In questa puntata di Focus, esploriamo le innovazioni rivoluzionarie di Niigata, dalla trasformazione del riso in plastica sostenibile alla creazione di villaggi digitali che preservano le tradizioni rurali, offrendo una nuova prospettiva sul progresso sostenibile e tecnologico del Giappone.
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Novità Trascrizione
00:00Located on an important trading route, Japan's Niigata Prefecture has a long history of industrial prowess, rooted in shipping and manufacturing.
00:11Today's residents have inherited that entrepreneurial spirit, and are using it to find solutions to modern society's problems.
00:17We're here to take a look at some of Niigata's technological innovations, in this edition of Focus.
00:23For most Japanese, Niigata is synonymous with rice.
00:31The region produces some of the country's finest, but a lot of it gets binned before it's eaten.
00:37To prevent old or damaged rice from being wasted, the Niigata-born startup Rice Resin, now based in Fukushima, found a clever way to repurpose it.
00:46We've been upcycling rice that's no longer suitable for consumption to make biomass plastic.
00:53We want to expand the use of biomass plastic in Japan as well.
01:01Japan aims to increase the use of bioplastics 20-fold by 2030, from the current level of 100,000 tons to 2 million tons.
01:11Rising demand has led Rice Resin to move production to a bigger factory in Fukushima, using unconsumed rice from here too.
01:18Rice Resin's technology replaces a percentage of the petroleum-based polymers in traditional plastics with rice.
01:25This way, the biomass plastic emits less carbon dioxide, when it's incinerated at the end of its life.
01:32I don't think all plastics need to be recycled.
01:36When they are recycled, they become less durable.
01:40So we need to increase the biomass rate of incinerated plastics, and reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics.
01:52Rice Resin's low-carbon plastic is used to make bags, packaging, and various household objects.
01:58The products are often sold back to the regions the rice came from.
02:01Like this gift shop in Niigata City.
02:04This red spoon is very popular.
02:08It's made of rice, so it's environmentally friendly and sustainable.
02:13Many people are interested in this product.
02:19Rice Resin found a completely new way to use Niigata's famous rice.
02:23Another initiative has transformed the region's beloved koi fish, known as Nishikigoi, into a digital beacon of hope.
02:30Nishikigoi originates from Yamakoshi.
02:33Nishikigoi represents the connection between the world and Yamakoshi.
02:38So we decided to use Nishikigoi as a motif.
02:43Nishikigoi NFTs are at the heart of the Neo Yamakoshi Village project, which was launched in 2021.
02:50By selling these unique digital tokens, Yamakoshi has built a support system for its aging and shrinking population.
02:57After the devastating 2004 Chuetsu earthquake, Yamakoshi's population went from 2,200 to 7,300.
03:05But 1,750 Nishikigoi NFT owners have since become digital villagers.
03:12They communicate with residents online and get a say in how the village operates.
03:18The only thing digital villagers can't vote on are Yamakoshi's politicians,
03:23which is reserved for physical residents by Japanese law.
03:27Today Yamakoshi's two worlds are colliding.
03:30Both digital citizens and longtime residents are gathering in the village for a big festival.
03:35Longtime residents say the village's history helped them welcome the village.
03:41The digital villagers have become increasingly involved in village life,
03:45even starting a fan club for local bullfighters,
03:48and attending NFTs in Yamakoshi.
03:51Yamakoshi is the first village in the world to have a Nishikigoi NFT.
03:55It's the first Nishikigoi NFT in Japan.
03:58Yamakoshi is the first village in the world to have a Nishikigoi NFT.
04:01It's the first village in the world to have a Nishikigoi NFT.
04:06even starting a fan club for local bullfighters,
04:09and attending every tournament.
04:11They say it's a two-way relationship.
04:13They get to experience the charm of village life,
04:16while also helping preserve rural culture.
04:19The goal is to offer physical support as much as possible.
04:37The Neo Yamakoshi project is the first of its kind,
04:41and hopes to serve as a blueprint for other villages dealing with population loss around the world.
04:46It's ambitious, just like rice resin's grain-powered biomass plastic.
04:51But Niigata's changemakers have proven they're committed to designing a new future.