Japan
Kamikatsu
Japan's zero-waste town where rubbish is sorted into 45 categories and nothing goes to landfill.
The town sorts its rubbish into 45 categories. Kamikatsu in Japan's Tokushima Prefecture committed to producing zero waste, and the result is a community where recycling is not a chore but a philosophy — manifested in a bar built from reclaimed windows, a reuse shop that circulates everything, and a recycling rate above 80%. The surrounding forest provides the rest.
Kamikatsu's zero-waste declaration in 2003 was the first by any municipality in Japan, and the town has since become a case study in sustainability. The community's recycling centre sorts materials into 45 categories, and a reuse shop called Kurukuru circulates household items free of charge. The Rise & Win Brewing Co. bar, built entirely from reclaimed windows and salvaged materials, serves craft cocktails made with foraged botanicals from the surrounding mountains. The town's irodori business — harvesting decorative leaves and flowers for use as garnishes in high-end restaurants across Japan — provides income for an ageing population, with grandmothers using tablets to check market prices.
Solo
Kamikatsu offers something rare — a vision of how things could work differently. Solo visitors interested in sustainability find a living laboratory.
- The town produces zero waste — 45 sorting categories, a reuse shop, and a recycling rate above 80%.
- A bar built entirely from reclaimed windows sits in the forest, serving cocktails made with foraged botanicals.
- The surrounding mountains supply wild herbs, citrus, and leaves sold as garnishes to Michelin-starred restaurants across Japan.
- Population under 1,500, no convenience stores, no traffic — just forest, farms, and a radical vision of sustainability.
Tsumamono decorative leaves foraged by grandmothers and sold to Michelin restaurants nationwide.
Yuzu citrus from the surrounding valleys, pressed into juice, zest, and ponzu.
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