Toyama is the coolest prefecture in Japan. If you don’t believe me, just ask any of the octogenarians you meet there. They will tell you that not only does Toyama have the best rice in Japan, it also has the best sushi. What are the odds against that?
Well, technically, if the only information you have is Japan has 47 prefectures, then the odds are 1 to 2,209. But note this result also requires you to have no knowledge of human psychology.
In addition to the rice and raw fish, there is another amazing thing Toyama has, and that is what must be the most beautiful field of solar LED lanterns anywhere in the world.
My friend Brad took these photographs at Ushi-dake ski slope. The thousands of lanterns were apparently made by local school children and as can be seen in the close-up, they have a very simple and low-cost design that makes use of an empty drink bottle. Countries that are not so rich may be able to use a similar design to produce solar lights cheaply. And whether or not the design is worth imitating, they still make for quite a sight. But if you want to see them, you’d better hurry. They’ll only be up for one more day.
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
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