People for Rainwater/Utilization　in JAPAN

1. Rainwater Key Person: Nobuo Tokunaga-san

Tokunaga-san makes, sells and installs rainwater tanks. His workplace is the 4th floor of a recently rebuilt apartment block. Tokunaga-san first became involved with rainwater utilization 11 years ago. At that time, as part of the anti-disaster plan for the area, there were suggestions that rainwater should be used in the rojison. Tokunaga-san, using the wisdom gained from a lifetime of working as a craftsman, was in charge of designing the rainwater rojison.

　"Well it was the first time I'd ever done anything like this, so I went all the way to Mitake Island (south of Tokyo) and studied all I could about rainwater utilization" comments Tokunaga-san.
This was the beginning of Tokunaga-san's original rainwater product- the Tensuison rain tank. The meaning of 'tensui' is 'water from heaven', ie rainwater, and 'son' is respect. Tokunaga-san wanted to express the idea that rainwater is an important resource, which we must look after, as is nature as a whole.
Tokunaga-san set up the Rainwater Research Institute and is now enthusiastically involved in research and propagation of rainwater utilization.


2. Shigemoto Sahara-san	＜index>

	Sahara-san has a 900 liter rainwater tank under the floor in the entrance hall of his house. He uses water from this tank in the toilets on both floors of his house aswell as to water the plants on the verandah. "We have a large family, so when there is a lot of rain, we can get by with just rainwater, but usually we supplement our tank water with tap water. Rainwater is like a bonus for us. We have a 'Tensuison' tank on the verandah too and the kids love to play in the water in


3. Mukojima Hyakaen Park	＜index>
	Hyakaen is a very famous park in Tokyo which has been around since the Edo period-when the Tokugawa Shoguns ruled Japan. In front of the tea shop in the park is a rainwater tank with the white characters 'tensuison' printed on the deep blue color of the tank. Another one of Tokunaga-san's tanks. He is kept very busy with orders from all over the country.

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