In October, I met with staff members from the Matsumoto City Office in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan: Mr. Ota, Assistant Manager of the Environmental Policy Section; Mr. Kasahara, Assistant Manager of the Global Warming Section; Maiko Isaka from the Migration and Exchange Section of the Strategic Planning Bureau; and Maki Ito, who served as interpreter.
Our conversation centered on how communities care for water, and what Utah might learn from a place where clean water is deeply woven into daily life. As Great Salt Lake faces an uncertain future, understanding how other cultures protect and value water can offer an important perspective for our own efforts to restore our saline lake.
On my train ride into Matsumoto City Hall, I traveled through the mountains, where the hills were thick with green vegetation and moss. As I walked toward City Hall, clear water flowed directly from the ground and down the sidewalks. It felt impossible not to notice how closely clean water is woven into everyday life in Matsumoto.
When I arrived, my hosts listened as I shared the story of Great Salt Lake and the current state of its water levels. I explained how declining lake levels threaten public health through toxic dust, and how Utah has committed to restoring the lake by 2034 before the Olympic Games. They expressed hope that the lake can be restored by the Olympics, and then shared the story of water in Matsumoto.
Unlike Utah, Matsumoto receives much of its water from natural springs, which means the city does not face water scarcity. Even so, water management remains a central responsibility. Matsumoto is home to Japan’s largest wasabi farms, which depend on clean, mineral-rich water flowing from their Northern Alps. The Environmental Department staff informed me that to protect this resource, water used by industry must be treated before it is returned to the watershed. They conduct random water-quality checks, and companies are responsible for installing and maintaining appropriate treatment systems. This system of accountability stood out to me as a potential model for Utah, particularly as we consider how industrial activity and mineral extraction affect Great Salt Lake.
When I asked whether farmers viewed random inspections as unfair, they explained that they do not. Instead, farmers see water protection as a collective responsibility, understanding that the actions of one affect the credibility and sustainability of the entire industry. This cooperation between farmers and government reflects a collaborative approach that prioritizes long-term public and environmental benefit. Matsumoto is proud of its crystal-clear water—they kindly gave me a Matsumoto natural spring trading card. In Japan, water springs have their own trading cards.
They also showed me a water fountain in their office that dispensed fresh spring water. They explained that many residents believe the spring water tastes especially good, and that people throughout the city regularly walk to natural spring fountains to fill their bottles. Matsumoto takes great pride in having such clean and accessible drinking water.
The presence of natural springs and public water fountains throughout the city—along with spring water flowing openly through the streets—created a seamless blending of the urban and natural landscape that I envied. One idea Matsumoto shared for Salt Lake City was the installation of free public drinking fountains that highlight our own mountain water. With the development of the power district in the Fairpark neighborhood, I believe there is an opportunity to design urban spaces that celebrate water in a way similar to how Matsumoto has done.
After discussing water use and environmental policy, we talked about cultural differences. In Japan, children are taught to eat every grain of rice as a way of showing gratitude—to farmers, rain, and clouds. In Shinto traditions, local spirits are enshrined, and the environment is not only respected but revered. I shared my belief that Great Salt Lake has a spirit worthy of similar respect.
I believe this issue extends far beyond Utah; it is a global challenge. In my life, I have had the opportunity to visit Los Alamos National Laboratory as a physics research student, where I walked the halls of the chemistry department that once handled plutonium used in the atomic bomb. I have also visited Hiroshima, standing at the site where that bomb took more than 140,000 lives. I saw trees that survived the blast, a symbol of hope and life.
These experiences shaped how I think about responsibility and long-term consequences.They taught me that what we choose today can affect generations far beyond our own. Millions of people live in the path of dust that would be released from the exposed lakebed. California’s Owens Lake, which has already dried up, is currently the largest source of toxic dust in the United States, despite being only one-twelfth the size of Great Salt Lake. The collapse of Great Salt Lake, like radiation exposure, represents a slow and largely invisible disaster—one whose most severe consequences emerge long after the damage has already been done.
With the Olympics approaching, Utah has a rare opportunity to show what is possible when people act with care for the benefit of all life. Around the world, saline lakes have disappeared, displacing communities and leaving lasting harm in their wake. Restoring Great Salt Lake would set a global precedent, demonstrating that shared values, love, can guide meaningful action across cultures.
But restoration is not only a technical challenge; it is a cultural one. To restore Great Salt Lake, we must also shift how people relate to it. Matsumoto offers one example of what this relationship can look like: a place where water is protected, celebrated, and woven into daily life.
Great Salt Lake is a reflection of our values. Do we value community? Do we value future generations, both human and nonhuman? Do we believe clean water is something to be proud of? Culture determines whether we act before disaster—or only after.
I am deeply grateful to the staff of Matsumoto City for welcoming me so openly and for sharing their knowledge of water management, environmental policy, and Japanese culture. This meeting reaffirmed the importance of international exchange and the power of learning from one another. Thank you to the Salt Lake City Sister Cities Program for organizing this meaningful meeting.
Rachel is the Events Manager and a senior staff member at Grow the Flow, where she manages the Salt Lake City volunteer base.
