Hydrogen’s role in decarbonizing homes has so far proved contentious. It was tested as a fuel for home heating in the UK, with experiments also held in Sweden, the U.S. and elsewhere. Opposition to the trials from various independent regulators and experts has meant that widespread usage of hydrogen in homes is, for now, unlikely.

In Japan, which is among the most bullish countries for hydrogen energy usage, there is an appetite to make hydrogen work as a decarbonization pathway for homes, even if the approach differs from most countries.

Homes contribute to about 15% of Japan’s carbon footprint and the country has a modern gas infrastructure that took decades to complete. Equally, the government is keen to promote examples of hydrogen for ordinary citizens in order to help build wider support for the clean-burning fuel as a future alternative to fossil fuels.

And so, in January, the doors opened on Japan’s first “hydrogen town”. A central Tokyo district is playing host to an experiment of using hydrogen to power communal facilities and transport, with families already moving in. Meanwhile, other lifestyle applications of hydrogen are tested elsewhere in Japan, hoping to demonstrate that the gas that’s lighter than air can support ground-level needs.