”
What’s more, PV is “very durable”
and remains highly efficient over time.
With this in mind, and considering that
PV is “not that expensive,” Komiyama
urged that “the Japan model should
be a 100% renewable energy mix,”
maybe by 2050. “Technically and
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
technology wise it is viable,” he
asserted. This would mean that in
Japan, “energy consumption will be
one-third, and we will be able to
supply energy 100% by renewable.
This is where we should aim for, I
believe … hopefully that will be the
picture of the world energy mix. There
will be no gas necessary.” Komiyama
hopes that this model could be expanded
to the whole world’s energy mix by
2100, speculating that, “Energy costs
will be cheaper. I think electricity will
probably be free.”
Teruyuki Ohno, Executive Director,
Japan Renewable Energy Foundation,
picked up on Komiyama’s ideas,
stating that three positive things had
come out of the 3/11 earthquake.
First, energy efficiency had improved.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government had
set major corporations a goal of 8%
CO2 reduction between 2010 and
2014—a target that “people said
could not be done.” But after 3/11
“improvements have been made in
terms of energy conservation, and
we have reduced CO2 by 22%.”
Second, renewable energy has made
progress. From 2000 to 2010
renewable energy increased only by
0.5%; however, “in the past two years
it has increased by two percentage
points.” The third point is that energy
supply has diversified to include
“smaller players” alongside the major
utilities. Ohno urged that “these three
advantages should be brought to
the fore and promoted.” However,
coal-fired power plants and nuclear
power plants remain in the energy mix
despite the technological advances of
renewables because “the government
is not promoting [renewables] enough.”
in terms of supply Muraki agreed
about the need to establish the best
energy mix and feels that nuclear is a
part of that. “American shale gas will
be developed in the Asian market,” he
said, adding, “it is going to be more
dynamic. It is going to become more
flexible. Natural gas is considered to
be very expensive in Asia, but I think
it will converge to a more reasonable
price.” The gas pipeline from Russia
would also make a difference. Muraki
stated that it is important for Japan’s
supply to become “more flexible and
more diversified.”
Turning to the smart city, Muraki
pointed out that energy is essential
for powering the service infrastructure
of smart cities. But we have to find
ways to make the energy supply both
resilient and environmentally friendly.
To achieve this, “diversification…and
renewable energies are going to be
very important [for] the city.” Muraki
emphasized that electricity, gas and
heat must be integrated in a network
for effective use. An autonomous
energy system must also be established
for resilience. What’s more, a city’s
residents must be satisfied—all while
ensuring that Japan remains globally
competitive. “Resilience as well sustainability is going to be very important
from the point of view of energy,”
Muraki concluded. |
Nobuo Tanaka,
The Institute of Energy
Economics, Japan (IEEJ),
Hiroshi Komiyama,
Mitsubishi Research
Institute (opposite, left to right);
Minoru Takeda,
Shell Japan (below)
Shigeru Muraki, Vice Chairman and
Director, Tokyo Gas Company, Ltd.
believes that in Japan’s energy policy
there is too much emphasis on supply
and the country needs “to be focused
on the demand side more.” However,
13
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler moved the conversation
to focus on energy efficiency and
conservation, highlighting Japan’s
history of success following the 1970’s
oil crisis and the 3/11 earthquake.
Chandler asked whether Japan
has already maximized its energy
efficiency or whether significant
improvements were still possible.
Murakami began by asserting that
Tokyo’s power consumption per GDP
was probably the best in the world,
demonstrating that “Japan has become
energy efficient.” Agreeing with other
attendees, he expressed the need for
“an argument from the demand side.”
While energy efficiency has improved
since 1973, he feels the new system
had not “guaranteed a high-quality
life … and that is a problem.”
He explained that powering cities
involves energy consumption (demand)
and supply. In terms of consumption,
Japan has become very efficient and
“even if we don’t do anything we will
continue to improve…and be ahead of
the world.” However, in terms of supply
“there are a lot of new challenges”
after the 3/11 earthquake. Murakami
explained that resilience means both
strengthening against supply stresses
and making Japan’s actual supply
system resistant to the natural disasters
that threaten Japan. Murakami urged
the building of such resilience into
Japan’s energy system.
