Copyright the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Fuji City

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Fuji City in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, began implementing the "Flower Eco Project" in fiscal 2006, aiming to grow sunflowers across the city and develop local products made from their seeds and stalks. This project is part of its "Fuji Brand Project," which was launched to promote regional development and industrial growth by creating local specialties utilizing the blessings of Mt. Fuji.

The chamber hopes to attract tourists with blooming sunflowers throughout the city in summer, the mountain-climbing season, giving them a bright and energetic image of the city. At the same time, the chamber intends to establish an eco-friendly recycling system within the city by using sunflower seeds and stalks as resources. Currently a dressing and a biofuel made from sunflower seed oil, as well as Japanese paper from sunflower stalks, are being developed.

Sunflower seeds were sown in May 2007 on a 2,000-square-meter field for the "Flower Eco Project," where about 20,000 sunflowers bloomed in August. In fall, more than 100 citizens participated in harvesting the seeds and stalks.



Posted: 2008/01/09 03:53:15 PM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Global warming , Local government , Manufacturing industry