Japan is seeing an uptick in the number of products manufactured utilizing old or thrown away material. The range of material used to create high quality products aims to not only decrease the amount of waste. It also creates something of high...
Coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders are coming to an end around the world. For many of us, confinement stress is transforming into anxiety over how to keep safe in a COVID-19 world. Aiming to keep the mood light, a restaurant in Japan is...
Think of a tube of toothpaste. It’s about as iconic an object as a can of Campbell’s soup. Now imagine that almost one-third of that tube is made of paper. It’s a quiet, revolutionary change considering how many tubes of something we use each day in...
With a little imagination and effort, a discarded item can be converted into a new product while keeping some of its original characteristics. Upcycling is a creative method of giving a second life and function to used things, as well as increasing...
The movement to reduce plastic waste, which causes marine pollution, is spreading around the world. The one of the things which are severely criticized is the issue of plastic straws, because they are thrown away just after being used. This movement...
A tea house made solely from origami can be transported to anywhere in the world. This is the creation of two Tokyo architectural offices, Katagiri Architecture+Design, and Akinori Inuzuka Design. They call it Shi-An. Shi-An is made by using...
Niigata’s Kiyotsukyo Gorge is famous for its outstanding natural beauty. Now, the power of art has transformed an old tunnel in Kiyotsukyo Gorge into an attractive site for people to visit – a Tunnel of Light. The region is famous for its rice...
Kyoto is one of the leading tourist destinations in Japan, well-known for its old shrines, temples, Japanese gardens, and ancient neighborhoods. However, the city’s charm does not end there. Its wide variety of accommodation is also something...
Japan is famous for its large number of earthquakes each year. The country’s land area covers only 0.25% of the Earth, but faces more than 20% of earthquakes magnitude 6.0 or more. Yet, issues related to toilet facilities tend not to be a priority...