JAPAN Forward association, Inc. has launched ‘Japan 2 Earth’ – an inclusive platform to share information about what Japan is doing to address global and regional sustainability challenges and to encourage conversations about the SDGs in Japan and around the world.

According to a JAPAN Forward press release, the website launches against the backdrop of increasing climate change impacts, a global energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it notes, almost half the time set aside to achieve responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities, affordable and clean energy, and gender equality, among other global Goals, has already passed. With Japan ranking 19th in the world on the SDG Index, there is work to be done for “the country, our neighborhood, and globally,” the press release states.

Japan 2 Earth’s tagline is ‘Sparking a Transition to the Future.’ The website’s logo is a green pheasant – the national bird of Japan – matching the colors of the SDGs. Its content will include reports, ideas, technology, grassroots and corporate initiatives, exclusive interviews, company profiles, and policies covering the focal areas of Japanese technology, Earth’s diversity, climate change, and clean energy.

“Japan’s efforts on the SDGs range from innovative technologies and systems to traditional ways of utilizing and protecting the environment that are just waiting to be rediscovered,” the platform’s managing editor Susan Yoshimura said describing the reasons behind the launch. “We hope to spark action not only in Japan, but around the world,” she underscored.

“We want to create a platform where people can share information so that new connections can be born,” said JAPAN Forward’s editor-in-chief Yasuo Naito. “We also think that it is critical to share some of the things that Japan has been doing, that many people don’t hear about,” he stressed. 

JAPAN Forward is a foreign-language website delivering Japan-related news, analysis, commentary, and opinion pieces. It is managed by JAPAN Forward association, Inc. [Japan 2 Earth] [Japan 2 Earth Press Release] [Japan Forward Press Release]