Improving Energy
Efficiency and
Conservation
HOW CAN JAPAN’S TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP ADVANCE ENERGY
EFFICIENCIES IN ITS CITIES?
that photovoltaic and renewable
energies will increase significantly.
Finally, he thinks that fuel cells and
battery energy management will
be very important for the network.
He acknowledged the problem of
the distance between supply and
demand, saying that they must ensure
“a compact alignment of demand and
supply of renewable energy,” which
would “encompass the design of the
city as well.”
Hamanaka thinks that energy
efficiency still has room for improvement. He said that two oil crises have
made industry energy efficient, but
steelmaking, for example, “still has
challenges to overcome” in moving
to a low-carbon society. However,
Hamanaka suggested that perhaps
Japan’s greatest efficiency gains will
lie in the private sector—households.
He expressed concern that Japan’s
housing, especially older houses,
have low insulation performance
compared to other advanced nations.
Murakami emphasized that Japan’s
energy consumption per household
“is about half [that of] Western
countries.” This is due to the simplicity
of Japanese life, with many houses not
using heating. He agreed that home
insulation is poor, which undermines
health and living standards, and
that “compared to industry and
transportation, energy consumption
in the housing sector is increasing.”
As Japan’s offices have the world’s
lowest energy consumption, it is
arguable that in the private sector
“there are more improvements to be
made.” Asked about new technologies,
Murakami said that solar power
could turn most households into energy
generators, but questioned whether
people feel it is worth the investment.
He concluded that “the technology is
there, including energy conservation
technology, so it is really about how
to penetrate that.” |
Hironori Hamanaka,
ICLEI Japan and Institute
for Global Environmental
Strategies (IGES) (left);
Shuzo Murakami, Institute
for Building Environmental
and Energy Conservation
(IBEC), Tomoaki Kobayakawa,
Tokyo Electric Power Company
(TEPCO) (below, left to right)
Kobayakawa stressed three key
points. First, that Japan has to
overcome its energy vulnerability.
He noted that cars are 100% reliant
on oil and that for heating and nonelectricity energy “we have to reduce
our dependence on fossil fuels.”
He cited the adoption of central
heating by Western countries and
suggested that heat pumps could
enhance primary energy efficiency
by a factor of three. Second, turning
to technology, Kobayakawa believes
14
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
15
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler now turned the discussion
to energy in transportation and how
Japan is solving the problem of moving
people more efficiently.
Yoichi Hori, Professor, University of Tokyo,
stated that for him the problem with
electric cars is the limited driving distance
before recharging. He finds it strange
that people think batteries for a 50-kilometer drive were “good enough.”
Instead he looked ahead to an electric
car with motor capacitor and wireless.
The gas engine would be replaced
by an electric motor, bringing many
benefits, including controllability and
improved fuel efficiency “by two or
three factors.” Today’s chemical-based
wire capacitor batteries would be
replaced by supercapacitors “capable
of recharging several millions of times”
instead of mere thousands.
For recharging, Hori thought quickcharge stations will become obsolete
because “it is better to use wireless
functions to directly supply energy to
the car.” Cars that rely on batteries
will always have a short driving
distance, which may be suitable for
cities but not long journeys. Instead,
Hori is researching wireless transfer,
which is a completely new way of
delivering electricity to the car without
plugging into anything. Hori hopes
for a wide uptake but thinks that calls
for wireless transfer to be in place
by 2020 are unrealistic, adding,
“I think it will take 100 years.” Hori
acknowledged that car manufacturers
“are doing a good job with cars but
we have to do something better with
infrastructure.” He hopes that such
technology may be realizable within
50 years, explaining that “wireless
transfer of energy is relatively easy
compared to improving roads,” with
several kilowatts of wireless transfer
antenna costing about 100 yen.
“So, the infrastructure, which people
think is going to be very expensive,
is going to be relatively cheap.”
