This summer is quite different from past summers because we have to save power as much as possible. I suppose the places where all of you live have weather forecasts and most of you check them in the morning. But do you check electricity (consumption) forecasts (Denki Yoho in Japanese)? I do so not only in the morning but also in the afternoon when electricity demand reaches a peak.Each electric power company such as Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) lets us know every day the current percentage of available electricity that is being used as well as the maximum supply capacity and the predicted maximum demand of the day.
As for today’s forecast, the maximum supply is 5460 (ten thousand KW) and the predicted maximum demand is 5060. This means that electricity consumption is within the safe range. When the amount of electricity consumption is safe, TEPCO's indicators show green. As the demand forecast becomes higher, TEPCO changes the color to yellow to urge us to take effective action. And if the condition becomes dangerously tight, the color turns red. You can see what it looks like here. I suppose the forecasts have worked well so far and are helping us saving power. Since the March 11 nuclear accident, we have been obliged to look at the issue of electricity consumption in a different light and have become accustomed to a new way of life in which we are very conscious of saving power.
All the businesses and individual households have been requested by the government to reduce their electricity consumption by 15% during this summer. It looks like almost everyone, including manufacturing companies, is trying to save power and has been quite successful in doing so. As a result, we haven’t had blackouts this summer so far though it has been awfully hot and humid since the rainy season ended.One of the eye-catching ads that the East Japan Railway Company has for this summer is “Switch off Air Conditioning and Travel Somewhere Cool”. Since the JR poster bearing this copy looked very appealing, we decided to faithfully follow its recommendation and traveled to Nikko. We didn’t ride JR trains, though.
JR poster →
Nikko National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Japan and it is not very far away from my house. It only takes a couple of hours by train (not JR but Tobu) to get there from Asakusa in Tokyo. The Park is blessed with cool weather, the natural beauty of lakes, waterfalls, marshes and highlands, the sumptuous shrines and temples of Nikko which are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and really nice hot springs for relaxation. I love Nikko, for it has the right elements for enjoyment and the travel cost is quite inexpensive.
Lake Chuzenji was created 20,000 years ago by Mt.Nantai's eruption that blocked the river.
Its elevation is 1,269 m.
Japanese thistles
Tsurigane-ninjin(ツリガネニンジン：Adenophora triphylla (Thunb.) A.DC.var. japonica (Regel) H.Hara）
The Ryuzu Falls
Hozaki-shimotsuke(Spiraea salicifolia)
We walked through the highlands where Hozakishimotsuke, a type of Japanese Spiraea, were in full bloom.
Senjyogahara Marsh
I'll post about the World Heritage sites in Nikko next time.
Taiyuin (Rinnō-ji : 輪王寺) in Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture
related post about blackouts: Nightscapes in the woodblock prints
34 comments:
Nikko National Park looks very much like the area around where I live next to the Ouachita Mountains in SE Oklahoma, USA. These are beautiful photos.
We have a picture, somewhere, of my mom and us kids standing in front of a temple that looks very much like this one. I was born in Japan in 1947 and we lived there for 5 years.
Hello! I have found you through Girl Wizard. I love this post. These photos are so beautiful.
Energy consumption is something that concerns us all. I wish it wasn't such a politically charged issue here in the US. We take it for granted. We visit family in Lebanon every year, and the government shuts off electricity for hours at a time. People do have generators, but it is always an oddity to have to remember what hours you can and can't do little things like iron clothes or blow-dry your hair...especially when you are used to electricity always being there at the flip of a switch.
Welcome back, my dear sapphire. Your post has me feeling sobered and humbled. We've had rolling brown-outs and a few, localized power failures but I have no direct experience with what you describe.
Your photographs, as always, are breathtaking. I am so happy to have this place to visit.
we should all have such awareness of electricity consumption. what a good idea!
as for nikko, it's gorgeous!! what a heaven...
welcome back!
Welcome back, Sapphire (and thanks for the comment on "The traditions of Tairappyo). Looking at your elegant and well composed photos of Nikko helped me to cool off on a hot evening in Zurich. I guess once again Japan is in the lead here: it's time the entire planet started thinking about its energy consumption...
