Tokyo meets the world: Netherlands

I didn’t really know Japan well before I arrived in August 2019. I had worked with Japanese diplomats a lot in international organisations so I knew quite a few Japanese in that context, but not Japan as a country or its culture. Japan is a such a fascinating place that one can spend a lifetime studying it but still not really grasp it. I came here as a novice and now consider myself a student of Japan, not an expert on it.

There are many parts of the country I still don’t know, and I have many prefectures left to visit. But Kyushu has a special place in Dutch hearts. Cities like Nagasaki and Hirado stand out because of our long shared history. The Dutch first came to Japan in the early 1600s, and in 1609 received a trading pass from [shogun] Tokugawa Ieyasu that allowed our ships to trade with Japan. We set up a trading post in Hirado, and then in 1641 moved to Dejima in Nagasaki.

From 1641 to the middle of the 19th century, we were the only Western country allowed to trade with Japan, and were Japan’s window on the world. It was not only trade: we also brought knowledge on what was happening elsewhere in the world, as well as medical, scientific and engineering knowledge. This history makes for a special bond, and when I go to Kyushu, I still feel the friendship and how the Dutch are appreciated there.

The Netherlands is not very well known for its cuisine, so I don’t really miss that here in Japan [laughs]. There is one Dutch restaurant in Tokyo though: Lighthouse Cafe in Kokubunji. They make some incredible bitterballen – that’s a Dutch snack, which I do miss sometimes.

The only time I get really homesick is when there’s natural ice on the canals in the Netherlands and you can skate. I also get really excited when I see a windmill in Japan. It’s actually my aim is to see all the windmills in this country. There’s one in Sakura City [Chiba], one at Huis ten Bosch [Nagasaki] and one in Tsuchiura [Ibaraki], at Kasumigaura Park.

I like to bike around exploring the backstreets and various neighbourhoods, and I particularly like going out to the Arakawa river because you can bike for miles there. I also like going to museums: I love the National Museum of Modern Art as well as the smaller museums. There’s an original ‘Sunflowers’ by Van Gogh in the Sompo Museum. Another place I enjoy is the Ariake area and the waterfront, where many of the Olympic venues are.

Yeah, but I also like riding in the mountains. I’ve climbed Mt Tsukuba on a racing bike, going from Tsuchiura on the Ring-Ring Road around Lake Kasumigaura or straight to Mt Tsukuba. I also did the Shimanami Kaido with my wife, staying at Hotel Cycle, I loved it – it’s small but very hip and of course bike-friendly. Going from Onomichi to Imabari, the bridges have wonderful views over the Inland Sea and they’re a bit challenging because you have to climb.

I think there’s tremendous potential in developing eco-tourism around these bike routes. Shimanami is environmentally friendly, it’s got beautiful nature, you can stop anywhere and it’s so safe. There are several other routes [around the country] that could be developed like that too.

I would also love for Tokyo to become more bike-friendly. There are bike lanes with blue arrows on the road, but you’re in the same lane as car traffic, with the cars coming very close. That’s not the case in the Netherlands, which is the world’s number one country when it comes to bicycle paths. These are separate from both car traffic and the sidewalks. In big cities around the world, you see more and more bicycle paths being created. It’s a new and green way of transportation, and I hope Tokyo would develop more safe bicycle lanes too.

Yes, and there are many different ways of going about this. You could develop so-called bicycle highways – a system in which you only have to have a few [bicycle-exclusive] ‘arteries’ to make the whole city accessible on a bike. Rather than building bike lanes everywhere, which would be almost impossible, just having these highways could achieve a lot. It takes political courage, because you may have to remove car lanes and make drivers upset. As so many Tokyo parents already take their kids to school on bikes, promoting bicycle commuting definitely holds promise – as long as you make it a bit safer and more accessible.

[The SDGs] can only be achieved if everybody makes the biggest effort. That means all the countries in the world, particularly advanced countries, and not only governments but also the private sector, households and individuals. There’s an SDG on sustainable consumption and production, and we’re all consumers. The goals are not something that’s far away and for governments to achieve – they start with yourself. Food waste, use of plastics, your carbon footprint – it’s about what you can do, and you’re also a voter, so you can vote out politicians who are not pro-SDGs and vote in politicians who are. It takes an effort from everyone, from the central government and businesses to individuals. 

In terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there’s increasing pressure on companies from civil society, and now in the Netherlands also from the legal system, to be both socially and environmentally responsible. An NGO recently took Shell, the global energy company, to court, and the court found in favour of the NGO, ordering Shell to increase its commitment to reducing CO2 emissions and to turning itself into a sustainable energy company. That was huge.

Some companies are CSR champions, while others feel they are forced to be more responsible or risk missing out. Either is fine, though it’s always better to be a champion. Consumers in the Netherlands are increasingly reluctant to buy things that have been made at a great cost to the environment. This trend is not quite global yet, but it’s coming.

I’m very happy with prime minister Suga’s commitment to the goal of reducing greenhouse gases to zero by 2050. That is a very significant commitment, and I think Japan is one of the countries that wants to be ambitious when it comes to climate action. The Japanese government also recently announced that it will seek a 46 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030. I welcome these steps, but realise that they pose challenges. The energy transition issue is a tough one, in part due to the controversy surrounding nuclear power. There’s still a lot to be done, but I think these are steps to be welcomed.

I think the first priority for everyone is to come out of the Covid-19 crisis and reopen society, and the vaccination drive is crucial for this. A longer-term challenge is the issue of demographics. Japan’s population is aging and shrinking, and this can affect every aspect of society and the economy. Japan is not the only country facing this issue, but it’s something that will have to be dealt with. Robotics and automation will help, but will that be enough? Finally, the Olympics are also about inclusion, and I hope that spirit can be carried on after the Games. That means inclusivity in sports, but also in terms of the empowerment of women and acceptance of LGBTI rights. Interview by Masashi Takahashi, coordination by Hiroko M. Ohiwa