Asia’s appetite for chopsticks has resulted in the loss of 25 million trees a year in China and since the start of the decade and the country has exported over 165,000 tonnes of chopsticks, with 15 billion pairs finding their way to dinner tables in Japan and South Korea.  One estimate states that a nation wide noodle chain in China uses 160,000 pair of chopsticks each day.  That’s a lot of trees!

…environmentalists say they (chopsticks) are up there with plastic carrier bags, individual mini-cheeses and clear plastic CD cases. (in terms of their impact on the environment)

The use of chopsticks date back over 5,000 years but disposable chopsticks only became prevalent in the mid-1980’s.  I say it’s time to put the brakes on this trend! 

If you love Asian food then you are contributing to the environmental waste when you use disposable chopsticks at an Asian restaurant on your travels or at home.  Ask your favorite restaurant to start offering re-usable chopsticks right now and if you are planning on traveling to Asia make your first stop a store where you can buy yourself a beautiful pair of chopsticks or bring some with you.  You can use your beautiful new chopsticks on your journey and take them home with you as an amazing reminder of your trip and your ongoing kindness to the planet.  It’s a simple thing to do and and if everyone did it there would be a huge positive impact on the environment.

If you are in Tokyo you can pick up a beautiful set of chopsticks at Ginza Natsuno.  You can even buy foldable chopsticks that are compact and easy to carry in your pocket, handbag or backpack.  Your new chopsticks will be the talk of your table when you eat out and you’ll be doing your little bit to save the planet and educate others at the same time!

Check out other green travel tips at Traveling The Green Way, one of the new additions to the b5 Travel and Culture Channel, and be sure to check out the entries from the inaugural green travel blog carnival hosted by Liz.

Photo Credit, Flicrk, chopsticks  Sources: NPR, Group Pleads: Bring Your Own Chopsticks to China & The Independent, The true price of disposable chopsticks

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

The Japanese have brought native Noma horses back from the brink of extinction and you can now see one of these adorable miniature horses at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

As incomes rise, more Asians turn to cosmetics that promise a lighter skin color.

Neon orange paint balls are the newest crime-fighting innovation in Japan. I’m not sure how effective they will be as the robbery victim needs to have a good arm in order to hit the perpetrator with the orb so that the authorities can track the suspect down!

Video footage of the rush hour on a Tokyo train platform.  Anderson Coopers’ commentary is cute and, for you trivia lovers, the ‘pushers’ are called oshiya in Japanese.

Photo Credit:  FLickr, white beauty

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

Yesterday I told you about Ginza Natsuno, your one stop shop for everything chopstick related, and today I want to let you know about 11 things not to do with your newly purchased chopsticks. These things are all considered rude or at least culturally incorrect and some are just plain unsanitary:

1. Thrusting the chopsticks into the food to pick it up. Chopsticks should be treated like tongs not swords!
2. Passing food from chopstick to chopstick. If you want your friend to try something they should pick it up from your plate with their own chopsticks.
3. Licking your chopsticks. Sort of like licking your knife.
4. Making a drumming sound with your chopsticks on the table or dishes. Chopsticks are not to be confused with drum sticks!
5. Biting your chopsticks. You risk damaging the finish on your chopsticks, not to mention eating lacquer which probably isn’t very good for you.
6. Impaling your chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice. This is only done as an offering at Japanese funerals.
7. Using your chopsticks to push food further into your mouth.
8. Using your chopsticks to pick through the food presented to find the morsel that you want to eat.
9. Using your chopsticks to move the dishes on the table. Don’t use your chopsticks to drag a plate closer to you!
10. Using your chopsticks to point at a person.
11. Chomping down on your chopsticks to free up your hands – you’ll just look silly! Your hand should never leave your chopsticks when they are in or near your mouth.

How well do you know your chopstick etiquette?

Photo Credit: Personal Collection Source: Babel Fish Translation of Ginza Natsuno website

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

On a visit to the branch in Harajuku I was amazed by the variety of hashi available. The walls were covered with hashi in almost every color of the rainbow and there were sizes and styles that I had never seen before.

When you purchase hashi the correct length is estimated at 1.5 times the distance between your thumb and index fingers when extended. You should also considers the finish, thickness, shape and weight of the hashi when deciding which pair is right for you. Hashi should never be put in the dishwasher or left soaking in water. Just wipe them down with a damp sponge and dry them with a dish towel before storing them. If your chopstick are wooden they will dry out over time but a periodic rub down with rapeseed or olive oil will keep them in good shape.

Ginza Natsuno also sell hashi rests and the variety on display was mind boggling. There were turtles, samurai, fish, castles, and I even spotted a baseball glove with a ball. These little ceramic gems were so adorable that you could start a collection and the uninitiated would never suspect that they were meant to rest your chopsticks on so the table cloth wouldn’t get dirty!

The Harajuku location is actually composed of two stores. The main store holds the hashi and hashi rests and the satellite store (next door) carries dishes, toys and figurines.

What better souvenir is there than one that you can actually use that will bring back fond memories of you trip to Tokyo?

The maps of the Ginza Natsuno locations are in Japanese but I have provided you with the station name and exit number which should make the maps easy to navigate using the Tokyo Transfer Guide. Here are the links to the maps:

Harajuku location, Exit A2 from Omotesando station.

Marunouchi location, 4th floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building near Tokyo Station.

Ginza locations, Exit B5 from Ginza station.

Photos: Personal Collection

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler