Kamikatsu Town, Katsuura District, Tokushima Prefecture, which has set a goal of zero waste, is set to open a complex called "WHY" (tentative name) in early spring 2020. The complex will include a garbage station, learning center, hotel, laboratory, and experience information center.
Image of the facility
Kamikatsu Town, Katsuura District, Tokushima Prefecture, has set a goal of zero waste for the community, and all residents are committed to this goal. In 2003, Kamikatsu became the first local government in Japan to make a "Zero Waste Declaration." Since then, residents have been bringing their trash to the garbage station themselves or with the help of their neighbors. At the garbage station, residents sort their trash into 45 categories for reuse. Kamikatsu Town residents have been continuing this unimaginable initiative for 16 years. Now, with the number of visitors and tourists on the ground increasing, Kamikatsu has decided to undertake a major renovation of the garbage station as a new initiative.

Twenty years have passed since the garbage station was installed, and the number of visitors has also increased. With the desire to further demonstrate the residents' efforts towards zero waste and to create an environment where residents can easily dispose of their garbage, a new facility will be opened to replace the garbage station. The facility will be nicknamed "WHY" (tentative name). It is hoped that it will be a place where answers can be found to questions such as "Why here?" and "Why garbage?"

Image of the Hotel (Experience-Based Accommodation)
In addition to the garbage station, the facility will also include a learning center, an experience-based hotel, a laboratory, and an adventure and ecological tourism information center. TRANSIT GENERAL OFFICE is in charge of overall production. The architectural design will be handled by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects, who will utilize cedar wood harvested in Kamikatsu Town, as well as unwanted fixtures and furniture, with the aim of creating a next-generation building that challenges mass consumption and mass production.

While building a hotel at a garbage dump is an unconventional idea, the Zero Waste Declaration aims to pass on clean air, clean water, and a fertile land to future generations. Kamikatsu is a place so beautiful that visitors hope the scenery will remain the same in the future. The hotel was built on the premises to provide a rich experience for long-term stays. Four rooms are available, including one with a magnificent view of the Kamikatsu valley below. The facility also features a seminar room for sustainable learning, which is planned several times a year, a research lab available for rent to universities and companies interested in 3R activities, and an information center for adventure and ecological tourism. The hotel is also planning programs that incorporate Kamikatsu's natural bounty, including fly fishing, lake kayaking, river picnics, trail running, and a recycling-oriented lifestyle experience. In conjunction with the establishment of BIG EYE COMPANY, which will manage the facility, a representative director position will be opened on December 1st. The job description can be found on the "WHY" website.