Vanishing snow, sinking Tokyo Sky Tree: sobering forecast for Japan if climate change goes unchecked
The famed geisha of Kyoto are collapsing from the heat. The apple trees that are a feature of Japan's northern Aomori prefecture are barren. A ski slope in the central Nagano prefecture is green due to a lack of winter snow. Numerous other parts of the country - from Iwate to Yamagata, Ishikawa, Osaka and the city of Tokyo - are under water.
These are some of the scenarios showing what the most famous landmarks in all of Japan's 47 prefectures will look like if climate change continues unabated.
The World Wide Fund for Nature Japan has deployed graphics of renowned landscapes in its new campaign to highlight the urgent need to address the threat of global warming.
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A ski slope in the central Nagano prefecture is green due to a lack of winter snow. Photo: WWFJ
Reminiscent of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints by famed artist Hokusai, in particular the series known as the "36 Views of Mount Fuji," which was created between 1830 and 1832, the WWFJ's "Future 47 Views" makes sobering viewing.
Alongside an image of a Kyoto geisha trying to shield herself from the sun, the message warns that while Japan's ancient capital is already infamous for its hot and humid summers, temperatures will rise as much as 4 degrees by the end of the century. The heat will be so intense, it adds, that it may be dangerous to go outside and simply try to walk around.
The depiction for Nagano is of a skier on a grass slope, with the accompanying caption pointing out that average temperatures are projected to rise by 5 degrees in the next 80 years, reducing snowfall and changing the winter landscape of a region famous for its winter sports.
The 634-metre Tokyo Sky Tree is the focus of the entry for the capital - although the environmental organisation's initiative has taken the liberty of renaming it the Tokyo Water Tree.
"As the climate crisis progresses, it is said that floods are about four times more likely to occur due to torrential rain and intensified typhoons," the caption states. "Even in Tokyo, it is assumed that once the rivers that connect to Tokyo Bay flood, one-third of the 23 wards will be submerged."
The campaign is calling on the public to make changes to their lifestyles to protect the "treasures" of their hometowns and the places they live now.
Barren apple trees in Aomori. Photo: WWF Japan
Large parts of coastal Japan are estimated to be in danger of flooding, particularly if high tides should coincide with heavy rainfall, with experts predicting that sea levels could rise by as much as 82cm by the end of the century, due to melting glaciers and ice sheets. Coastal areas, including the low-lying cities of Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Fukuoka, are already only protected from rising sea levels by extensive sea walls and canal systems designed to limit the impact of surging waves.
In his strive for a greener society, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last year set a 2050 deadline for Japan to become carbon-neutral, but the country's shorter term renewables goal has long been criticised as lagging.
Tokyo currently aims to source between 22 and 24 per cent of its power from solar, wind and other renewables by 2030, a target set three years ago and soon to be reassessed as the government revises its energy strategy.
A group of 92 corporations known as the Japan Climate Initiative on Monday urged ministers to double this goal to 40-50 per cent.
Many of Japan's biggest firms, from Fujifilm to Toshiba, as well as household names in insurance, electricity and food and drink, signed the petition.
"In order for Japan to meet its responsibilities to be one of the leaders in global efforts (against climate change), the target needs to be much more ambitious," they said in a statement.
"An ambitious target will stimulate renewable energy deployment, and Japanese companies will be able to play a greater role in the global business environment, where decarbonisation is accelerating."
Japan's renewable energy use was around 17 per cent in 2017.
Osaka, a low-lying city, is in danger of flooding. Photo: WWFJ
And by some estimates it may have already hit its 2030 target last year, due to a combination of growth in the green energy sector and a pandemic-related fall in demand.
The country ploughed US$16.5 billion into renewable energy in 2019, according to a UN report - making it the world's fourth biggest investor in the sector, but still far behind China, the US and Europe.
However, Japan is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, especially after public anger over the 2011 Fukushima meltdown pushed all its nuclear reactors temporarily offline.
It has struggled to cut carbon emissions since the disaster, with a third of total electricity generation provided by coal, and nearly 40 per cent by LNG-fired plants.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