16
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Developing Sustainable
Transport Systems
WHAT IS NEXT FOR IMPROVING
TRANSPORT EFFICIENCIES IN
JAPAN’S CITIES?
Yutaka Matsumoto, Project General
Manager, Toyota Motor Corporation,
stressed that Toyota is taking wireless
energy transfer very seriously, but it
isn’t “something that can be realized
overnight.” This means that lithium-ion
batteries will remain important for
electric vehicles. Matsumoto shared
Toyota’s strategy for next-generation
cars, saying that cars are no longer
stand-alone products but must be
combined with infrastructure. Linking
technology with social infrastructure
“will lead to smart communities.”
This is ultimately linked to urban
planning for compact cities, a
good case in point. “People who
are thinking about urban planning
and people who are thinking about
infrastructure will have to work in
collaboration.” This could help to
develop a new generation of cars
for the future. Toyota referred to this
as “smart communities” rather than
“smart cities,” because “when we think
about next-generation cars, it should
also encompass rural areas as well.”
Similarly, the next generation of cars
should cater to an aging population.
This means that future car design will
have to consider the consumer as
well as energy efficiency. “Even if
we have outstanding technology,
it has to be meaningful for society.
If it is not welcomed by the citizens, it
will not have any social significance.”
He feels that for most consumers,
the current electric vehicles “are
not compelling enough in terms
of technology.”
Crucial to next-generation cars is
selecting the best energy supply.
While wireless transfer is being
perfected, Matsumoto believes that
“various technology-driven cars will
be introduced to the world” that will
require technology to support them.
Here Toyota believes that hydrogen
energy is promising for high-speed
refueling, especially as the limitations
of lithium-ion batteries cannot be
17
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
overcome. Toyota is preparing to
introduce fuel cell cars capable of
running for several hundred kilometers
and several hours on just a few
minutes’ charge. This will make
them “fun, convenient and practical
to drive.” Although, hydrogen
infrastructure will need to improve,
and “hydrogen energy can be seen
as promising in terms of energy
supply. That is the reason why
companies are working on fuel cell
cars as well as hydrogen-driven cars
and electric vehicles.”
Responding to a question on whether
auto-drive vehicles could deliver energy
savings (for example, by reducing
traffic jams and moving in lockstep),
Matsumoto noted that all car manufacturers are developing auto-drive
technology. He feels that complete
auto-driving will be possible in the
future and would probably work best
on highways. However, he doubted
that people will suddenly mass convert
to auto-drive because “people want
to drive. There is that desire.” Toyota,
therefore, is exploring partial autodrive, which “can instruct us as to the
most efficient route or be a drive-assist
function for the elderly … it could break
in an emergency or make sure that
you stay in the lane.” By incorporating
elements of auto-drive technology,
“we can make existing cars more
convenient and comfortable,”
Matsumoto added.
Dr. Nobuyuki Ozaki, Senior Fellow,
Railway & Automotive Systems Division,
Social Infrastructure Systems Company,
Toshiba, agreed that mobility is a
big issue, highlighting that although
Tokyo is “well organized … there is still
congestion.” Ozaki believes that city
commutes would only be about 50 kilometers, but that commutes from outside
the city would have to be handled
differently. “In the last mile, we can
use very compact mobility measures,”
he said. “All the transportation modes
18
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
should be connected, so that better
[services] can be provided.” Emphasizing the continued importance of cars,
he explained that they must combine
high performance and low energy
consumption. “If we can find a new
[technological] breakthrough, new
possibilities may emerge,” he said,
especially semiconductors, which
“require no power supply and are
durable for 100 years.” He concluded
that “we believe powerless could
emerge in the future.”
David Braun, Director of Outreach,
National Geographic, summarized
the discussion so far as falling under
four broad themes. First was the human
dimension: “Bringing out the best thing
that humans do, the thoughtfulness,
the sensitivity, the need to be more
people-friendly in our cities and
infrastructure. The concern for health
in making cities more livable, and the
concern for aging and loneliness in
terms of how cities on the fringes get
rebuilt to very smart mobility standards
to benefit elderly people.”
The second theme was renewal: “Our
ability to constantly reinvent ourselves.
