In it together: Turning out for the global climate strike in Tokyo

Today, young people across the world walked out of their classrooms and into the streets with a clear message to people in power: preserve the planet, or else.

I joined the strikers in Tokyo, a small but vibrant crowd of concerned students and supporters. At 2:00 p.m., strikers began reading letters to their future selves. Following the speeches, the group set out on a circular route that began and ended at United Nations University.

The significance of today’s turnout cannot be overstated. Decades of one-party-rule and inflexible democratic institutions have made Japan a very apathetic country. K-12 education instills Japan’s youth with a kind of “go-along to get-along” attitude, emphasizing conformity and test performance over critical thinking. As a result, a lot of people here tend to be afraid of embracing opinions perceived to be political — for example, that lawmakers need to transition the country to renewable energy or face dire consequences.

Japan needs to change, just like all of us need to change. I was inspired by the great climate leaders I met at today’s climate strike and hope they continue to build momentum here in Japan.