Earth Day Tokyo 2010, an event to raise awareness about the environment, will be held April 17 and 18 in and around Yoyogi Park in Shibuya Ward.

This marks the 10th year the festival will be staged in Japan. It coincides with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, an international event that began in the United States in 1970, according to the Earth Day Tokyo 2010 Committee, the organizer here.

"Earth Day Tokyo has become one of the largest events on the environment by the citizens of Japan," Jun Shikita of the Earth Day Tokyo 2010 Committee said at a news conference last month.

A total of 121 groups, including nonprofit organizations, working on environmental issues have registered to participate in the festival, whose theme this year is "Earth's Festival of Love and Peace."

The event will focus on energy, food and agricultural issues and show how people can reduce their carbon footprint.

Aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, fuel used for generating electricity during the two days at Yoyogi Park will include bioenergy, such as used cooking oil. Other clean energy sources, including solar power and hydrogen, will also be utilized.

Food on hand at the site will feature local produce that is in season. The festival will be free from genetically modified foods, according to the organizer.

Since Earth Day 2009 ended last year, committee members have started growing their own rice, soy beans and other food with the goal of raising the festival's self-sufficiency rate.

The produce will be marketed at the festival this year, and farmers who cooperated in the effort will be at the site.

People visiting the festival are encouraged to bring their own plates, utensils and canteens.