Pedestrians paused on the sidewalks and curious storekeepers emerged from boutiques at the sound of marching band music echoing through the streets of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
As the music grew louder, onlookers watched an approaching parade of people carrying signs with slogans such as "The Earth is my home" and "Economics should protect the environment." The occasion Monday was the Rainbow Parade to Stop Climate Change, organized by environmental groups, scholars and concerned citizens in preparation for the upcoming Kyoto conference on the prevention of global warming.
Muneo Yoshikawa, a professor at the University of Hawaii and a member of the Rainbow Parade Executive Committee, said the purpose of the parade was to raise Japanese public awareness of global warming. "Japan is seen as being very strong economically but weak in environmental consciousness," he said. "This is a good opportunity to show the world that we are concerned about the environment."
The many colors of the rainbow, Yoshikawa said, symbolize the global significance of environmental issues that effect all people, regardless of age, nationality, race or religion. Before the parade began, participants gathered in Yoyogi Park to hear performances by musicians, including "otsuzumi" hand-drum player Shonosuke Okura, television actress Ryoko Nakano and the eight-member percussion group Gocoo. After the concert, people danced to the music of DJs who used solar-powered turntables and speakers.
Several nonprofit environmental protection organizations set up booths in the park, as well as businesses offering environmentally friendly products. Parade participants were able to test drive the Electric Pony, a battery-powered scooter developed by Personal Electric Transportation, Inc. of Hawaii.
According to Anthony Locricchio, president of PET, there are more motor scooters in the world than cars, yet scooters fueled by gasoline emit eight to 10 times more environmentally harmful materials than the average automobile.