A Harvest of Colors - 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. Kids' drawings just wouldn't be the same without crayons. At first glance, these crayons may seem ordinary, but they're actually quite special. There are no colour names written on the labels, just the names of fruits and vegetables. And those are the ingredients these crayons are actually made from. Nearly 100% natural, they're especially popular with parents of young children. Aomori, in northern Japan. The crayon's creator runs this small design studio. Designer Kimura Naoko. Seven years ago, she set out to develop a never-before-seen produce-based product. Kimura is very particular about the fruits and vegetables she uses in her crayons. I use vegetables from Aomori. I use vegetables that are hard to eat, but can be thrown away. Aomori has a thriving agricultural sector. It's particularly known in Japan for its apples. It's also famous for burdock, a root vegetable especially popular in Japanese households. Harvested produce is sorted by size and shape before shipping. However, anything not up to standard must be discarded. Kimura visited local farmers and food producers in an effort to find a use for at least some of that waste. This burdock processing plant is one of them. They use non-standard burdock for packaged foods. Is this enough? Yes, I think this is enough. But we can't sell this kind of stuff. Because it's too thick? That's right. Even though they make use of non-standard produce, removing dirty and damaged sections means most of the skin becomes waste. More than 20 kilograms per day. Normally, we'd have to throw it away, but I'm very grateful that we can reuse it. It's a wonderful waste. Kimura started out as a graphic designer. Before developing her crayons, she had no experience in manufacturing. She struggled through trial and error to create a prototype, melting candles and mixing in finely chopped vegetables. It's difficult. I don't know what's right. I don't have the steps to make a vegetable crayon. A chance encounter led to forward progress. Mizutani Kazuyuki is a veteran craftsman with a wealth of experience. But he was initially unsure when Kimura asked him for help. I thought it was impossible to make a crayon out of vegetable powder. Even when I made a prototype, it was thinner than a regular crayon. The writing was rough, and there were scuffs. It was difficult to make a product out of it. A crayon's writing feel is determined by the oil and wax base. Kimura is an expert in oil and wax. Kimura and Mizutani were determined to use only all-natural ingredients. And they finally hit upon rice bran as a potential source. Waste material is powdered at the factory to easily mix with the rice bran base. After blending, the mixture is solidified. In this way, they've managed to create all-natural crayons with a smooth writing feel. I've never seen a crayon made of rice and vegetables before. I'm glad I've been making them year after year. I feel like I'm reborn with what I don't need. I'm so happy. She took her new crayons to a trade fair the same year. They were featured on the news, and she had inquiries from many buyers. And afterwards, she continued to develop new colors. Their non-artificial, softer shades are increasingly popular. She's also come out with flower-based crayons. Naturally, unshipped flowers set for disposal are the raw material. Behind it all is Kimura's deep affection for Aomori, where she was born and raised. The time was ripe for rediscovering the natural splendor of her hometown. I was able to rediscover the beauty of Aomori by taking a walk. I didn't know there were so many places with such vivid colors. The color of the soil, the color of life. I think that's what inspires me the most. Aomori is also known for heavy snows. After the harsh winter, a world of colors burst forth. There's a lot of nature here, and the air is beautiful. I wanted to create a product that I could give back to my hometown. This is the vegetable section of a major Japanese supermarket chain. There, you'll find her crayons also on display. Fruits and vegetables, once rejected by growers, have found their way to the supermarket shelves. I was supposed to line up the vegetables, but for a small reason. I couldn't line them up as they were, but they turned into crayons. I'm glad I was able to line them up with other vegetables. How is it? It's good. You made it with vegetables? Isn't it amazing? I can convey the feeling of circulation to the kids. It's not about nutrition, but I think it's good. What kind of vegetables do you like? Peppers. Where are the peppers? Where are they? These? Memories from my childhood are important to me. When I grow up, I think I'll find out that the crayons I used to use were made with vegetables. My ideal is to pass on my craft to the next generation.