By Wonsuh Song
Japan’s Golden Week is in full swing, and everywhere you turn seems to be overflowing with people. In particular, Children’s Day has become synonymous with bustling theme parks and large shopping centers, where one typically endures long lines just for a brief moment of leisure. Convenience stores offer sandwiches and bento boxes aplenty, making it quick and easy to pick up a meal before heading out.
Yet this year, I decided to try something different—what one might call a “traditional” approach. I gathered the ingredients at home, prepared kimbap (Korean-style seaweed rolls) by hand, wrapped them in aluminum foil, then packed beverages in a cooler bag alongside a large picnic blanket. With those in tow, I made my way to a nearby park.
The key principle this time was “minimizing disposable waste.” Ready-made meals from convenience stores are indeed convenient, but they invariably come with layers of plastic or other packaging that turns into trash the moment the meal is over. Paper napkins and wet wipes are no different—once used, they end up in the trash. Determined to avoid this, I brought my own handkerchief and cloth towels to wipe up spills, planning to wash and reuse them later.
Thanks to this approach, I generated a few garbage (aluminum foils only), and cleanup proved surprisingly easy. While it required some effort to prepare everything at home, the reward of leisurely enjoying a meal in the fresh air made the extra work feel worthwhile. There was no need to hurry through lines or eat on the run; instead, I could savor the moment, enjoying nature and conversation without the usual hustle.
Looking back, this was once a perfectly ordinary way of doing things. People used to make their own lunches, wrap them in cloth or paper, and head outside—long before disposable containers and excessive packaging became the norm. Today, with the global population exceeding eight billion, we face the environmental consequences of mass production and consumption. In light of that, returning to some of these older, more sustainable practices feels more relevant than ever.
Of course, living solely by “handmade” standards is no simple task in a modern, fast-paced society. Still, small choices—such as cutting back on disposable items and opting for homemade meals when possible—can significantly reduce our environmental footprint. Convenience stores need not be the enemy; used wisely, they can coexist with a more eco-friendly way of life.
As adults, we may not pay as much attention to Children’s Day as we once did. But by preparing kimbap at home and enjoying it in the park, I rediscovered a sense of joy and freedom I had nearly forgotten: the pleasures of a simple picnic and the richness of spending time outdoors. A little extra effort and a few conscious decisions about waste can help us move toward a healthier, more sustainable future. No matter how advanced society becomes, there remains something timeless and uniquely satisfying about sharing a home-cooked meal amid nature.
Song Wonsuh (Ph.D.)
Full-time Lecturer, Shumei University / NKNGO Forum Representative
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