Zero Waste Life

Some 20% of grown flowers for sale in Japan are discarded as substandard. Nakanishi Megumi uses them to make candles. Just like the flawed beauty of humanity, waste flowers, too, have a unique charm.

Judo instructor Sato Hitoe uses worn-out uniforms, or gis, to make items like tote bags; very durable, since the original material was meant to be tough. And behind it all is Sato's love for judo.

At Yoshimura Mayu's atelier anyone can come in and make clothes. The materials are discards from industry and major brands. And working together leads to great ideas they couldn't come up with alone.

With a falling birthrate, school closures are on the rise in Japan, and things like desks and chairs have no place to go. Doi Kenji upcycles these discards into stylish and unique interior items.

Artisan Matoba Kensho restores traditional dolls. Beyond cleaning, he repairs damage to faces. Well-cared-for dolls can last 100 years, so he hopes people bring them to him, and never discard them.

Artisan Takezawa Mutsumi's workshop lies at the foot of a mountain west of Tokyo. She makes pieces using leather from animals culled as pests, hides usually thrown away, but she gives them new life.

Autumn at the folk house inn. Matsuba Tomi values all things. Welcoming guests with decorations of fallen ginkgo leaves, the nuts used for the evening meal; simple treasures with enduring appeal.

Folk house innkeeper Matsuba Tomi hosts her grandchildren in summer. After playing in the garden, they help clean and rest under the mosquito net. An old-fashioned way of life forms precious memories.