The global environment cannot wait. If everyone works together, it can be revived.

-- In addition to your position as head of the entire sect and serving as the chief priest of a historic temple, you have also been working on environmental issues for many years.

Niho: Kochoji Temple is one of the four main temples of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, and has a history of 750 years, passed down directly from the founder of the sect, in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. My own temple, Myosenji Temple, is also in Numazu City, and is surrounded by greenery. When we talk about "development" or "economic growth" in a place like this, we start with cutting down trees and erecting buildings.
Since there are so many trees in front of us, we want to use them easily. A tree that grows too big can look like nothing more than lumber, and on the other hand, leaves that grow uncontrollably are a nuisance to agricultural production, creating shade in the fields.
However, a large tree that can be cut down in about an hour takes 100 years to grow to that size.
Development is the act of human intervention in nature. We have long regarded this as "development" and turned a blind eye to the "destruction" aspect. As a result, Japan was awarded the internationally disgraceful Fossil Prize* at last year's COP27. This is the third year in a row that this prestigious award has been received. The international community is looking at Japan harshly, saying, ``We can't wait any longer.''
We must have the courage to rethink the meaning of development to stop destruction. The time is quickly approaching when it will be too late.

--You are an active speaker at lectures and various symposiums on environmental conservation.

Hiho: That's right, but I've been doing it for almost 40 years, and lately I have a slightly different feeling. When I'm invited to a venue and give a talk, I get a good response from the audience. People can say, ``I heard a great talk'' or ``That was a good lecture.'' But it doesn't continue after that. I sincerely hope that those who feel this way do not stop there, but take action immediately.

-- Those are harsh words, but do you think they have something to do with your background of working in the private sector?

Hiho: That may be true. I am a child of a temple, but I am the second son of an era where the patriarchy remained. Since I was not in a position to inherit the family, I wanted to live in a world different from that of Buddhist monks, so I entered the Faculty of Commerce at Waseda University. I learned about rational thinking and practical methods through my research on American shipping policy, and applied to work at a merchant shipping company.
At a time when trade was booming, I used to work as a salesman on all weekends. Just then, his grandfather and father collapsed one after another and passed away.
Then my older brother, who was a teacher, came to visit me while I was working in Osaka and said, ``As someone who grew up in a temple, I can't just let things go on like this.You are the one who is best suited to become a monk.You should inherit the temple.'' ” he said. I was worried about this situation for several weeks, but I decided that I couldn't continue like this and decided to change direction. Before I turned 30, I re-entered a school for monks called Hokke Sect Gakurin.
After graduating junior high school or high school, a typical temple successor goes straight to a school for monks and begins training in Buddhism. It is true that, having been out in the real world, I was coached more harshly than others, saying, ``This is a guy who is surrounded by the worldly world.'' However, it is also true that the experience of seeing a harsh society, not just those of Buddhism, is an asset to me.

-- I understand that you were involved with many foreign ships at the merchant shipping company. Do you think the global perspective you developed through relationships with people from different countries is connected to your current efforts to address environmental issues?

Nichiho: When we say the word "environment," the way it is interpreted varies from country to country and from person to person. Each person thinks differently. I believe that through the experience of working in a job that involves contact with the world, I have learned to consider the background of each person's way of thinking. That may be the root cause of my focus on environmental issues.
The world, especially Europe, is environmentally advanced and prepared.
In that sense, I thought it was a long way off for Japanese companies to obtain Blue Flag, the world's oldest international environmental certification, which is said to be the most stringent and is an environmental certification that has taken root in Europe.

- So you've known about Blue Flag for a while now?

Hiho: Of course. While there is a lot of so-called "SDGs wash", I have long been interested in Riviera's efforts to lead Japan's SDGs movement with down-to-earth practices.
At that time, I heard on the news that Riviera Zushi Marina had been awarded the Blue Flag, and I was deeply moved. Riviera's awareness and drive confirmed the seriousness of the company.