Welcome back! Nikko is gorgeous - fabulous photos. I love how Japan has asked for voluntary compliance on energy consumption and that it worked. That would never work in the USA. In my crazy country we have politicians who want to shut the Environmental Protection Agency. Those same people resent any governmental intervention to save energy, be it using efficient light bulbs or taxing big oil.
A wonderland! 日本 言って, 見目麗しいでしょう! And I admire the willingness to work together for the greater good. So glad you are back with stories to tell and pictures to show, dear Sapphire! When I was in southern Japan, living on the coast, the foreigners used to laugh at the Haro-注意報!
What a beautiful place the park is; I think I could live there and be quite content looking at all those serene photos you have posted. We are always watching our electricity consumption because we try to save money; electricity is a very expensive part of our budget especially in summer; we use fans and set the air higher to conserve.
Linda
Welcome and thanks for your comment. If you lived in Kanto when you were in Japan, I think it is likely that you went to Nikko with your family because Nikko is a very popular place for the people in Kanto to visit.
Maggie
Welcome and thanks for your comment. As you say, most of us, including me, didn't realize how we had been used to electricity always being there before March 11. We are now trying hard to find ways to promote the use of solar power, wind power and other sources of natural energy.
Suze
Thanks! Fortunately, the weather was fine when I stayed in Nikko so I could take some photos.
zoe
Thanks! A little funny that the electricity consumption forecasts look like traffic lights; green, yellow, and red.
Hyakumeizan
Thanks! oh I guess Japan lags a lot behind some European countries such as Denmark in using natural energy. Anyway, I too believe it's time the entire planet started thinking about its energy consumption.
Sarah
Thanks! I don't think your country is crazy. There were and are also in my country many special-interest politicians who push the interests of a certain industry. I think Japan was really crazy because we built many nuclear plants in the country of earthquakes and tsumamis....
Rouchswalwe
Long time no see! And thanks! Oh you remember Haro(波浪）-注意報！Most of us don't care about them nor about Ooame(大雨 heavy rain)-注意報 because Chuiho are not Keiho(warnings). At present, we have an ooame-注意報 here. It is just RAINING!!
Linda
Thanks! You are so right! To save power is to save money. Surprisingly, I was able to save money on the electric bill in July by 20%(compared with that of last July)!! I use fans too.
Las fotografías son muy hermosas, captan la belleza de la naturaleza en su magnífico hábitat.
Me parece muy interesante y responsable el seguir los consejos acerca del consumo de electricidad.
Un cordial saludo
Las pinturas de la derecha son de una belleza que atrapa al contemplarlas…
Saludos
Save power is a huge topic and it concern almost all countries around the world. it's good that you should remind us of this.
And the photos of Nikko National Park are just stunning!
Sneyder
Welcome to my blog and thanks so much for your lovely comment!
DeeBee L
Thanks! We have experienced so-called “scheduled rolling blackouts” due to the shortage of power so I guess we are more nervous than you about saving power.
Your photos from Nikko are stunning, Sapphire! I lingered for some time, soaking in the beauty and the tranquility. Thank you for sharing!!
It's unfortunate how Japan came to monitor electricty, but the system you described is also a beacon for other countries to follow. Mother Nature is unhappy with so much.
It was on the news that about $78 million had been found within the earthquake's area and returned to owners. Such integrity and honesty are also a beacon for the world to follow!
Welcom back, Sapphire! Looks like you had a great vacation. Nikko National Park must be one of the best places where we can unwind and relax ourselves. I feel cool air wafting from your pictures. I’ve travelled around Kirifuri Kogen, Chuzenji-ko, and Toshogu before we had a child many years ago. My husband and I cycled around the pastoral area visiting flowering meadow or falls but we didn’t take such beautiful photos as yours.
Looking forward to your next post,
Yoko
Kittie
Welcome back too, Kittie. I'm very glad that you are back. Oh I didn't know the news about 578 million. In Japan, there is a very good chance that lost property will be found but of course there are some thieves and robbers.
stardust
Thanks! We didn't go on a hike to Kirifuri Kogen this time. We walked mainly around the Senjogahara and Odashirogahara marshes. It was 20~21℃ there. A good news about Nikko is I saw many tourists from abroad.
水辺のツリガネニンジンたちの可憐なこと♪
こんな秘密の花園があったんですね＾＾＊
わたしも旅したような気持ちになれました
ありがとうございます
しばらく 涼しいと ほっとしますね
どうぞ おいとい下さいませ…☆
Jist to see your pictures made me feel really cool.