Infrastructure needs to be smarter…
the use of smart roads that work with
vehicles. The vehicles themselves
have to be designed and operated
in conjunction with the roads and
general infrastructure. We also heard
about the ‘renewal cycle’ of needing
to reinvent cities as more compact,
and making them more human yet
more efficient at the same time.”
The third theme was the need to be
strategic and resilient. “Japan has
already shown this remarkable ability
to adapt and recover following the
3/11 earthquake. We heard that
there were no blackouts because
Japan could take in natural gas …
also about remarkable efficiencies on
the consumption side. All of society
across the planet has to be thinking
Nobuyuki Ozaki,
Toshiba Corporation,
Yoichi Hori, The University
of Tokyo (opposite, top to bottom);
Yutaka Matsumoto, Toyota
Motor Corp. (above,center);
David Braun, National
Geographic (left, center);
Moderator wraps up
discussions (below)
about making ourselves more resilient.
There will be more tsunamis and
earthquakes. There will be wars and
political disruptions.”
And the final theme was innovation.
“There were many remarkable and
exciting ideas on all kinds of products
and energy. Who knows—maybe
in 50 years’ time we will have this
abundance of energy that will cost
us nothing and be constantly,
completely renewable.”
Chandler agreed that energy issues
are complex and unpredictable
because of these factors. He gave
the example of decades of U.S.
anxiety over its dependence on
oil imports, which was suddenly
resolved through fracking. “The U.S.
is exporting energy again—something
no one considered.” |
19
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Chandler now asked attendees
to imagine they were in charge of
Japan’s energy policy and explain
what their top priorities would be.
Hiroshi Komiyama: “I believe that
from 2050 we can depend on
renewable energies alone because
energy consumption will be reduced
by a factor of three. We should
have alignment on this and control
the transition toward this goal.” For
example, in Kyushu and Hokkaido,
where there is significant photovoltaic
energy but low demand, “transmission
lines should be constructed … as a
public-sector initiative.”
Nobuo Tanaka: “First and foremost,
we must improve and reorganize
transmission lines.” Explaining that
Japan is divided, with some power
supplied at 50 Hz and some at 60 Hz,
he called for integration into “a large
single energy market.” Tanaka also
considered purchasing renewable
energy, perhaps from the Gobi Desert,
but to accommodate this “we have to
improve the network in Japan.”
Teruyuki Ohno: “Energy is not just
electricity...there is thermal power
too. So heat and electricity need to
be produced together.” Ohno called
for increased co-generation and
distribution, hoping that all energy
supply will be renewable by 2050
or earlier.
Hironori Hamanaka: “In terms of
energy policy infrastructure investment,
the national government’s role is
important, but at the same time...
each local municipality is doing very
interesting things...We need to share
those experiences, learn the lessons,”
and scientists, researchers, local
cities and municipalities all have
important roles to play. Hamanaka
noted that ICLEI (International Council
for Local Initiatives) joined together
over 1,000-member cities around
20
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Key Priorities for Energy
in Japan’s Cities
the world to share knowledge and
work together towards sustainability.
Climate-change issues are directly
linked to carbon emissions, and
this requires accurate measuring,
reporting, and evaluation. This will
enable cities to “compete with and
learn from each other.”
Chandler refocused the discussion
on business.
Masahiro Shirakawa: Global and
local alignment is a priority for
Shirakawa. Japan “can share its
experiences,” and “showcase to the
world how we have resolved our
energy issues so that we can have a
coalition—we can make contributions
globally.” Japan’s manufacturers
should work together to realize this.
Shigeru Muraki: “We have to
liberalize and deregulate. We have
to have more players in the energy
sector, so innovation can be brought
to bear.” Japan needs to “make
sure that the best model for energy
usage is developed and deployed
globally.” Japan’s efforts should
focus on innovation. For example,
fuel cell vehicles are important and
Japan leads the world in hydrogen
innovation. This is where “we must
make further progress … so that it will
lead to a low-carbon society when
new technologies are developed.”