-- It's inevitable that we at Riviera value sustainability.
The Riviera Tokyo in Ikebukuro, which I visited previously, is celebrating its 73rd anniversary since the opening of the Japanese restaurant Hakuunkaku, and since around 1980, it has been working on regional revitalization through food in the style of a Japanese restaurant.
Furthermore, in 2001, when we started our marina business, we started environmental conservation activities due to a sense of crisis regarding climate change.
Since 2006, we have launched the Riviera Future Creation Project, which has three pillars: the environment, education, and healthcare.

Hiho: I also started environmental conservation activities at a similar time. When he joined Buddhism from a private company and took over as chief priest in the middle of a period of high economic growth, he realized that this was not good enough and decided to start the ``Let's Preserve Greenery and History Association'' to protect the local nature and history. I started exercising. It took eight years to rebuild the main hall and the Kuri, which had been destroyed by the Tanabata Heavy Rains in 1974, and also created the Myosenji Treasures Museum to preserve and display historical materials and create a green forest. We have been working on activities to pass on this information to future generations.

Nichiho: It is estimated that by 2050, the weight of plastic waste in the ocean will exceed the weight of fish. In addition to the problem of microplastics and the effects on humans who eat fish with plastic in their bodies, plastic also exists in the background of global warming, which is said to be the cause of frequent abnormal weather events.
Although people are actively trying to reduce the use of plastic bags, Japanese people dispose of plastic waste second in the world. On the other hand, the United States, the world's No. Plastic packaging of vegetables and fruits is prohibited.
Burying power transmission lines underground, which has become commonplace in Europe and the United States, has not progressed in Japan, and the penetration rate of EVs (electric vehicles) is only 0.9% in Japan. There is a big difference from Norway, which has 54%, and the EU has declared a complete transition to electric vehicles by 2035.
First of all, Japan needs to provide long-term and medium-term guidelines, and each company needs to set short-term and medium-term goals and move toward technological innovation, giving us time to look ahead.
If things continue like this, environmental destruction will progress to an irreversible level. The first to be affected are the lives of small creatures such as insects, birds, and fish in the sea and mountains. The reason I am working on environmental issues is because, above all else, I want to protect the lives of the people I care about. On Earth, where small lives are disappearing, environmental destruction will someday threaten human life.
This is not the time to sit back just because it is difficult due to economic circumstances. I want everyone to pool their knowledge toward bold innovation.

-- "LOVE OCEAN" is an organization that protects the beautiful and bountiful ocean, and is expanding its community to include many people who love the ocean, with the hope of sharing ideas, joining hands, and working together.

Hiho: I would like to applaud the power and momentum of initiatives such as the ``Riviera SDGs Works Manga Award Exhibition'' and ``LOVE OCEAN'' that go beyond just chants and lead people to actual action. Also, he has continued his daily activities for many years.
These days, it seems that regeneration of seaweed beds in the sea near the sea is also being considered.

-- Global warming is causing the disappearance of seaweed beds, where fish lay eggs and raise their habitats, and "rocky shore denudation" is progressing rapidly. Restoring seaweed beds is an urgent priority if we are to achieve a carbon-neutral society. In response to this issue, Riviera is advocating the "Blue Carbon Belt Initiative." Because the ocean has no boundaries, the idea is that rather than each region taking measures alone, everyone should join forces to connect the belt. To begin with, we will begin restoring seaweed beds within a marina in November 2022, the first of its kind in Japan, with the aim of expanding the initiative to the entire Sagami Bay area. Japan is an island nation surrounded by the sea. If this Sagami Bay model is expanded horizontally, the entire Japanese coastline will be covered in a blue carbon belt, and we should soon be able to restore our natural abundance.

Hiho: There's a pleasant word called "kyosei," but I don't think it's a good idea.

-- In recent years, the phrase "coexistence society" has become commonplace.

Hiho: We cannot live together with products of technology that threaten the environment and life. Fossil fuels and nuclear waste should not be together for a long time to come. If we coexist with things that are not good for various reasons, even if things get better now, the coexistence will not continue in the future. Now that small lives are being affected, we must have the courage to move beyond the lukewarm stage of "symbiosis" and take a step or two to "resuscitation."

--You are also involved in a monument called "Resurrection."

