Japanese Temples Glow Green

The Japanese temples in Kyoto are holy places, so it makes sense that they try to “illuminate” us with a “higher power.” OK, forgive the puns for a moment to appreciate the fact that the Japanese, recognizing that their temples are major tourist attractions, have begun replacing lightbulbs, both inside the temples and outside for evening displays, with LED bulbs and implementing solar generating systems to help to power them. The Daily Yorimuri reportsDaily Yorimuri reports:

“Kodaiji temple in Higashiyama Ward, founded in 1606 by Nene, the wife of the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, recently introduced a solar power generation system to illuminate the premises during evening opening hours this year. Solar panels installed on the back of a truck parked at the temple generate electricity during the daytime that is stored and used to power the evening illuminations.”

The Kodaiji temple managers say that their efforts will cut carbon dioxide emissions by about a ton, or the amount 77 Japanese cedar trees absorb in a year. Since the fall foliage is a major reason why people come to visit the temples, it’s good to know that both the trees and the holy spaces are working together to save the planet.

Thanks to Jaunted for the tip!

Photo: horsenbuggy via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool.