Floating Wind Turbines

One of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm is Japan’s Fukushima Forward project. Operational since 2013, it now includes three turbines with a total capacity of 14 MW. This accounts for nearly half of the approximately 30 MW global capacity. Offshore wind has been one of the biggest renewable energy success stories. In 2016,…

Brrrr Winter 2018

So what is winter like in your area?  We are just about 15 minutes south of the 45th parallel on the Japan Sea side of Hokkaido.  That means winds and systems come across from Siberia and pick up moisture and the sky falls out here, sometimes several days in a row.  This year’s amount of…

Deer Dilemma

Ezo deer are only found in Hokkaido, the large northern island of Japan which is known for its agriculture, open expanses and harsh winters. The males can weigh more than 150 kg (330 lbs), and are the large subspecies of the Japanese Sika deer that weighs a mere 40–70 kg (88–154 lb). Ezo deer primarily…