Japan: Greenhouse heated by hot spring

Along with warming bathers on the long snowy nights here, "onsen" hot spring waters are also being used to grow asparagus in the winter by heating a greenhouse in a test being conducted by local officials and business representatives.

It marks the first time in Hokkaido that asparagus are being raised in a plastic greenhouse being heated only by onsen waters.

The vegetables are expected to be harvested later this month and supplied to a local hotel.

The experiment is being conducted by a group consisting of the Noboribetsu city government and the Noboribetsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with flower shop Hanazen, the Noboribetsu Grand Hotel and chemical company Hokkaido Soda Co.

The group is called “Noboribetsu Shin-Sangyo Sozo Ikusei Kenkyu-kai” (Study group to create and raise new industries in Noboribetsu).

The project came about from an idea of Itsuro Yokoo, 65, president of Hanazen. When he was thinking about ways to utilize the heat from water discharged from onsen hot springs, he knew about cultivating asparagus through energy-saving methods.

Click here to read the complete article at ajw.asahi.com.