Tokyo getting greener

With the world's greatest love of and respect for nature, one wonders how Japan and Tokyo could be any greener than it already is. I personally love being able to take walks through all the virgin forests, natural parks, and wilderness areas here. To see all the wildlife and listen to the sounds of nature---old men with transistor radios blaring etc.

Now Tokyo is going even further:

Tokyo's Big Change: the 10-year plan, which was laid out in 2006, responds to growing environmental concerns worldwide and aims to boost the capital's image as it prepares to bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

"Tokyo has always worked on increasing greenery, but we'd like this Olympics bid to be a tail wind," said Motoaki Kobayashi, the metro official in charge of the environmental section's greenery plan. "To host an Olympics, it is essential that the city be environmentally organized."

Some might argue that it would be more accurate to say that Tokyo has always worked on increasing the tonnage of concrete laid, but those folks don't understand either Japan or nature. Nature, you see, is man-made just like bonsai. And the point of increasing man-made nature is to increase biodiversity, such as the 2016 Olympics.

Well, at least there will be a few square meters not covered with concrete. The question is: Will the "Sea Forest" be offset by denuding and concreting over a wooded area elsewhere? I'd wager yes.