News On Japan

From cardboard beds to plastic podiums, Tokyo 2020 introduces innovative, sustainable Olympics

Aug 03 (ARIRANG NEWS) - We're now half way through Tokyo 2020, and the organizers have done what they can to make it green and sustainable.

From beds at the Olympic village to the medals and podiums,... recycling has been the focal point throughout the Games.

Lee Kyung-eun tells us more.

There has been one hotly debated topic surrounding the Olympic village the cardboard beds.

The organizers say,... the frames are made from recyclable cardboard.

And mattresses are made from plastic materials,... that will be re-used.... after the Games.

It's part of Tokyo 2020's theme,... of going "green" and "sustainable".

But the internet was ablaze with rumors,... surrounding the beds.

With some speculating,... that they are designed to prevent intimacy among athletes,... in this time of COVID-19.

And that,... they easily break,... with little pressure,... as these two rowers from New Zealand claimed.

But it turns out,... those rumors are FALSE,... as demonstrated by an Irish gymnast.

The Olympics organizers re-tweeted the video,... saying “Thanks for debunking the myth. The beds are sturdy "

And Airweave the manufacturer of the beds also previously said,... that each one,... can hold around 2-hundred kilograms.

The beds are NOT the only thing,... that’s "green",... at the Olympics.

The medals,... are made from recycled electronic devices,... like cell phones.

Some 80-thousand tons of them,... were collected from across Japan,... to produce 5-thousand medals.

That's why the organizers jokingly told Olympians,... NOT to bite them

And the 3D-printed podiums,... are also made of recycled, donated plastic waste.

Tokyo 2020 is also trying to use,... as much RENEWABLE ENERGY as possible.

All this,... makes the Olympics,... that bit more sustainable,.. and special,... this year.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

Flooding has reached the temporary housing in Wajima City, built for earthquake victims, and volunteers have begun clearing the mud starting on September 24.

A Japanese government spokesperson says a Russian military airplane entered Japanese airspace three times on Monday. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has conveyed his country's intention to maintain support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (NHK)

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Strange incidents involving a woman placing black tape on outlets have been occurring around zoos in the Izu area of Shizuoka Prefecture.

As the number of households with Buddhist altars continues to decline, largely due to space limitations in modern housing, wholesalers of Buddhist goods are struggling with unsold inventory.

Twelve individuals involved in the traditional 'Ageuma Shinji' horse event held last year at Tado Shrine in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, have been referred to prosecutors on allegations of violent behavior toward horses, including forcing them up steep slopes.

A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attacking a female university student by covering her head with a bag and attempting to strangle her.

A group of Humboldt penguins at Tokuyama Zoo in Yamaguchi Prefecture has captured people's hearts, as they chase a butterfly that had accidentally flown into their pool enclosure.

A man in his 30s was stabbed in the chest at an anime song event in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture on Sunday, leaving the victim serious injured.

Tokyo has launched an official matchmaking app in an effort to increase the number of marriages, particularly as the city struggles with the lowest birthrate in Japan.

A search for 'breast pump' 「搾乳機」on YouTube returns numerous videos with titles like 'Introduction to Breast Pumping.' But what exactly are these videos?