Hiho: Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, I went on a pilgrimage to various parts of the Tohoku region, especially Natori City in Miyagi Prefecture, as a memorial service, and witnessed shocking scenes. Natori City, including the Yuriage district, suffered devastating damage. I asked my friend Rintaro Yagi, a sculptor, to help me create a memorial monument. It took 9 years to complete at the end of September last year, and the title of the work is ``Resurrection.''
It is not only a memorial to those who have passed away, but also a wish to ``rejuvenate people's hearts and the environment'' for the future.
Protecting the environment means reviving the earth.To do this, we must first revive people's hearts.Only when the number of people with the heart to revive the earth increases will the natural environment begin to move in the direction of improvement. That's what I mean by "resuscitation" rather than "symbiosis."

Hiho: Of course, economic profit is necessary to live in the present, but even in France, which is known for its individualism, the famous economist Jacques Attali became a hot topic when he preached "altruism."
This is consistent with what the Lotus Sutra teaches. "The True Nature of All Things" - everything in the world exists by influencing each other. We realize that even our own existence is "kept alive" through relationships with others. It also teaches that "the world is eternally tranquil" - this painful world can be transformed into a beautiful place to live. If each person lives their life to the fullest and "joins hands" like people like that springing up from the ground, we can turn this world into a pure land.

-- The important thing is that it's not just about you, but everyone.

Niho: The Buddha taught that the human world, with its eight sufferings (birth, aging, sickness, death, the suffering of separation from loved ones, the suffering of meeting with those we hate, the suffering of not getting what we want, and the suffering of the five aggregates), is a painful place, but it can be transformed into a country of salvation. When his disciples asked him, "Who will transform this world?" he replied, "It will be the bodhisattvas (people who can act by integrating their own happiness with the happiness of others) who will appear in the world in the future."
Although it is difficult, resuscitation is not just a dream if we all work together. There's still time.

-- Riviera has a deep connection with Kochoji Temple, where you serve as chief priest.

Nichiho: Kochoji Temple has had the honor of housing many valuable cultural assets throughout its long history. We are also in custody of the "Great Mandala of Twenty-Eight Pieces," handwritten by Nichiren Daishonin and given to Fujitayu in 1278 (first year of the Koan era) on 28 successive sheets of paper. This is a precious Gohonzon that has survived many hardships to this day.
It is written that it was bestowed upon the upasoku (lay male believer) Todayu Niccho, and this upasoku (lay male believer) was the ancestor of the Watanabe family of the Riviera. The role of guardian of the Great Mandala has been passed down through the generations of the Watanabe family to this day.

-- I also had the experience of being a young boy who decorated the "Homecoming of the Great Mandala of Twenty-Eight Papers." Nippo: When the "Great Mandala of Twenty-Eight Papers" was entrusted to Kochoji Temple in 1446, an agreement was signed to send it away and to pass on the history of the temple. Ever since then, this agreement has been kept and the history has continued. The "Myoho-ji-ki" records that the "Homecoming of the Great Mandala of Twenty-Eight Papers to Lake Kawaguchiko" takes place approximately every 20 years, with a large number of soldiers and horses assigned to provide strict security. The last homecoming was in May 2000.
Mr. Todayu, a great monk, was awarded a huge mandala (390.2 cm in height x 247.6 cm in width, the largest of the principal images of the sect's founder Goshinsho), which has never been presented to a high priest who is a direct disciple of Nichiren Daishonin. The significance of this is exceptional. I feel like if I analyze this person's name, I can understand the saint's true intentions.
The "Fuji" in Fujitayu means "Fujiwara clan (Hino lineage)" and "Tayu" means "the head of a clan with the fifth rank of official rank." In other words, it means people who have important duties to perform.
This mandala conveys the message, ``Fudayu, the head of the Fujiwara clan's fifth official rank, serves as a leader and role model for his family and friends, and everyone should work together to do their best.'' Or?

-- The key word "together" appears again here. When I think back to the history that our ancestors have woven over the past 750 years, I can imagine what we need to do now to prepare for the future.
To revive people's hearts and revive the earth together, for a spiritually rich future where we live in harmony with nature.

*The "Fossil Award" is an award given to countries that have slowed down efforts to combat climate change.