Core Kyoto

Upcycling means reusing discarded or unused items to create products with higher value than the originals. Unwearable and unsellable kimono are resewn into dresses. Misshapen, substandard, Kyoto-grown vegetables, which are difficult to market, are made into paints. A Buddhist temple in danger of closure incorporated a hotel to survive. Many are turning to upcycling as they strive to solve issues plaguing Kyoto. Discover how the power of tradition is propelling upcycling in the ancient capital.