Discover the possibilities in Sapporo and Fukuoka | Japan Cabinet Office | BBC StoryWorks скачать в хорошем качестве

Discover the possibilities in Sapporo and Fukuoka | Japan Cabinet Office | BBC StoryWorks

Ad paid and presented by Japan Cabinet Office. David Andrew Quist, loves ramen. He loves ramen so much that he spent two years in a ramen restaurant in Tokyo learning to perfect the craft. And then, he set up his very own ramen restaurant in Norway. But there’s more than meets the eye here – when David looks at a bowl of ramen, one that holds years of Japanese history in culinary fermentation, he sees scientific possibilities. “A lab and a kitchen, really, are not that different,” he says. “They’re areas for endless exploration of flavour, texture…” The microbiologist’s eyes light up when he talks about fungi. “They’re basically the backstory to everything that we see on the planet,” he says, and it was the many wonders of this unseen world that captured his heart. To David, there is no better place to base his business than in Japan’s Sapporo City, rich with food industry suppliers, start-up support systems and breathtaking expanses of nature that can inspire the passionate minds of innovators. This is the home of his start-up NoMy, which has its sights set on reshaping entire food systems with fungi. Looking from Japan’s north towards its south, in Fukuoka City, Aril Aditian and his partner Viko Gara are pulling up their sleeves – and their jeans – for their love of forestry. With a PhD in forestry, slope stability and erosion control, Aril is a different kind of scientist, the kind who is able to see beyond the lush green mass of a forest to instantly assess the possibility of natural disasters such as rock slides. His sense of purpose is rooted in maintaining the health of forests. “Forestry can really save lives,” the youthful entrepreneur says, chuckling, but with a weighty seriousness. Hailing from Indonesia, where forestry is a popular profession, Aril and Viko’s start-up Nosuta wants to create opportunities for skilled Indonesian foresters to assist Japan with forest management. Nearly 70% of Japan is covered with forests, but with an ageing population, there are plenty of forests to look after, and not enough individuals who are picking up the essential profession. “Fukuoka City has been very helpful in helping us set up our business here, connecting us with lawyers, with the local networks,” says Viko. But the part most invaluable to him, is how the city helped him to find suitable schools for his children. Sapporo, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo are Japan’s new specially designated zones that aim to help businesses and innovators succeed through start-up networks and business support. Ready to take the leap? Website: https://www.bbc.com/storyworks Facebook:   / bbcstoryworks   Instagram:   / bbcstoryworks   Twitter:   / bbcstoryworks