Glass for Life - 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. Blessed with warm weather year-round, it is a land rich in nature. In a village outside the city lies a secluded workshop. This is glassblower Matsumoto Sakai. Before any work gets done, he must perform a certain task. Breaking bottles. Used bottles collected from eating establishments and private homes are his raw material. The broken bottles are melted in a 1,300 degrees Celsius furnace. The molten glass is then wrapped around a metal tube for blowing. This is where his true skill shines through. He blows air into the pipe. In this moment, the glass is reborn. Continually adding more glass and reheating, the piece gradually takes shape. Okinawan glasscraft, known as Ryukyu glass, is said to have started about 110 years ago. The Second World War was a major turning point. In 1945, Okinawa was the site of fierce fighting and nearly 25% of the population lost their lives. Under US occupation after the war, a decimated Okinawa faced serious supply shortages. At that time, the local glassblowers came across drink bottles thrown out by American servicemen. They gathered them and melted them down to make blown glass. At that time, we didn't think it was recycling or eco-friendly. We thought it was just a way to feed our families. Matsumoto continues to use discarded bottles, carrying on in the spirit of his fellow craftsmen who lived through those difficult times. This glass, he calls sea colour, was made to resemble the seas of Okinawa. Sold at souvenir shops as Ryukyu glass, Matsumoto's work is gaining popularity. Matsumoto is breathing new life into these discarded bottles. One piece in particular is made in the hopes that those who use it will do so for a long time to come. This piece features a large air bubble trapped in the base. Its production requires extremely delicate technique. Adding another layer of glass traps the bubble in place. Adjusting his force to avoid bursting the bubble, he carefully blows in more air. Matsumoto has worked to eliminate waste since he first opened his studio. But some scrap is always left over. It's been a constant challenge to make full use of every bit of glass he collects. With this in mind, he visits a facility that treats industrial waste. Here, his glass scrap will be further recycled. It's crushed down into pieces three millimetres or smaller in size. This recycled sand will mainly be used to reinforce water pipes and for paving roads. Today, the owner of a tableware store has come from far away to pay Matsumoto's studio a visit. He's here to commission a new piece. I see. Through the exchange of opinions, Matsumoto fleshes out his idea. In the not-too-distant future, another gem is sure to result from their efforts. I think this is the beginning of a long and difficult history. By making beautiful things, I want to increase the value of recycling itself. That's what I think.