GOOD NATURE STATION is celebrating its fifth anniversary in December, proposing a lifestyle that is comfortable for both people and nature. Throughout the year, we will be holding various events to bring sustainable living closer to you.
As the first step, we held the "Earth GOOD Marche" on June 1st and 2nd in conjunction with "Environment Month" promoted by the Environment Agency every June.

We want to encourage fun and delicious experiences that will encourage people to take an action for the environment in their daily lives. With this in mind, we held the "Good for the Earth Marche" in the main square, "MAENIWA," which brought together a selection of sustainable products and experiences that will excite people of all ages and genders.
There was a lot to see, including a Shop by "Reprise," an organization in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, which is working to create new possibilities for plastic, rice balls, granola, and hyuganatsu juice that are delicious ways to reduce food waste, and a "Mottainai Market" by NEMOHAMO and KA SO KE KI. These are all creators who want to be widely known and activities that we want to see take root.

Not only did people come specifically to the market, but many also happened to pass by and enjoyed themselves. More people than we expected participated, full of curiosity, making it a hopeful event.

Things that convey the feelings of the maker and are made with one's own hands are things that one feels affection for and that one wants to use carefully and without waste. We would like to introduce the exhibitors and their efforts that will give us new insights.

Make your plastic bottle caps cute and new

We held a Shop where participants made colorful sheets from plastic bottle caps, drew portraits on them, and enjoyed putting them in photo frames at home. Participation was free and no reservations were required. Many people, including parents and children, couples, and friends, participated casually.

The bead-like particles are crushed plastic bottle caps. The caps have logos and other things on them, so they are dyed again. After scattering them on a board, they are compressed in a press. A one-of-a-kind sheet is completed. Both children and adults had fun combining colors while imagining what the finished product would look like, and everyone had a great look on their face.

Press it into a sheet, then cut it into any shape you like with scissors.

The scraps that were cut were used to make lampshades at Reprise's special exhibition "Extending Life," held in the GALLERY on the 4th floor.

Genki and Sayoko Takayama, the husband and wife team behind "Reprise," are based in Kagoshima and create works of art and run Shop that add new value to plastic.

Sayoko: Plastic is convenient, but it also becomes troublesome waste. But if it becomes something important to someone, it won't be thrown away easily. If you make it with your own hands and with love, I'm sure you'll grow to love it.

It takes a little time to dye the caps of plastic bottles, but we want to create something that people can grow attached to, not just reuse them, so we pay particular attention to that. We ourselves have a lot of fun giving new life to things, and we hope that people will find it interesting.

The finished sheets are a mix of colors and incredibly cute. Some have refreshing summery hues, others chic monotones, and each maker's individuality is apparent.

Declaring "Good Action for the Earth" through caricatures

While the sheets were being pressed, participants headed to the caricature booth next door.
First, choose one "good action for the Earth" that you can do and use it as the motif for your illustration. For example, we created six options, such as eating delicious meals while being mindful of food waste, using eco-bags when shopping, and caring for forests.

We had a meeting with portrait artist anco to decide what kind of illustration we should create based on the theme of "Good actions for the Earth."

Then, Kyoto-based portrait artist anco from "WORLD1" will quickly turn each person into a cute illustration. When you hold the completed sheet in your hands, you will feel a great sense of satisfaction. You can use the sheet as a mount and put it in a frame at home, or clip it to the wall and display it, or you can enjoy it in your own way.

It's a small but definite declaration of one action. I hope it will remind you of it when you see it in your daily life. By experiencing it, something will surely sprout in your heart.

A small realization in the deliciousness

"I've never tasted such delicious rice balls before." "88/O" (Ei-ei-oh!) is a phrase people often say to customers. The owner, Ishida Hitomi, was originally a kindergarten teacher.

"88/O" is a food truck that makes perfectly round sushi after taking your order.

Ishida-san: I was thinking about what I could do to promote "food education" and came up with onigiri. Even kindergarten children love onigiri so much that they ask for seconds, so I thought everyone would enjoy it. The rice is Hinohikari, grown with reduced pesticides at Jubei Farm in Yawata, Kyoto. I make each one after taking an order. I want to deliver something that is true and safe.

There are a variety of ingredients available, including kelp, bonito flakes, yuba and dried baby sardines, but the one that really conveys the dish's heart and soul is the chicken.

Ishida-san: We use chickens that have finished laying eggs. Because their meat is tough, they are sometimes disposed of, but because they are healthy chickens that have grown up running around in large areas and eating soybean pulp and soup stock residue, they have a lot of flavor. In order to make the most of their flavor, we cook them with burdock root and fried tofu, and mix them into rice.

Enjoy the taste and learn about the background of the food. This is the first step towards thinking about the environment.

Kashiwa rice balls from "88/O." For eat-in, they are served in a bamboo basket, and for take-out, they are wrapped in bamboo skin.
The MARKET on the first floor will be selling fresh juice made with Hyuga Natsu fruit, which cannot be distributed.

All ingredients used in the granola "mi norhodo" are organic. It is a whole food that allows you to enjoy the whole, healthy ingredients. Ai, a member of the management team, will be at the store and will talk about the background and how to enjoy the product, including tastings.

Ai: We base our dishes on simple, delicious basics, and by adding a few other ingredients, we can expand the variety of flavors. Like "Odashi," which adds the umami of cinnamon, cacao, bonito flakes, and kelp. There are differences in popularity, but it's also a way to prevent food waste by minimizing the waste caused by uneven sales.

The packaging is made of paper with barrier properties, without using plastic. Transparency is important, so you can see the route the ingredients come from and where they come from. It's a granola that's good for your body, mind, and the environment, and that you'll want to eat every day.

The "MARKET" on the first floor of GOOD NATURE STATION sells freshly squeezed juice made from Hyuganatsu cherries that are irregular or have scratches on the skin and cannot be distributed on the market. It certainly doesn't look like it could be sold in a store, but it's delicious.

It is made without sugar, squeezed fresh after receiving the order and with added fruit pulp. It has a vivid aroma and a rich flavor that seeps into your body.

Apparently they are sometimes discarded because they are not for sale, but it seems like a waste to throw them away. By learning about their background, you can see something new.

The desire to care makes the environment better

A Mottainai Market hosted by the original cosmetics brand "NEMOHAMO" and the select Shop "KA SO KE KI".

A box called "PASSTO" has been set up to collect unwanted clothing, miscellaneous items, etc.

On the third floor, "NEMOHAMO" and "KA SO KE KI" held a "Mottainai Market." Products that are difficult to sell normally for various reasons, such as a small dent in the package, were sold at a reasonable price. It was a good opportunity to casually try out selected products.

Furthermore, starting from June 1st, when the "GOOD Marche for the Earth" was held, a box called "PASSTO" was set up in the main plaza, "MAENIWA," where people can collect unwanted clothing, miscellaneous goods, etc.
*Currently installed near the elevator on the 3rd floor

This is the first time this system has been introduced in Kyoto Prefecture. Collected unwanted items are separated into the most appropriate use for reuse and recycling. They are not thrown away, but passed on to places where they are needed and put to good use. It is a "earth-friendly" cycle that is good for both people and the environment.

Because it's fun, because it's delicious, because it's good, we want to take good care of it. It all starts with the feeling that we like it. GOOD NATURE STATION will continue to be close to our lives and create various opportunities to make the environment better.