Editor's Note: (This feature is part of Vision Japan, a series about the visionaries who are changing Japan, and the places that inspire this innovation. See more here.)
(CNN) Right now, Japan imports 84% of its energy, but all over the country scientists are busy innovating with the goal of changing this.
In the hunt for green energy alternatives, Japanese researchers are working to harness the power of typhoons, improve geothermal energy and analyze the movement of dolphins to create underwater turbines.
Watch the video above to find out how Japan plans to power a greener future.
Japan looks toward a sustainable future
Japan is looking into new ways to power the country. Pictured here, a J-Power wind farm in Koriyama City.
Inspired by the movement of a dolphin's fin, Professor Shintake from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology designed a submerged marine turbine to harness the energy of the Kuroshio Current along the Japanese coast.
The design -- which is currently being tested from a boat -- is suitable for places prone to storms and typhoons.
Professor Shintake estimates that if just 1% of the Japanese coastline were fitted with these turbines, it would generate around 10GW of electricity, roughly equal to the power of 10 nuclear reactors.
Japanese scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology are developing lightweight perovskite solar cells, made from a mix of organic and inorganic materials. The cells can be printed roll to roll like newsprint and used to cover almost any surface.
This special turbine, designed by Challenergy, spins on a vertical access, and can handle sudden changes in wind speed and direction, meaning it could withstand a typhoon.
Instead of sucking hot water or steam from under the ground to create energy like most geothermal plants, this reactor designed by researchers from Kyoto University channels cold water deep into the earth to heat it, then brings it up to the surface again in order to generate electricity.