DESCENDANT

I visited the “KAMIKATSU ZERO WASTE CENTER” in Kamikastu, Tokushima.

This is a sort of a town garbage station where the towns people bring over garbage themselves, separate it and even recycle it. The facility, named “WHY,” is located in the mountains about an hour from Tokushima City.

When viewed from above, the facility appears to be shaped like a “?” and its design encourages people to consciously question the various meanings of consumption by bringing in their garbage and processing it themselves.

Many tourists come from all over Japan and even from abroad to see this futuristic approach to environmental issues in the mountains of Tokushima. On this visit, I saw many foreigners. It’s a great idea to have “trash” attract people. A hotel, “HOTEL WHY,” is attached to the facility and is even more stylish than I expected. You can experience the actions of zero waste while staying there. On a side note, the hotel is the dot of the question mark the area is shaped like.

The intriguing design of the facility is filled with the ideas and thoughts of many different people. I was introduced to this facility by a friend who was involved in its design. The connections I made with the people I met there have had a really positive impact on our activities, and I’ve been able to help out a little. 
Taking an interest in these activities and ways of thinking and facing up to the problems will lead to designs that will shape the future. 

Spoken by Tetsu Nishiyama