Mitaka’s new bulk store, Nono, launched by locals

Awareness of a zero waste lifestyle is picking up in Japan, and bulk stores, which allows customers to purchase customized amounts without packaging, are essential parts of the trend. Unfortunately, the number of bulk stores are still limited. It also means good news to the locals when one opens nearby them.

Bulk store and cafe, “Nono,” opened in Mitaka, Tokyo, last week. The new bulk store located in the convenient area only 6 minutes walk from Mitaka station will be a powerful ally to zero wasters living around Mitaka.

Nono sells food and daily items by weight

Nono offers a wide range of products, including vegetables, eggs, seasonings, spices, rice, flour, beans, nuts, and noodles. You can also purchase liquids such as sake, wine, soy sauce, and oil by weight. In addition, you can shave and purchase dried bonito, Katsuobushi (which is necessary for Japanese food,) with a special shaving machine.

Nono has a criteria for selecting products for sale in the store, including trustworthiness of producers, no burden on the environment, locality, suitability to Japan’s climate, and suitability to daily life. They also deal with a lot of organic ingredients.

You can also purchase bamboo toothbrushes, eco-friendly dish towels, and laundry nets. Baking soda and citric acid powder can also be purchased by weight.

A day-by-day rotating cafe

The store has a rotating cafe that operates differently from day to day. Nono’s staff prepares meals every Thursday, and on other days of the week, it will be run by people who want to start a restaurant in the area. These entrepreneurs hope to support locals through the cafe. There is also a small play area so you can come to the store with children.

Nono makes us notice locals’ power

One of the characteristics of Nono is how women living in the Mitaka area gathered and stood up with the passion to make the area better. They aim to recreate the connections between the global environment, people, things, and society from a small scale of the local community and create a place where they can face the richness of life together.

Under the Workers’ Cooperatives Act, which came into force in October, they are plan a “workers’ cooperative,” aiming for a management in which all members invest, participate in management equally, and engage in labor regardless of the amount of investment. It is believed that workers’ cooperatives will make it easier to carry out activities such as regional revitalization projects, realizing diverse working styles.

Hopefully, the cozy bulk store established by the locals will take root in the region, and this kind of movement will spread throughout Japan.