Have you heard about Eco product? It is annually exhibition since 1997. Japanese government initiated the environment friendly life style by holding the public exhibition to introduce this to Japanese. Government invites local companies and NGO, including universities to exhibit their environment products or activities. They get some spaces or rent the stands for their exhibition. Do you think it is effective? I think so!
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The promotion and publication on it seem intensively done. Many of Japanese people know about this event. One of our hotel staff said she really wanted to visit the exhibition. Since early 2000's, the committees invites students from elementary and junior high school students all over Tokyo to visit the exhibition. They send buses to pick up the students, give the short tours during the exhibition and of course some small presents or omiyage from the exhibitors. Students visitor always dominates this exhibition every year, compared to businessmen or common people. It is understandable because the location do not well support for business agreement during the visit. All exhibitors try hard to have a great venue to attract more and more visitor. There is no information since when they started to give some presents to visitors. What does make it different? The quiz! Visitor will not get present freely. So the exhibitor try to give introduction on their product or activities through quiz or questionnaire to visitors. This is a great idea. The visitor will follow the question path to find out the answer and at the end, they could exchange the results with presents. For some exhibitors, especially technology companies, they have staffs in the question path to explain to visitors as answers. Somehow people will listen on the explanation first before receiving presents. This is one way to "force" people learn the environment friendly technology and product. Some introduction are delivered in English, but mostly is in Japanese.
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| Lets exchange the present |
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| Explanation how to make aromatherapy |
The exhibitors vary from agricultural or forestry to technology products or service. We will meet companies and social organization that are now doing much for promoting environment for their products. Some companies also promote their joint activities with some countries or international organization such as WHO in order to solve or to enhance environment protection. We will find out the water purification project in India or even forest monitoring project in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
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| Joint project NEC and REDD in Kalimantan, Indonesia |
The exhibition show us how Japanese people try hard to live in environment friendly life style. Lets attend next exhibition this year.
