As a cultural asset, we feel we have a part to play in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals. At Shunyoso, we are introducing tourism to protect our cultural assets and to revitalize our community. Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals focus on the main themes, Goals 8, 12, and 14, but we have found that there are other actions we can make as well. We are strongly determined to take this opportunity to help achieving these goals in various ways not just until 2030, but well beyond into the next century.

Whether you are in charge of a destination or a business, we believe we need to set a policy to select clean energy. If you have a contract with a major power company, you are unknowingly using energy, much of which is dependent on fossil fuels and nuclear power in case of Japan. Shunyoso’s energy is contracted to power companies that use more natural and renewable energy sources, and we purchase energy-saving and high-efficiency models such as LEDs for our lighting, the latest green electric models like refrigerators and air conditioners. Rainwater harvest is also actively introduced for gray water use with underground 6-ton and 8-ton tanks, which are used in combination with well water to sprinkle water in the garden and to wash our gardening tools and our van.

Tourism is one of the drivers of global economic growth, with one in ten people worldwide now working in the tourism sector. It is believed that tourism provides rewarding employment opportunities, which improves skills and professionalism, benefiting society (especially youth and women). Shunyoso helps achieving this goal by ensuring local employment and local production for local consumption. Currently, all employees are registered residents of Sumoto City and Awaji City, both are on Awaji Island.

We hope to contribute to the creation of a safe, disaster-resistant city and a sustainable community where people can live harmoniously by utilizing cultural tourism. Tourism income from guests of Shunyoso and members of the Shunyoso Cultural Properties Preservation Association is used to develop programs to extend their stay and to create a system to enrich the community by providing information on the local dining and experiential programs. We also accept interns from the international community, prioritize local contributions with an international perspective, and strive to be a part of building a community that will continue to be a safe place to live for the next centuries.

For every one Earth’s worth of resources and energy available, we consume 1.5 Earth worth. We are on the verge of depletion of our future resources and energy, as we overfish, cut down timber, etc. in exchange for dreaming to attain more affluent lifestyle. If this pace continues as is, the SDGs will be just a slogan without tangible actions. If this pace continues, it is said that two Earths will be needed by 2030, when the SDGs are scheduled to be achieved.
Japan’s rate of achievement of goal number 12 is particularly low, and drastic operational improvements are required. We feel that we need to work as a business that is conscious of sustainability and that our visitors also share the same feeling or acts responsibly in line with the goals. For example, at Shunyoso, recycled garden gravels are made from crushed roof tiles of once Awaji island houses. A wood-fired boilers are used to turn garden waste and other flammables into a heat source. We are consciously putting into actionable measures to conserve resources, including eliminating plastic waste, repairing old items and using them longer, and purchasing biodegradable shampoo, soap, and bamboo toothbrushes.

Our commitment to eliminating plastics

We have made a declaration to the domestic as well as international community that we are plastic-free. Most plastic use has been eradicated except for the plastic brought in by customers, food and beverage suppliers, shipping companies, and over-packaging – there are our biggest challenging issues.

Single-use plastics are known to have indirect environmental impacts, such as global warming from incineration, in addition to being a contributing factor to the ocean plastic problem and other issues. We have eliminated amenities (environmentally-sound toothbrushes and toothpaste are available) and replaced shampoo, conditioner, and body soap with glass and silicone types instead of plastic dispenser types. In the food and beverage department, catering uses returnable boxes, straws are stainless steel and reusable, and trash cans are replaced with folded newspaper in the shape of bags.

For cyclists and others who carry water bottles, a faucet with free tap water is located next to the gatepost at the front entrance so that they do not have to buy more plastic bottles.

Record-breaking extreme weather conditions intensify every year. Japan is no exception. Natural disasters such as guerrilla downpours, floods, landslides, and increasingly large typhoons are caused by our irresponsible activities. This goal is not only to think globally, but also to take concrete measures locally. Here at Shunyoso, the Dabutsu River, which runs in front of our property, once overflowed and flooded many homes in the area, so in addition to SDG #7, which talks about energy, we also encourage our guests to use public transportation during their stay as much as possible, and we also provide free bike rentals and morning walks for our guests to enjoy their stay while contributing to a low carbon society. We are also working to conserve energy by ensuring that our pick-up and drop-off vehicles shuts off the motor when not in use. At the end of the year, we estimate our carbon footprint by calculating our utility bill figures to monitor our decarbonation efforts.

The 17 goals of the SDGs cover a wide range of areas. In order to steadily realize the SDGs, we need partnerships not only between countries, but also between companies, researchers, civic groups, communities, schools, households, and us as a business. We must think about the next generations and take actions without delay. This is how we, as global citizens, will solve challenging issues. At Shunyoso, we hope to achieve this goal by interacting with local residents and businesses, as well as by working with various organizations that promote sustainable development in tourism.