Wrap This!

Monday was our last full day in Tokyo and began with a lesson in Furoshiki from Ms. Morita.



We weren't alone.



These energy company employees took 90 minutes out of their busy day to learn how to reduce their dependence on plastic bags...by wrapping their purchases...





...or making a hat...



...in elegently designed cloth.



Ms. Mortia has been pushing the benefits of Furoshiki for over a decade and has written several books - not only as an ingenius and playful way to wrap our consumables but also a way to preserve a fading Japanese tradition in the onslaught of convenient plastic packaging.



Dating back to the 8th century, these lovely textiles have been used as transport devices for merchants as well as laundry wraps in bath houses, gifts at weddings or funerals, and symbols to ward off evil spirits.



There are only a few traditional ways to wrap the Furoshiko but Mr. Morita has since developed over 100 designs like the Kimono Beauty.



The businessmen fumbled and smiled their way through the lesson and were good sports in going to the front of the class and acting the guinea pig, despite Cryptic Moth's ever-present cameras.





And while neither of us spoke the same language and required an interpreter (thanks go to Nikki), I could literally feel Ms. Morita's positive energy and enthusiasm for form with meaning. She had an angelic spirit and it was a priviledge to meet her.



Then back for to the hotel to pack for Australia...but not until a send-off "traditional" dinner with Tosh and Yoshi.



Ian ate a fish head. Gad ate eel. Yoshi had drinks and Tosh "the cleaner" finished off that which we left behind. The restaurant itself was spectacular but the company, even better.



It was hard to leave Japan. As crazy and surreal as it first seemed, we really got used to the efficient public transport, the rythym of crowd traffic, the barrage of stimuli, eclectic foods and down-home hospitality. Our regards to the friends and allies formed. We will miss you.



Out.

G+I

Moth in Translation

A Discovery colleague put us in touch with a Japanese “handler” – basically someone who helps set up shoots, acts as a translator and shows you parts of Japan most would never see. We met Tosh in the lobby and quickly bonded.



June is eco-month in Japan so our first stop was an environmental conference held by LOHAS (check google if you don’t know).





There were bamboo alternatives, weird aquariums and packaging alternatives called Furoshikis…but you will have to wait until the next blog to find out about these.



Then it was back to Harajuku station to meet the “nerds” – a bizarre collection of Lolita-esque French maids, anime girls and Goth boys who pose playfully for wide-eyed tourists.





It was an excellent chance to get Japanese colour for the doc and, boy, did they ever play along with our plastic props!



Part of the experience made us feel old and “normal” but what we got in return will make for some great television.



And it didn’t stop. Apparently 50’s rockabilly is alive and well in Japan. This clique of slick-haired dudes was eager to show their dance moves to another crowd of gawkers…and even Gad joined in! You’ll have to wait for the video of that.



A few meters away from the greasers, we entered a gauntlet of street performers piping out everything from heavy metal to big band to folk, all within feet from one another. The noise was deafening but the music and energy, intoxicating. This is truly a vibrant netherworld culture.



Our troupe soon grew in size as we were joined by director, Yoshi and his cameraman pal for a traditional Japanese lunch in Shibuya.



Then it was off to film crowd shots in one of the main intersections (think Lost in Translation) where a sea of people flooded the streets every 40 seconds.



A visit to a 9th floor bar, more shooting Shibuya in the neon glow and then back to a television studio to share war stories with our generous hosts ended a day we will never forget. Big hugs go out to our to our newfound friends.



Out.

G+I

From Tourist to Toxic Avenger

Friday was the quiet before the storm. Unable to film Mt. Fuji because of overcast skies, we visited the park that housed Meijingu Shrine near Harajuku station.



Enormous trees expelling fresh oxygen and dampening the urban din were so refreshing…and Zen.



Then we did a bit of shopping in an area called Shibuya – basically the Yorkville of Tokyo. We picked up a few souvenirs and then saw this cute little box…



We couldn’t resist. Inside, we chatted up Noboru, the bartender in charade-esque broken English. Hearing we were from Canada, he soon pulled out every bottle of Canadian booze he could find.



Then it was off to Roppongi, only this time at night…and what a difference! A Beatles tribute bar followed by Japan's finest reggae brought us well into the next morning...sorry, no photos.

The next morning Dr. Shige-san, an environmental geochemist from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology met us at the hotel. He is a leading expert on persistent organic pollutants (POP’s) like PCB or DDE absorbed by pre-production plastic pellets. These pellets are what plastic manufactures eventually turn into bags, cups, you name it.



Joined by two graduate students, Shige-san took us by train to the Pacific Ocean to collect more pellets from a popular beach for surfers.



As luck would have it, he wasn’t the only one interested in plastic litter. A university group just happened to be cleaning the beach...



...and the surfers quickly joined in. What luck!



After a few hours of filming, we had a quick lunch of sushi and tempura. Gado-san had tempura.



Then it was 3 hours travel to Shige-san’s laboratory where the pellets would be tested for POP’s. Previous samples have shown more than a million times more toxic chemicals in these pellets than the surrounding sea water. The big concern, according to Shige-san, is when birds or fish eat the pellets, those toxins could be leeching into the tissues of the animals…and if we eat the fish…



Shige-san is also testing the plastic for such things as flame retardants and other nasties used in the manufacturing of plastic. He continues to travel the world testing everything from rivers to garbage dumps. More research is definitely needed on the potential health effects to humans but Shige-san already avoids drinking his beer out of plastic cups or microwaving food in plastic. Food for thought.



We arrived back at the hotel for dinner around midnight. It was a long day but well worth the effort. Our thanks go out to Shige-san (a.k.a. Samurai Mass-Spec) for being so accommodating and for starting this long-overdue research. You are a true Samurai.

Out.

G+I