From Japanese ceramic ashtrays, upcycled to pendant lights

Soiro living LLC has relaunched “High●light,” a pendant lamp that breathes new life into redundant porcelain ashtrays. Each lamp begins as a vintage or deadstock ashtray recovered from recycling centres and warehouse inventories. Technicians drill a single hole and fit a compact light socket. The glaze, regional patterns, and maker’s marks remain untouched. That minimal intervention keeps energy use low, preserves artisanal value, and helps the retail price stay below comparable handcrafted fixtures.

Japan’s adult smoking rate has dropped to about 15 per cent, less than half the level of the early 1990s, since the Health Promotion Act of 2002 and shifting social norms curtailed indoor smoking. As households banished ashtrays, finely made porcelain pieces once bought to welcome guests were pushed into cupboards or thrown away. Soiro living saw an opportunity to upcycle and retain the beauty in these ceramic pieces.

By avoiding energy-intensive refiring, the company says each High●light lamp sidesteps about 80 per cent of the carbon emissions needed to make a new ceramic shade. Interior designer Satoshi Kimura, who installs the lamps in cafes, says customers appreciate how the underside decorations cast patterned light onto tables. He adds that the objects carry a sense of history along with their environmental credentials.

Upcycling surplus ashtrays into lighting keeps waste out of landfill, sustains regional craft traditions, and reminds consumers that climate-friendly alternatives are available.