As Europe braces for energy shortages from Russian gas cuts, Japan’s own energy crisis a decade ago offers survival lessons to households and businesses – such as dimming the lights and taking the stairs. EU energy ministers on Tuesday approved a proposal for member countries to cut gas use voluntarily by 15% from August to March amid uncertain supplies from Russia due to the war in Ukraine. Energy saving, or “setsuden”, became a national project for Japan in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. In the weeks and months that followed, shopping centres switched off escalators, factories pared back assembly line times, and pachinko gambling […]