5 trending upcycling ideas in Japan

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the concept of taking old products and using them for new purposes, or as materials in entirely new products. This is in contrast to recycling, which is the process of breaking down and reusing the base materials.

A simple example from daily life may be reusing an old glass jar to hold coins or planted vegetables. With some imagination you could use upcycling to create more complex products through DIY projects. However, companies which want to be more sustainable are also offering their own upcycled goods.

Japanese businesses are no exception. Many upcycling examples from Japan are focused on fashion, such as Global Work’s initiative to make shopping bags out of surplus fabric. There are even cases of upcycling being used for more creative purposes, including Japanese artist Yukito Nishinaka using upcycled glass to recreate traditional rock gardens.

Upcycling can come in many forms and gives a unique alternative to waste or recycling. Here are some of the most notable examples of upcycled products in Japan, including everything from the fashionable, practical and simply entertaining.

Fight the coronavirus with upcycled masks

The Coronavirus pandemic has had a massive impact on all aspects of our lives. Face mask usage is one reminder of our new way of life. There are web tutorials on how to make your own face masks from old belongings. Some Japanese businesses are also selling their own upcycled masks.

Women’s fashion company Casafline is selling masks made from upcycled materials from products they sell, as well as organic cotton.

Komehyo is a nationwide department store chain based in Nagoya. They focus on used clothes and other goods, and have recently collaborated with fashion company Cote Mer to make upcycled masks. The companies take cloth from unused suits and clothes unsuitable for sale to make the masks. The masks went on sale at Komehyo’s Shinjuku and Nagoya locations in May.

Kimono given new life as shoes

Kyoto based retailer Relier81 gives us a uniquely Japanese take on the concept of upcycling. Founded in 2018, the company uses the cloth from old and vintage kimono, as well as their own unused stock, to make fashionable women’s shoes. The kimono patterns look especially striking on their products.

Relier81 does not have their own physical store, though they have an online shop and temporary displays at department stores. They have their sights on expanding overseas, though are focused on the Japanese market for now. The company also has an initiative to develop new fashion items with the help of Kyoto art students.

Upcycling ocean waste for fashion

Overseas upcycling businesses also have presences in Japan. Spanish company Ecoalf has three Japanese locations including Shibuya. They sell fashion made from recycled materials. One of their projects started in 2015 is called “Upcycling the Oceans.” They collaborate with local fishermen to clean up marine waste, which in turn is used to create high-quality yarn to be used for clothing products. Ecoalf’s own products are made from recycled plastic, polyester and other materials.

Rent redesigned vintage furniture with Yes

Upcycling isn’t just limited to modern products or trash. It can be used to extend the life of much older goods. Japanese company Yes is a furniture rental service that started in June. The name is a play on the Japanese word for house, “ie,” combined with the plural form in English to sound like “Yes.”

Yes collaborates with artists to give new, visually appealing designs to old Japanese style cabinets. The original cabinet designs may not be suitable for modern apartments without Japanese style rooms, so they are given creative and artistic designs. Cabinets can be rented at the cost of 2,300 yen per month. There is no minimum rental period, so customers who want to experience using the furniture for a few months are free to do so.

Furniture is not the only way Yes revitalizes older Japanese traditions. They have also started upcycling old Hokkaido wooden bear sculptures with colorful designs. The bears go at a much higher price than the cabinet rental service, in the range of 10,000 to 60,000 yen.

Everyday products repurposed through upcycling

Smaller, miscellaneous goods can also be reused in practical and imaginative ways. In our day to day lives, we have probably taken old products and found clever ways to keep using them instead of throwing them away.

Japanese company Newsed takes this idea to the next level. The company’s name is a combination of “new” and “used.” Their products are both creatively designed and genuinely useful, taking mundane objects in entirely new directions. They take used seat belt materials and refashion them into bow ties and belts. Their website also sells clothes hangers made from school chairs, cute shopping bags made from car air bags and key holders made from electrical plugs.

Oogiri Insatsu takes upcycling in absurd and entertaining directions. They have a unique approach to the concept, using upcycled printing materials for entertainment.

The company makes upcycled projects by responding to random tweets. One example is a Twitter user who simply posted “have nothing to do everyday,” and Oogiri Insatsu replied with a “time killing calendar” including daily cards with removable paper butterflies.

Other stores have used upcycling as part of promotions. Earlier this year Osaka based paper goods store Haguruma gave away free upcycled products to customers for its “0 yen paper campaign.” Until the end of June, any customer who made an order on Haguruma’s online store received two free upcycled products. The gifts were memo paper, envelopes and other goods made from leftover paper from the company’s manufacturing process, as well as trial products. The goal was to raise awareness for World Environment Day on June 5.

These upcycling ideas show us that being sustainable can be fashionable and fun. As more businesses start upcycling their products, we can expect to see more creative ideas that may become our next favorite products.

The latest news about upcycling in Japan