Zero Waste Life

Using lacquer to reassemble broken vessels by pasting shards together and coating with gold or silver powder, a technique known as kintsugi. In Western cultures, repairs aim to return a piece to its original state. Kintsugi does the opposite, emphasizing flaws to create newfound beauty. Continuing in the spirit of this tradition dating back to the 15th century, artisan Kuroda Yukiko has garnered worldwide attention. Come witness her precise technique and passion for this unique artform.

Asakusa, Tokyo, is home to many shrines and temples. Visitors often buy "omikuji," which are small pieces of paper with fortunes written on them. Normally burned for disposal, washi paper artisan Shinoda Kaho came up with the idea of recycling them as a new style of washi, which is not only beautiful but durable as well. Her washi handbags are gaining popularity in and out of Japan. This may well be the birth of a new local specialty in an area long known for papermaking and paper recycling.

After leaving his math teaching job Suzuki Yuichi became a doctor, but he has no license. The surgeries he performs require a drill or a screwdriver not a scalpel, and his patients aren't humans but toys. Children bring their broken toys to him; all kinds of toys, broken in all kinds of ways. The repairs can be a challenge, but with boundless ingenuity and enthusiasm he gets the job done. He receives no pay, but he does have a lesson for his young clients, "Cherish your precious toys forever!"

Cheap plastic umbrellas are all too easily used and thrown away in Japan. And since they're difficult to break down, recycling efforts have stalled. But young creator Saito Aki has an original idea that may be the solution. By compressing layers of plastic from old umbrellas she's created a beautiful new fabric and turned it into a hit line of fashionable handbags. Just to look, you'd never guess where it came from. The perfect blend of style and environmental-awareness-raising substance.

Azuno Tadafumi runs a rather unconventional retail space. It doesn't just carry used tools or furniture, but also salvaged lumber. Many Japanese country houses go vacant. These derelict homes are regularly torn down. When he hears about a demolition, he goes there to see if there is any wood that can still be used. He calls what he does, "rescue," aiming to keep useful wood from being thrown away. He believes that wood can take on the emotions of the people who occupy the spaces it's used in.

Komuro Maito has a studio in downtown Tokyo where he works with traditional plant-based dyes. His dyes are made from things that would normally be discarded like fruit skins or pruned twigs. But the results he achieves are so stunning, it's hard to believe. His methods are primitive, boiling to extract natural pigments while imagining the color that will result. It can vary greatly depending on the plants used, and even on the season. As he's fond of saying, "trash is treasure."

In a Tokyo studio Fujisawa Yuki processes old clothing, giving it new life using dye or lace. She also uses the technique of hot stamping to apply gold or silver leaf, reinforcing damaged areas and making them shine. She says she loves the "memory" of old clothing, evoking a time, a place or a person. She enjoys speculating about who made it and the personality of its former owner. This comes through in her work, carrying those memories forward into the future.

Kubo Tomonori is a sommelier. He's also an artist who makes portraits from used wine corks. He's done famous faces like Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali and Audrey Hepburn. He insists on using only shades created by actual wine, saying that the natural color is more beautiful. Cork is a valuable natural resource, but most are thrown away after its role as a bottle stopper is complete. Kubo's work has been a hit with wine lovers, and he gets used corks sent in from all over Japan.

Shibahara Katsuji is a skilled woodworker. He makes all kinds of things to order, but from time to time he takes on a particularly unusual request. Remaking an unplayed piano. He makes them into desks, shelves and even doorstops. The sense of memory and history in an old piano is something he approaches with both reverence and a bit of trepidation. He does his best to maintain the original form and avoid over polishing. Even though it no longer makes music, the memories remain.

In Japan over 3 million vehicles a year are scrapped. 80% of the components can be recycled, but the remaining 20% can't be and is discarded as trash. Auto wrecker Kamimura Masanori made up his mind to find a new use for seatbelts and airbags instead of throwing them away. Made to save lives, they're incredibly tough and seldom degrade over time. Combining seatbelts sewn together with airbag linings, he created sturdy bags suitable for outdoor activities. He calls his creation the "Tough Bag."

At Li Rui's sewing school, students learn how to remake adult clothes into kids wear. Most are moms raising children. They bring their own things; items that no longer fit, or they no longer wear but can't part with. Items once destined for disposal are transformed into clothes for their own children with Li's help. And while they work, she looks after the kids, so no need to worry. Kind to both the home and the environment, her school is a place full of laughter for mothers and children alike.

Making use of his vast experience, dyer Izawa Tsuyoshi has added a touch of color to all kinds of things. And two years ago, he began a new undertaking; dyeing old and worn-out clothes black. This has several benefits. Black hides damage and stains and makes old look new. Izawa worked to develop a black dye that would work on fabric of any color. Bringing clothes destined for the trash back in black has brought in so much business that there's currently a three-month waiting list for the service.

A beloved stuffed animal is irreplaceable. But over the years they suffer wear and tear, and the damage can be severe. The attachment their owners feel makes replacement out of the question. And so Hakozaki Natsumi opened her stuffed animal hospital. Carefully restoring what, for her clients, are members of the family, she calls what she does treatment, not repair. And she now helps restore patients sent in by people from all over the world.

Former pro skateboarder Shimizu Aoi set out to become an artist in his second life. As he searched for a medium to work in, he was caught by the jeans he once wore during practice. The denim's appealing color gradations and distinctive tears made it an ideal candidate material. He now uses it to make traditional Daruma dolls, Japanese symbols of good fortune. Using old jeans from his clients, Shimizu makes one-of-a-kind Daruma that they'll never want to let go.

Lumber that's too short or too narrow can be hard to sell. Offcuts are usually discarded or end up as woodchips. But Tanaka Ryosuke and Miyachi Yoh use them for furniture. Not big enough for large panels, multiple boards must be glued together, leading to uneven coloring. The answer, to dye the furniture with indigo, transforming each piece into a unified whole. This clever idea and their love of wood itself gives their work an inner beauty that's attracting real interest.

Chef Murota Takuto's restaurant is tucked away in a quiet corner of trend-setting Shibuya. Uniquely, he insists on using wild game, culled as so-called pests that can destroy crops or cause other harm. Wild game isn't mainstream in Japan, so as much as 90% goes to waste. He expresses his waste-not philosophy, using the bones and even the blood, as well as the meat, in his cooking. He believes that if we take a life, we owe that life a debt of respect. And his culinary creations are his way of repaying it.

Fashion designer Sawayanagi Naoshi uses only all-natural materials to make clothing that can be safely decomposed by microorganisms in the soil. His partner Hirota Takuya, who studied agriculture helped develop the ideal soil. Their brand is also unique because clothing is rented, not sold, ensuring it's returned when the wearer is done with it. Seeing clothes from beginning to end as they return to the earth is the heart of the pair's astonishing endeavor to reshape the fashion business.

"They're not trash cans, but resource bins," says Murakami Yuki. His love of making goes back to childhood. And at college he developed his own banana peel leather. Transforming garbage and scrap into useful materials – lampshades from coffee grounds or chairs from old receipts – his creations are unique, but they're also as biodegradable as possible, with minimal environmental impact. This sort of alchemy has earned praise and serious interest from industries facing issues surrounding waste.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.