Tailor in a zero waste town
Step on the pedal——. His sewing machine needle moved up and down, creating a brisk rhythm and stitching together a piece of workwear. Just outside is the Katsuura River, the home of the amago salmon.
“Kamikatsu is beautiful, isn’t it? In the summer, I take the kids to the river to play and catch the fish with our hands. With a 1,300 strong population, Kamikatsu is the smallest town on Shikoku, but more people are coming here and setting up business.”
He switched off the sewing machine to talk to us. Katsushi Kurokawa took over the tailor business run by his parents, then launched his own brand, Jockric, and opened an atelier in Kamikatsu.
“Different workwear for different workers—that’s the brand concept. Jockrick offers modern styles of bib aprons and Japanese kappogi aprons. I originally worked from the location of my family business in Aizumi Town, about an hour’s drive away. But then I visited Kamikatsu for a project to make uniforms for Rise & Win Brewing company, and I fell in love at first sight with the perfect creative environment. Recently, I even began renting a house so that I can stay overnight and work.”
Kurokawa says he was attracted to the lush nature and moreover to Kamikatsu’s approach. Never mind about how to treat garbage—the town aims to eliminate garbage and not generate it in the first place. Kamikatsu embraces a zero-waste policy, and that is of significant interest to a tailor who upcycles used clothing and makes aprons from fabric scraps generated by apparel companies in the manufacturing process. A zero waste town is great for collecting fabric and also information.
Kurokawa offered to show us around during his break from sewing. Having trained as a motocross racer up to his twenties, on this day he rode a mini velo fitted with a lightweight, durable titanium frame and carbon fork—a model called Around Ti, from the bicycle brand Ciclore by Chinese lifestyle shop RE.
Around Lake Bishu on a mini velo
Step on the pedal——. His carbon wheels spin smoothly, creating a lighthearted rhythm and gliding through the unspoiled landscape of the mountain foothills.
“A mini velo is a compact bike, so generally speaking, it isn’t made for hilly roads. But this model has great riding performance, so it’s perfect for casual rides even in an area like Kamikatsu. You really feel like you’re touring through the mountains.”
Breezing through the constant ups and downs, Kurokawa led us 4 kilometers north of his atelier to Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center WHY. The complex facility comprises the town’s only waste station, a thrift shop, and a hotel that invites the guests to take part and engage in sustainable living. The complex is dubbed WHY for the questions it poses to consumers and producers.
“I made the curtains when the hotel first opened, and I continue to help out at secondhand clothing reuse events. The permanent staff members are really motivated. I think their eyes and hands play a huge role in the town’s rising recycling rate.”
The staff of WHY aren’t the only people passionate about Kamikatsu’s cause. One dedicated resident is Narumi Abe. After graduating from university in New York, she started a career at a foreign-affiliated general contractor in Tokyo, but migrated to Shikoku solo in 2015 and took up natural farming. She has since expanded her chemical pesticide- and fertilizer-free field to 6-tan (about 6,000 square meters). And from the end of last year, she runs Narumi Farm’s Natudo, a vegan donut shop open only on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, offering special donuts that substitute oil, eggs, and milk with rice flour, soy pulp, and soy milk.
And, of course, there is the Rise & Win Brewing Co. BBQ & General Store, which originally brought Kurokawa to Kamikatsu. The microbrewery uses the pure water from the surrounding nature to produce bold, experimental craft beer. How can that not be tasty? The beer is sold by the pint to guests who bring their own growler or bottle. What a perfect reward for the end of the ride.
“It’s a little over 8 kilometers from here to my atelier. On the way back, let’s stop by Tsukigatani Onsen Tsukinoyado for a soak in the hot spring bath associated with the Buddhist monk Kukai, and then the treat of Kamikatsu-don. That’s their signature rice bowl topped with a deep-fried cutlet of Kamikatsu’s mushroom bed-cultivated shiitake—thick, fragrant, as creamy as oyster, and delicious!”
Kurokawa hopped on his mini velo and followed the east bank of the Masaki Dam south. The emerald surface of the reservoir reflects the cherry blossoms in the spring and the golden and crimson foliage in the autumn. Kurokawa tells us the reservoir’s nickname is Lake Bishu, meaning “lovely melancholy.” What a perfect name for Kamikatsu, surrounded by the picturesque landscape, conscious and concerned about the future, and taking responsible action. With the hope of following in the town’s footsteps, we stepped on the pedal again and again.
Travel Guide
JOCKRIC RECLAIM
62-2 Fukuhara Kawakita, Kamikatsu-cho
Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center WHY
7-2 Shimohiura, Fukuhara, Kamikatsu-cho
NARUMI FARM’S NATUDO
55-2 Nakatsu, Masaki aza, Kamikatsu-cho
RISE & WIN Brewing Co. BBQ & General Store
237-2 Hirama, Masaki, Kamikatsu-cho
TEL：0885-45-0688
Tsukigatani Onsen Tsukinoyado
71-1 Hirama, Fukuhara, Kamikatsu-cho
TEL：0885-46-0203
