The organic lifestyle is as much about food as it is the clothes that you wear and the other products you use in your daily life. Here are a few of the companies and services available around Tokyo that can help you achieve a ethical, eco-friendly way of life.
Elana Jade
Elana Jade
Elana Jade is a spa that offers an oasis in the heart of Tokyo where you can experience a wide array of unique, organic-based techniques and treatments. Decorated with a blend of wood, stone, and plants from Australia and Japan, the salon has a tranquil ambience that you can feel as soon as you walk inside. Sit back and relax in this serene environment as you get ready for your spa experience. The attentive English-speaking staff will provide you with a personalized analysis of your skin and advise you on the possible ways to optimize it through natural daily care before starting the treatment.
The Ilcsi Organics’ anti-age and peeling facials, which use pure certified organic ingredients, are a favorite of celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow, and are four times more effective in beautifying your skin than herbal extracts.
Elana Jade uses a variety of organic products, including its own house brand and other recognized lines, such as Jasmin Aromatique, Amber Botanical, and Koala Baby. Products are replaced frequently to maintain their freshness and effectiveness, guaranteeing that you will step out of the salon feeling refreshed and rejuvenated inside and out, ready to put your best face forward.
www.elanajade.com
Latorie Memorial Building 3F 1-5-19, Azabu Juban, Minato-Ku, 106-0045
Tel. 03-6438-9895
Shiga Kajiwara Farm
Discover the taste of farm-fresh organic produce with the convenience of home delivery. Shiga Kajiwara Farm is located in a mountainous valley in the heart of Nagano Prefecture, known for its crystal-clear water, clean air, and a climate that yields some of the most flavorful crops in Japan. And, as Tomoko Kajiwara, one half of the husband-and-wife team that owns and runs the small organic farm explains, each of the 50 to 80 types of vegetables that they plant has its own unique growing season. This means that, whether you choose to have a weekly or monthly box delivered from them or make a one-time order, each delivery box that the farm sends out is filled with produce at its peak of freshness and nutritional value.
Akira and Tomoko of Shiga Kajiwara Farm
Using strictly organic farming methods, and maintaining the health of their farm’s soil with vegetable-based fertilizers, Kajiwara grows everything from hearty root vegetables and leafy greens during the colder months to juicy cucumbers and tomatoes during the warmer seasons. A small box contains four to six items, and a large box has eight to ten. As a unique touch, the farm updates its delivery box on its site and Facebook page every Tuesday—delivery box items can also be swapped out on advance request.
www.shigakajiwaranouen.jp
Phone service available in English at 0263-64-3313
Daabon
Daabon not only has the largest plantation of organic bananas in the world, it is also one of Japan’s leading importers of organic Colombian coffee and the only source of organic palm oil shortening. This shortening is excellent for baking, but can also be used as a butter substitute in recipes and is ideal for frying for donuts, tempura, or spring rolls. You can find these products—as well as their premium Italian olive oil—at finer stores in the Tokyo area, but if you’d like to buy online, you can find their Amazon Store at http://goo.gl/LQrSwC. Tokyo Weekender readers can get a 10 percent discount at checkout. Just enter the code WKNDR0914.
Main Image: Shiga Kajiwara Farm
