What makes you happy? Everyone will have their own answers.

In November 2011, the king and queen of Bhutan came to Japan. They visited Tohoku’s devastated districts, and their warm smiles reminded many Japanese of happiness, which had been lost since the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

Bhutan is a small country surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan aimed to become an economically huge country, but Bhutan did not. Bhutan is not an economically prosperous country, but many of its residents claim to be happy. It is the concept of GNH (Gross National Happiness) that makes a lot of Bhutanese feel happy.

The Bhutanese government has carried out four policies based on GNH.

1. Promotion of sustainable development

2. Conservation of the natural environment

3. Preservation and promotion of cultural values

4. Establishment of good governance

Bhutan has faced difficulties such as population inflow to cities and unemployment since it began modernizing its society. Young people, influenced by television and the Internet, have begun to immerse themselves in foreign cultures. However, Bhutanese society has remained mostly unchanged. Young people still believe that bonds with close friends and family are the most important connections in their lives.

Have you seen rakugo? If not, here are some points to remember. It is where a single performer tells a story and acts out the conversations of multiple characters. In order to represent many things, the performer uses a sensu and a tenugui.

Join the Green Festival in Aoi River. Let’s help clean the riverbank and put baby fish in the river. At the stands, enjoy delicious food. Bring your own chopsticks, and you will get free snacks. It will be a lot of fun!

Pollution of rivers and lakes is exceeding nature’s ability to recycle and purify them. However, we can all help by choosing a sustainable choice and striving towards zero-waste fashion whenever possible. We can buy and sell clothing at thrift stores.

Because of the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas since the 1800s, human activity has been the primary cause of climate change. As a result, the temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C (degrees Celsius).

Drought, scarcity of water, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, and declining biodiversity are all examples of climate change’s consequences. Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate change, such as those living in small island nations and other developing countries,

Sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have forced entire towns to flee, and persistent droughts are threatening people’s lives. The number of “climate refugees” is expected to rise in the coming years. Everyone must take action to combat climate change.

The Paris Agreement established an international framework for dealing with climate change issues after 2020. It requires all participating countries and regions, including developing nations, to establish carbon neutral targets. By agreeing to halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030, 137 countries have taken an important step forward.

Furthermore, over 30 countries, six major vehicle manufacturers, and others have pledged to make all new car sales zero-emission by 2040 globally. It will also speed up the decarbonization of road transport, which presently accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, financial institutions announced plans to redirect trillions of dollars toward achieving global zero-emissions.

Humans are polluting rivers and lakes faster than nature can recycle and purify them. As consumers, we can help by choosing a sustainable option whenever possible and aiming for zero-waste fashion. We may buy clothes from a vintage or thrift stores.

Since the 1800s, human activities have been the primary cause of climate change due to the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. As a result, the Earth’s temperature has risen by about 1.1 °C (degrees Celsius) since the late 1800s.

Climate change is now causing severe droughts, scarcity of water , devastating fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, and a decline in biodiversity. Climate change has an impact on our health, food production, housing, safety, and employment.

The Paris Agreement is an international framework for climate change issues after 2020. It requires all participating countries and regions, including developing countries, to set carbon neutrality targets. 137 countries have taken an important step forward by agreeing to stop forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Furthermore, more than 30 countries, six major vehicle manufacturers and other players such as cities, have stated their intention for all new car sales worldwide to be zero-emission by 2040.