(This article originally appeared in Newsweek Japan on October 28, 2010 in Japanese)

"Do you really like living in Tokyo?" is a question I am often asked here. Despite living in Tokyo for two years now, I cannot discern if this question expresses national modesty, a sense of...

What roles can corporations play in transforming urban landscapes? This year Pasona, one of Japan's top temporary staffing agencies, constructed a bold new headquarters building in Tokyo's central business district that brings nature into the work environment and out to the street.

Pasona's...

"Do you really think Tokyo is green? Why do you only focus on the good sides of Tokyo?" These are questions that many Japanese and foreign residents of Tokyo have asked me.

Tokyo Green Space focuses on how residents of the world's largest city make the most of a...

Could modern Tokyo have a tree canopy covering 80% of the city? Could Tokyo's rivers and bay provide free clams, fish and seaweed to its residents? Why do we have trouble even imagining urban agriculture or economic growth in harmony with the natural environment?

These were all accomplishments of...

(This article originally appeared in Newsweek Japan on January 12, 2010 in Japanese)

Spending several weeks in Tokyo on a business trip in 2008, I was startled and enchanted to discover its human scale and its streets alive with people and plants. Like many foreigners, I assumed Tokyo...

The Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference addresses unparalleled environmental crisis and the need to transform our relationship with nature. Many people assume that nature has no place in the city. On the contrary, cities are central sites for a sustainable, post-industrial era that supports population growth and a high quality...