The tsunami and affiliated disasters are far from forgotten in Japan. I had the opportunity to attend a charity event where we sampled produce from a stricken farming region (A prosciutto and blueberry stick was an odd combination, and pleasant surprise) and hear stories from volunteers who have made it into the communities that are being rebuilt, but remain devastated.

One big challenge is power. Japan’s 52 nuclear reactors have all been brought down to improve security and ensure that they can handle an extreme event like the tsunami/earthquake that took down Fukushima.

What I find very interesting is the way that Japanese society is moving together to meet the challenges ahead. Factories moved to Wednesday to Sunday manufacturing to spread energy usage and they have implemented something called “Super Cool biz” in Japan.

Businesses are leaving their buildings 5 degrees hotter than normal (it is noticeable) and pins have been distributed signalling a significant culture shift in attire. No ties for the summer and short sleeve shirts, which is supposedly unheard of in Japanese business culture (It first started as “Cool Biz” in 2005, with the recent disaster really pushing the effort forward)

An indicator of their group orientated culture, and a good idea that others should consider.