Environmentalism

I worried/wondered about the extent of environmentalism in Japan. I knew very little prior to coming:
1. The Kyoto Protocol meetings were here. (stupid, embarassing, terrible GW)
2. Japanese people harvest and eat whale. A lot. There is significant international pressure for Japan to stop harvesting whales for food, so the Japanese government insists the whales are only being killed for scientific experimentation. However, there are rumors that whale meat is often found in our school lunches. I don`t know whether or not this is true.
3. The Japanese like lots of unnecessary packaging.
4. 99% of Japan`s rivers and streams are damned, so fish can`t get up.
5. However, the Japanese islands are collectively about the size of California, but consist of 80% forests. The Japanese population is one-half that of the USA. I understood that Japanese people and urban planners believe in dense urban housing in order to preserve the forests. This respect for nature is inspired by the native Japanese religion, Shintoism.
6. Public transporation rocks. People use the trains. Things run efficiently and on time.

Now I am able to observe a little more:
1. The air is clean. The water is delicious.
2. Even in the town, a lot of people have small vegetable gardens. (Perhaps because produce is so #!&$ expensive.)
3. Recycling happens on a level I never imagined, especially in Hokkaido. We have 8 garbage bins, no joke. Compost, plastic, another kind of plastic, two kinds of paper, tin, glass, and other stuff I can`t remember right now. It`s confusing but I`m glad about it. The asphalt is pretty-sparkly because it`s made of blue/green/yellow/clear glass bottles.
4. Every 2 years all cars in Japan go through an environmental quality inspection, to be sure they are in good working order. It costs a lot of money (mine, which I payed today, cost $1000) but ensures there are less pollutants. If your car needs to be fixed in order to pass the shakken inspection, they do it for you and you just pay the bill (suprise!).
5. There are two kinds of passenger vehicles for sale in Japan. The yellow plate cars are smaller, have better gas mileage, are cheaper, and are (they say) more dangerous. The white plate cars can be larger and generally have worse mileage. My car is a white plate but has great mileage and is smaller than a clown car. . . I don`t know how they decide which is which.
6. It is cheaper and easier to take the train, rather than driving to some far-away city.
7. They do drive vans, but SUVs are rare. I did see one Hummer (I resisted the urge to spit). Most people are modest in their gas usage.
8. No one is fat. Everyone has a bike. Many people walk.

So, can I give this country kudos for environmentalism? Sure. Better than where I come from. . .