Hyatt Regency Hakone tries candlelight to save energy

The Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort & Spa will participate in Japan’s “Carbon Dioxide Reduction Light-Down Campaign” by turning the lobby lights off for two hours on June 21 and July 7. The Hyatt will also be lighting its lobby fireplace with candles, instead of a fire, between June 21 and Aug 31. The “Carbon Dioxide Reduction Light-Down Campaign” was started by the Ministry of the Environment to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and encourage thoughts about how to prevent global warming.

Since 2003, the ministry has been working with public facilities and households to raise awareness about energy consumption. Last year, 2,932,013 kilowatts of electricity were saved by the 63,000 facilities that participated in the campaign. This year, households are encouraged to participate by turning off their lights between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on June 21 (the summer solstice) and July 7 (when the G-8 summit starts in Hokkaido).