Lumber Rescue - Zero Waste Life

Since ancient times, the Japanese have believed that a life force resides in all creations. Valuing and caring for the things we use, a zero-waste life. Pointing the way to better living for a new era. Suwa, Nagano. A lakeside town in central Japan, surrounded by mountains. A street corner store, one with a rather unconventional inventory. The aisles are lined with second-hand ceramics and furniture. And their feature product? Recycled lumber. It's all been recovered from buildings that were torn down. Azuno Tarafumi is the shop's proprietor. It opened its doors five years earlier. We don't have a lot of lumber. But it's not that big, so we try to put as much as possible. Azuno is particular about the wood he sells. Each piece is labelled with where it was previously put to use. The particulars of each piece are unique. This one is from a nearby skewer shop. It was really cool. When my son came home, he told me he was going to start a repair shop. He was really particular about it, and his dad made it. He told me to get rid of it. I thought it would be nice to use it somewhere. Customers come here from all over Japan. Each piece has its own human story to tell. Azuno hopes this is something his clientele appreciates. It's fun to imagine how people used to use it. I can't think of anything new. I think it's good to be able to think about how people used to use it. The store also makes things with the recovered lumber. Taking advantage of its distinctive defects and weathering, it's reborn as stylish furniture. The reason Azuno opened his store? A serious issue for houses in Japan. Due to ageing and a decline in population, the number of unoccupied, uncared-for dwellings is on the rise. Roughly 8.5 million homes nationwide. When these houses are torn down, most of the furnishings and old timber become trash. No matter where you live, many buildings in your neighborhood will be torn down. After 30 or 40 years, it's a bit dangerous. I feel a sense of crisis. Azuno, also an interior designer, uses recycled lumber for renovations, too. This restaurant is a sample of his work. It was once a traditional Japanese home. Using what was already there, he created a modern, new interior. We sell old timber. By reusing it, we can reduce the environmental impact and tell a story. I think it makes a lot of sense to use it. It's very natural. I like that kind of image. It's very comfortable. It's like a home. Today, Azuno is heading out to collect more wood. He was contacted by the owner of a home being torn down. An old-style dwelling built more than 50 years ago. It's about to be demolished to make way for a new home. He's here to gather furnishings and materials that would otherwise be thrown away. He calls this work rescue. The property owners came to see them at work. Furumaya Kyoko spent more than half of her life in this home. I want to do something about it. I want to help people. That's why I call it rescue. I realized that the essence of rescue is not the resources, but the ability to save people's lives. I value that. The turning point for Azuno was a guesthouse renovation he worked on with a group of friends eight years ago. Shiomitsu Naohiro was the client. He had lost a friend who ran a local liquor store a year earlier. These wooden pallets were used by his late friend. Azuno suggested they use the wood for the interior of the guesthouse. Shiomitsu welcomed the idea. The disassembled pallets were used as flooring. I was grateful and happy to see that people's feelings and characters were brought to life. I didn't like it when young people like us who came from Tokyo would break things up and lose their memories of the building. I didn't like that. That's why I wanted to build a space where we could meet the previous owner. That was one of the themes at the time. I felt that I had the ability to reuse building materials. Azuno is also working to improve public spaces using rescued lumber. At the request of his local community, he's building a bench for residents to relax on. I'm going to use the lumber from the house that was demolished in Toho Prefecture. I think it's a good idea to bring it back to the area. Gathering memories, as well as materials, he continues in his ongoing rescue mission. I want to tell everyone what someone needs and what someone doesn't need. By reflecting on someone's feelings, I think I can enrich their personality. I think it's linked to that. I think, is that really trash?