Another trip to Gunma prefecture, another insight into greener living. In past posts, I’ve mentioned the fact that some households can actually make money each month through selling the solar power generated electricity that they don’t use to the local power company. This time, I was intrigued to see the same household employing what was referred to as a “green curtain” (グリーンカーテン) to help save energy costs. Similar to living fences, the green curtain is made by training any of various kinds of vines to grow up a net or string to create a curtain of green foliage along side buildings, houses, or any other surface. In the two months I’ve been in Japan, I’ve seen them in many different locales. In places like Tokyo they provide a much appreciated patch of green in an overwhelmingly concrete and steel jungle. They also can provide shade from the sun, thereby helping to cool whatever surface they are growing over. Any bit of green that can reduce the tremendous heat island effect generated from one of the world’s largest metropolis’s is welcome. Plus, in the winter there are no leaves on these natural curtains, letting the sun’s warmth back in. The green curtain in the picture below is growing outside of the living room. By shading the one side of the room from the sun on the outside, the interior of the house doesn’t get as hot. Less energy is then needed to cool the inside. The pictures below (the close-up is blurry, unfortunately) were shot in the morning, but in the afternoon the hot sun beats on the front of the house where the green curtain hangs.
This particular green curtain is made up of goya, a bitter gord like vegetable popular in Okinawa. It grows from two boxes set below the balcony and trained up along wire lines to the balcony above. Along with the tomatoes, eggplant, mint, cucumbers, and other vegetables grown in this household’s garden, the goya green curtain can make for a quick harvest and fresh addition to any meal. What’s more, the energy saving shade (stick your head in behind the curtain and you can feel the temperature difference) and decorative effects make the green curtain a nice idea for buildings of all kinds.
In the picture below, Jun looks on approving at the idea from a bed of morning glories (朝顔; literally “morning face” in Japanese).
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[Images from author's friend, Kakegawa-san]