On March 22, the Ministry of the Environment held the "Good Life Award" ceremony at Roppongi Farm in Minato Ward, Tokyo. This award seeks to realize a sustainable society by encouraging individuals to reexamine their current lifestyles. It recognizes "lifestyles beneficial to the environment and society" and the initiatives (volunteer activities, services, technologies, etc.) that support them. For this inaugural award, 147 entries were received. Through an online public vote and review by the award committee, the Environment Minister's Awards were selected: one Grand Prize, three Excellence Awards, and six Good Life Special Awards. Additionally, 23 entries received the Special Jury Award.
Yasuhiro Shimizu, Director-General of the Environmental Policy Bureau at the Ministry of the Environment, stated, "We received diverse entries from a wide range of generations, each demonstrating ingenuity. We sincerely hope these activities continue and spread throughout communities. The Ministry of the Environment also intends to provide support."
Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto of Tokyo City University, Chair of the Judging Committee, remarked, "Global warming is worsening rapidly beyond predictions. We must renew our awareness and tackle this more seriously. The ten winning entries this time give us hope and courage."
The Sanriku Volunteer Divers, recipients of the Grand Prize, are engaged in debris removal and marine conservation activities to support the recovery of fisheries in the Sanriku coastal area, which suffered extensive damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake. Chairman Hiroshi Sato expressed his joy, saying, "I will report this award to the local fishermen and fellow divers. We want to keep building the seas of Tohoku."
For details, visit the award website.
The Environment Minister's Awards are as follows.
<Grand Prize>
・Restore the Sanriku Sea! (Sanriku Coastal Area Recovery and Conservation Activities) / Sanriku Volunteer Divers (Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture)
<Excellence Award>
・Yamaguchi Eat It All Campaign - Let's Eat Everything Deliciously! / Yamaguchi Prefecture Food Loss Reduction Promotion Council (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
・Polishing the "World's Jewel - Seto Inland Sea" - Practical Efforts to Hand Down a Clean Sea Free of Garbage to Future Children - / Green Partner Okayama (Okayama Prefecture)
・Shukatsu in the Countryside: Welcome to Kusunoki Clean Village, Living with Natural Energy / Kusunoki Clean Village (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
<Good Life Special Award>
Aim for a Good Life with the "Five Rules of Simple Living" and the "Simple Life Household Account Book" / Simple Life Promotion Center (Shizuoka Prefecture)
・Welcome Back Vegetables Project / Welcome Back Vegetables Project (Aichi Prefecture)
・Make the world happy with shopping! ~Re DESIGN PROJECT~ / UNY (Nationwide)
・Living Embraced by Nature: Toyooka's New Way of Life / Toyooka City (Hyogo Prefecture)
・Recycle Volunteer Community ~ A Community-Built Private Library / Information Station (Chiba Prefecture)
・Stand for Mothers Parent-Child Trash Pickup Project / Stand for Mothers (Tokyo)
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