Nobuko Asakai: “As part of corporate
reporting I would ensure we shared our
different indexes. So each company’s
energy consumption performance or
environmental performance is reported
and SRI investment index is too.” This
would help reduce energy consumption
because “it is not just about cost. You
have to also look at the investor’s view
and make sure that it builds corporate
enterprise value as well.” Asakai agreed
that innovation is crucial, and that “by
using open innovation, we can nurture
ventures and incubate them.”
21
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Chandler directed the discussion to cities.
Teruyuki Ohno, Executive
Director, Japan Renewable
Energy Foundation, Hiroshi
Komiyama, Mitsubishi
Research Institute, Satoshi
Chida, Tokyo Metropolitan
Government (above, top row, left
to right); Hidetomo Nagata,
PricewaterhouseCoopers,
Hideki Mori, City of Yokohama,
Shigeru Muraki, Tokyo Gas
Co., Ltd. (above, bottom row,
left to right); Jefferson Edwards,
Shell (opposite)
22
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
Satoshi Chida: “Tokyo will host the
Olympics in 2020, so from the demand
side we must further promote energy
conservation as we have been promoting cap-and-trade for large users. We
must continue to promote areas where
advances are being made.” Innovation
is essential and hydrogen energy
should be encouraged, first within the
public sector and then in the private
sector, perhaps through subsidies.
Hidetomo Nagata: “The 2020
Tokyo Olympics are a very important
opportunity for us to make progress,”
where Japan will be able to display
its innovations to the world. “Lowcarbon and resilient, green and smart
technologies should be showcased.
The city’s competitiveness can be
enhanced at the same time.”
Chandler now reframed the question
to ask what attendees would do if
given billions of dollars to solve the
energy problem.
Yoichi Hori: “We should have electricityrun highways in Tokyo; perhaps 500
billion yen would be required. I think
that 20 or 30 years down the road we
can do this because Toyota will provide
the cars.” Also, gradual improvements
could be made to Tokyo’s infrastructure
in the run-up to the Olympics.
As Chandler opened up the floor to
final thoughts, Hori reemphasized the
importance of improving Japan’s electric
grid. “When electricity is generated, it
has to be used as quickly as possible.
Batteries are improving…but it is not the
way to use energy.” The 50-Hz and
60-Hz grids have to be standardized.
Acknowledging that it is a “major
project,” Hori said change should
be made gradually, that it could be
done in 30 years, and that it must be
done “in order to use natural energies.”
It was also noted that transitional
management was key, as with any
major changes in the energy mix. A
nationwide campaign was suggested
to ensure public engagement and
consensus with the fundamental changes
being discussed and implemented.
Chandler handed the floor over to
Jefferson Edwards, General Manager,
Global Gas and LNG Market
Development, Shell. He reflected on
his own experience of living in Tokyo,
which reinforced the idea of sustainable
communities rather than sustainable
cities, saying that “Tokyo as a city is
many communities…local communities,
communities of businesses, communities
of academics, communities of friends.”
He explained that Shell, in partnership
with the Centre for Liveable Cities had
recently conducted a study about what
a “sustainable city” really is. “We looked
at 500 cities, and we broke them into
six archetypes. The one thing that really
struck me was that we had to classify
Tokyo as a ‘sprawling megacity.’”
Edwards feels Japan’s challenge
moving forward will be demographic
change. For example, demographic
change means that in Japan’s midsize
cities and rural communities the cost
of the “last kilometer of service—
whether it is for energy, water or road,”
has gone up rather than down. Shell’s
study suggested that cities would
become more compact and more
vertical. “The best way to capture
housing efficiency is to cluster people
in a more vertical city. It is a significant
challenge, but I have no doubt that
when I come back in another 20
years or so, that combination of
brains, skill and energy will have
met these challenges.”
