Freak of nature

There are many things one may associate with Ibaraki-born clothing retailer Freak’s Store: on-trend selections of mainly American fashion, a focus on community, sustainability incorporated into every aspect of their business. Yet despite its reputation for putting an emphasis on ethics, not many people foresaw the fashion retailer entering the world of renewable energy production.

Not many people foresaw the fashion retailer entering the world of renewable energy production

But following Japan’s commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the fashion house, which has 47 outlets across Japan, has indeed entered the energy market. In collaboration with green power company Minna-Denryoku, the apparel store launched Freak’s Denki (“Freak’s Electricity”) in June this year to increase renewable energy options for its customers and contribute to the transition to a more sustainable society. All electricity sold through Freak’s Denki is generated by a solar power station in the city of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture.

Not many people foresaw the fashion retailer entering the world of renewable energy production

The relationship between Minna-Denryoku and Freak’s Store isn’t completely out of the leftfield. The clothing chain’s Shibuya outlet has been purchasing electricity from the supplier’s renewable energy sources for a while and a proportion of the store’s monthly electricity bill goes toward supporting designated power stations in areas affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. But Freak’s Denki has raised the stakes by not only enabling individual consumers to switch to green energy but also support local initiatives—mainly in Nagano Prefecture—while they do so.

An abandoned field now used for organic corn cultivation by Shinano Soil | Image courtesy of Daytona International

The Nagano city branch is one of Freak’s Store’s key outlets and has long been known for its community outreach activities

The Nagano city branch is one of Freak’s Store’s key outlets and has long been known for its community outreach activities. Once a month, the shop collaborates with the city’s Seed and Soil Market to sell fresh local produce. Nagano’s population decline has led to more and more farmland being abandoned.

Picking corn

To help find a use for this land, organizers of the Seed and Soil Market established the nonprofit organization Shinano Soil, which is repurposing abandoned farmland for corn cultivation and the production of organic popcorn. The type of corn crop grown by Shinano Soil has a comparatively short harvesting cycle and is relatively resistant to damage caused by wildlife, which is rising as the human population decreases. Freak’s Store, building on its longstanding relationship with Seed and Soil Market, supports the Shinano Soil project through packaging, promotion, and sales initiatives, and Freak’s Denki donates ¥100 of each customer’s monthly electricity bill to corn cultivation and popcorn production.

Organic popcorn grown at the Shinano Soil fields for sale in Freak’s Store, Nagano | Image courtesy of Daytona International

Shinano Soil hope that domestic production of the popular snack could help create jobs

But why corn? Most of the popcorn sold in convenience stores and movie theaters in Japan is imported, and the people behind Shinano Soil hope that domestic production of the popular snack could help create jobs in Nagano Prefecture. They’re also aiming for popcorn to become a local specialty one day.

Freak’s Denki subscribers are able to participate in this unique community through a variety of events—think corn-harvesting experiences, assisting in the process of popcorn development, and attending webinars on environmental issues. By keeping everything from power production to popcorn-growing participatory and extremely local, Freak’s Store is kickstarting a new and empowering form of sustainability action. And its trousers still look great to boot.