In Episode 36 of the podcast we head into the North Alps – Japan’s highest mountain range – and onto Norikura. Standing 3026 metres / 9927 feet above sea level, Mount Norikura or Norikuradake is one of the highest peaks in North Alps, a volcanic mountain which straddles the border of Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. It is here, in the village below the mountain, that we travel to meet Ogawa Yui, Community Manager of Norikura Zero Labo – a program pushing Norikura toward being Japan’s first carbon neutral park. 

Yui’s own story is an interesting one. We discuss how she came to live in Norikura Kogen, her academic and professional background that led her into current role, the environmental challenges facing Japan and Norikura and the actions being taken in Norikura in response to the climate crisis.

I hope this episode inspires you to consider traveling to Norikura while also attesting to opportunities that exist in the regional areas of Japan, such as the snow country, for crafting a better life and making a real difference to communities that need more people in order to thrive. Yui and Norikura Zero Labo are striving to make a real difference, as a model for what’s possible for communities everywhere, as we face the reality of the changing crisis.

For more information, please visit the Norikura Zero Labo website (Japanese only)  and their Instagram, and for information about visiting, please see the Norikura Kogen website. You can also follow Yui via her personal Instagram. Images used in support of this episode were provided by Seth McAllister and cannot be used without his information. You can find his images and more information on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.