Building a Home: A Chance to Rethink Life from the Ground Up

After working at an advertising agency, Yayoi Minowa became independent and has long been involved in marketing planning for promotional activities and campaigns for consumer goods such as food and detergents.
As she investigated products from various angles to sell them, questions began to arise, such as: "Are detergents really good for the environment?" She wondered if our choices should be based solely on "price, design, and function."

Similarly, through her work with a major house builder, she began planning "if I were to build my own home..." about 10 years ago. With little information available on eco-friendly building materials and equipment, she encountered "OM Solar" at the intersection of environment and living. She found land in Tokyo and completed her house in 2000. However, she soon faced a major problem.

"I built my house looking for a place with a good environment, but about a month after moving in, I learned about plans to build a 60-meter-wide main road (Route 5 Radial) along the Tamagawa Josui walking path right near my home."

The area along Tamagawa Josui, one of the few remaining places for forest bathing within the 23 wards, is a precious natural and cultural heritage dating back to the Edo period. While she was naturally shocked at first, she says, "Through the opposition movement, I was able to connect with the local community."

Eco-Actions You Can Take in Everyday Life

Minowa explains that she wrote her second book, "Eco-Living for Everyone!"Environment（Eco）to compile and share the "eco-wisdom" she had been considering.

"I focused on actions and compiled things that we can practice ourselves. Eco issues often lack the part that connects the practice to its outcome. It's not just about saving energy; if we understand the current situation regarding global warming, food self-sufficiency, and energy resources, and can concretely imagine how our current actions connect to society, it becomes much easier. I wanted to share that with everyone."

If you think standby power is wasteful, try switching to an eco-friendly power strip. If you feel cold at night, use a hot water bottle. If you want to save water, switch to a water-saving showerhead (reducing shower time by just one minute per person saves 74 grams of CO2). Creating a "green curtain" with morning glories or other climbing plants on the south side of your house can significantly cool it down during the day in summer.

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but if you take action and find it feels good or enjoyable, you can continue. There are so many solutions, so the first step is "effortless eco." The secret to eco-living is not to overdo it."

Even Minowa admits that waste is still a challenge for her. "I bought a garbage disposer, but it uses a lot of electricity."


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