Finally Edwards noted that “resilience”
“has been the word of the day.” The
enormous resilience displayed after
the 3/11 earthquake led Edwards
to conclude that “all of the cities of
Japan will continue to be leaders,
not followers, in terms of what a
sustainable city means.” Edwards
thanked Clay Chandler “for his energy
wit and wisdom,” and thanked all
of the participants “for sharing their
wisdom and insight in a stimulating
discussion.” Finally Edwards thanked
National Geographic for arranging
the event, expressing Shell’s appreciation
for “the opportunity to work on the
Great Energy Challenge in Tokyo
as well as other cities.” |
23
THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
} Cities are complex and delicately
balanced entities that face deep
challenges but also offer tremendous
opportunities, especially as the global
population rises. Although Japan’s
overall population is declining, it is
a population concentrated in urban
areas that continue to expand. As
world cities grow and consume more
energy, still largely based on fossil
fuels, there are real opportunities for
diversification of energy supply, more
effective energy use and improvements
in urban transportation. Tokyo presents
a positive example of what could
be achieved, being the largest and
arguably the most energy-efficient
“smart city” in the world—especially
in the context of Japan’s dependence
on energy imports and susceptibility
to natural disaster. It was held that by
making the right choices, cities could
provide a livable and environmentally
friendly solution to the problems of
population growth.
It proved difficult to clearly define a
“smart city,” with attendees preferring
alternatives including “smart community”
and “bespoke city.” However, it was
widely agreed that the term “smart city”
applies to more than energy and infrastructure; it extends to all aspects of
its residents’ lives. A city is made up
of many communities and IT could be
used to optimize services for these
In Summary
as well as for individuals. This will
require significant improvements
to infrastructure, as well as cultural
adaptation by the residents themselves.
Success would bring environmental,
economic and social benefits that
would make a city more livable.
Compact cities were held to be
the key to such success. In terms of
energy, cities have to balance supply
and demand, resilience and the
environment, while reinforcing the
quality of life for residents.
Japan’s energy mix has been
transformed since the Fukushima
nuclear power plant disaster of 3/11.
Nuclear power generation was
stopped and relatively seamlessly
replaced with increased imports of
oil and gas. This has increased
Japan’s dependence on fuel imports
and on fossil fuels, and the future
of its energy mix is hotly debated.
There were strong arguments both
for and against the reintroduction
of nuclear power. It was suggested
that Japan could showcase new,
safer nuclear technology. It was
also argued that the cost of this
was comparable to the cost of
developing renewables such as
mega solar. Some have hopes that
with government support Japan
could become 100% renewable
powered in the next few decades.
It was also noted that natural gas
will continue to play an essential
role in the Japanese energy mix,
and that even coal could play
a role if technology were used
to keep it clean and capture
carbon emissions.
In the area of energy efficiency, Japan’s
cities are already world leaders and
are expected to lead well into the future.
However, there is room for improvement,
especially on the supply side. Industry
is already largely energy efficient, so
it was held that some of the greatest
potential gains lie in the areas of housing
and insulation. Here, Japan could deploy
its technology leadership to make
improvements, with heat pumps, solar
power generation, home insulation and
electric vehicles all being discussed.
Electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
dominated the discussion on transport. It
was noted that Tokyo operates a highly
efficient integrated transport network yet
still suffers congestion. Technological
improvements in electric cars, ensuring
high performance, would make them
more attractive to consumers. Such
advances must go hand in hand with
expansions to the supporting infrastructure. As manufacturers work toward
cars operated by wireless transfer, still
considered decades away, technologies
such as hydrogen could offer important
stopgap solutions.
Looking at the energy priorities for
Japan’s cities, attendees agreed on
the vital necessity of a resilient energy
mix and a transition to renewable
energy. Improving and standardizing
the energy transmission network is
crucial, and everyone agreed that
Japan has a clear priority in continuing
to innovate in technology and share
its learnings with other countries. In
all of this, it is necessary to engage
the Japanese people in the energy
challenges and opportunities that
lie ahead. |
For more information, visit the Cities digital hub, with news stories,
blog posts and features from The Great Energy Challenge.
Go to bigenergyquestion.com/cities.
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
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THE BIG ENERGY QUESTION | SUSTAINABLE CITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN
THE BIG
ENERGY
QUESTION
SUSTAINABLE CITIES:
Challenges and
Opportunities
in Japan
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