It was a good idea and good evacuation from the heat that you stayed Nikko with your family.
It must be refreshing walking there. Thank you for sharing these gorgeous nature through your photos.
吟遊詩人さん
ツリガネニンジン、わたしはここで初めて見ました。薄いブルーの可憐な花で気に入りました。くれぐれもご自愛くださいませ。ありがとうございます。
haricot
昨日雨が降り、こちらはようやく涼しくなりました。今日は２３度ぐらいかな。関西はまだ暑いと思います。ご自愛くださいね。ありがとうございます。
Sapphire, it seems to be a good way of life to think to save energy as often as it is possible.
Your photos of Nikko are so peaceful! I especially like those of the lake Chuzenji. They are so beautiful! Thank you to share them and enjoy your weekend.
Anne
Anne
Thanks! I was really glad to find some tourists from France in Nikko. They had le Guide Michelin with them. I had a chance to talk with them. I doubted if I made myself understood in French..
The scorching heat has been giving way to coolness in a few days here as well.
I found the electricity I used in July was reduced by 30% compared with that of last July. I knew a little consciousness and some device makes a big difference.
The pictures, especially the ones of Lake Chuzenji are marvelous.
Thank you for sharing great pictures.
Dear Sapphire,
thank you for these very beautiful photographs - Nikko is of sublime beauty!
The way you have to save energy is strict - I tried to bring your post on my Facebook-site, but there through a technical item it 'only' showed the part about Nikko, not your remarks about everyday life, which are also very interesting for all of us, because people tend to forget easily how difficult life is in Japan. By the way: I admire your serene way, writing "only a few hours by train". (When I came back from Munich I was a bit unnerved by more than six hours travel).
cosmos
WOW! You did it! I saved power in July by 20%. I'm very happy it has become much cooler recently. But I've heard that it'll be hot again from tomorrow. Take care, cosmos!
Britta
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and for bringing this post on your Facebook-site. And welcome back from Munich! I'll read your latest post later.
Nature in all of her fury does force people to make certain conclusions and decisions about their behavior. It's much easier to learn those lessons than the ones policymakers keep pushing at us. Contrary to what some people think, most of us here in the U.S. are not stupid or crazy, maybe just gullible. Many of us have forgotten how to think critically about energy policy or the lack thereof.
It's wonderful that you have such breathtaking beauty and respite nearby. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to show us.
W2W
You are so right about Nature. The disasters in March have brought to us many things and most of them look very dark and are like the color black. But personally, I think that the very dark things have a seed of "light" just like the Yin Yang symbol: The white dot within the dark(black) and the black dot within the light(white) show that even at the heart of one there is the seed of the other.
I think the U.S., your country is really a great country(not flattering at all but it is true). Don't you think everything and every country has its own Yin and Yang?
Simply scenic; loved the pics along with the post; gr8 share!
Kanika
Welcome and thanks so much!
Sapphire, I see your point and agree to some extent. Looking at the world through philosophical lenses, Yin and Yang do help to bring our existence into focus (as in it's good to look on the bright side of things). But on spiritual/moral/legal issues, they tend to obscure rather than clarify.
As usual, your post and comments have given me much food for thought.
Hello Sapphire, I discovered your wonderful blog Yonks. I have found a treasure and will be perusing past posts with pleasure.
We all need reminding of our excessive use of electricity.
I am your newest follower
Helen xx
Hello, ☆sapphire
Lovely your works, full of JOY!
Thank you your encouragement.
The prayer for all peace.
Have a good weekend.
ruma ❁
What a beautiful place!
W2W
Thank you for pointing that(on spiritual/moral/legal issues, they tend to obscure rather than clarify) out, W2W. I wonder how anyone can judge what is spiritually and morally right, apart from legally. And I also wonder what standards and values you will adopt when clarifying good and evil or judging others' behaviors from a spiritual point of view. I wonder what justice is because the world has a long history of wars, oppressions and persecutions(some people called witches were burnt alive, etc.)which were fought and done in the name of justice.
helen
Welcome and thanks for commenting.
"our excessive use of electricity"
I found out I'd used power more than our family really needed.
Ruma and Margit
Thanks so much.
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