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...

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...

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....

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...

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;...

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...

Matsuba Tomi lives in a town steeped in history, running an inn in an old folk house she restored, reusing waste materials. Discarded bricks line the...

Produce is generally uniform in color, shape and size due to strict standards, which also makes for improved efficiency, but it means deviations...

Textile artist Hayakawa Yumi lives on a verdant mountainside. Using cloth gathered from all over Asia, she makes one-of-a-kind clothing, bags and...

The whole world loves jeans. But they're also all too often thrown away. Kawahara Takuya upcycles this discarded denim combining different textures...

Using discarded materials, Matsuba Tomi has brought a 200-year-old folk house back to life as an inn. Spring has come, and she gathers bamboo shoots...

In the mid-20th century, glass panes featuring patterns like chrysanthemums or cherry blossoms were popular in Japanese homes. As older houses are...

Mori Yumi remakes old clothes with a sense of humor. And she's using her special flair to upcycle tents. Display models or those damaged in shipping...

Saito Masaya is one of the few artisans repairing stained glass in Japan. He removes the damaged sections, delicately replacing them one by one....

Many Japanese homes have beautifully decorated altars called "butsudan" where families pray to Buddha and their ancestors. Their construction...

A shoe repair shop in Yokohama. Owner Murakami Rui repairs badly damaged shoes refused by other shops. Working with customer wishes in mind, he takes...

Kobe is known for bread. But unsold loaves spoil and must be discarded. Turning this waste into something different is Kobe-based artist Morita...

Skateboarding is popular worldwide. But when skateboards get worn out, they become unsafe and have to be scrapped by their riders. In the hands of...

The subway, vital to city living. But after around 40 years, most Osaka Metro subway cars are scrapped. Thanks to two creators, a new upcycling...

Kamakura, a beautiful historic seaside town, has a garbage problem: seaweed that starts to smell if it isn't disposed of. Culinary researcher Yano...