The small town of "Kamikatsu" in Japan is not only a global model for Zero Waste, but its elderly residents have also found a way to earn a living by collecting and selling maple leaves. Initially, many doubted the feasibility of this idea, but the visionary behind it persevered and took action.

Who would have thought that simply collecting leaves could turn into a business worth tens of millions?

Who would have imagined that gathering fallen leaves in the forest would lead Japanese restaurants in Thonglor to order leaves from this town to decorate their dishes?

Who would have known that leaves, which seemed worthless, could become a product with customers worldwide?

Kamikatsu is a small town surrounded by mountains and forests, with a population of just over 1,500, more than half of whom are elderly.

This town, which has a senior citizen society, is facing labor shortages and challenges in caring for the elderly.

The residents of Kamikatsu used to primarily work in orange orchards, but in 1981, an unusual cold snap caused temperatures to drop to -13 degrees Celsius, killing all the orange trees and plunging the town's economy into decline.

The townspeople attempted to switch to growing vegetables and shiitake mushrooms to replace the oranges, but their income remained low. Agriculture requires labor, and most of the workers were elderly, leading to a continuous decline in production.

Then one day in 1986, Mr. Tomoji Yokoshi, the president of the town's agricultural cooperative, was pondering how to find suitable work for the elderly that would provide better income when he was in Osaka and had a meal at a restaurant.

He noticed that customers were often impressed by the leaves, especially the maple leaves adorning the dishes, to the extent that one lady even took a maple leaf home with her.

This observation sparked an idea in Yokoshi's mind: his town had an abundance of maple leaves, while big cities like Tokyo and Osaka had almost none. If they could collect and sell maple leaves to restaurants in these larger cities, it could become a thriving business.

 

While many people might dream and have brilliant ideas, they often hesitate to act due to fears of numerous obstacles and doubts about their success. Thus, many dreams remain just that—dreams.

But not for Mr. Yokoshi.

Initially, he shared this idea with the townspeople, but most showed little interest. They saw the maple leaves scattered on the streets as commonplace and did not believe they could be turned into money.

However, Yokoshi believed that what was considered worthless in one town could hold value in another that lacked such items.

Most townspeople were indifferent, with some even stating they weren't poor enough to collect leaves for sale.

Four elderly women, who were already florists, agreed to try collecting leaves for sale, but they were unsuccessful because they didn't know how to arrange the leaves attractively. Yokoshi invested time studying and dining at upscale restaurants for years to learn how to arrange leaves and which types were favored by customers.

Yokoshi discovered that chefs at restaurants were the ones deciding which leaves to use for decoration, and he had the opportunity to learn from many chefs.

Two years later, after gaining understanding and mastering the art of leaf arrangement, they learned how to present the leaves and what types to package together, leading to a steady stream of orders.

The number of participants in the project grew from 4 to 167, and from just a few types of leaves collected, they now have over 320 varieties available, mostly sourced from more than 200 local gardens.

In 2013, Japanese cuisine was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage, increasing global interest in Japanese food and boosting orders for decorative leaves.

Today, they have customers not only from major cities in Japan but also worldwide, generating an annual income of no less than 260 million yen.

Some individuals earn tens of millions of yen a year, which is considered a substantial income for rural residents.

This profession is particularly suitable for the elderly, as most of the leaf collectors are women over 70 years old.

These elderly homemakers find great joy in this work, transforming their once lonely lives into vibrant ones, akin to those of working-age individuals.

Each day, the homemakers await orders for specific types of leaves from restaurants via mobile phones or tablets. After collecting the leaves, they carefully package them before sending them to Irodori, a company founded by Yokoshi, which consolidates and sells them to major cities in Japan and around the world.

Using tablets allows the elderly to track where their leaves are being sent and monitor sales.

Collecting leaves has improved the quality of life for the elderly, providing them with fulfilling work that is not physically demanding, offers value, generates income, and keeps them up-to-date with modern technology.

Every day, their lives are as enjoyable as those of young people, rather than the lonely existence often associated with the elderly worldwide.

Today, thousands of people from around the world come to this small town to learn how, in a senior society, they can find happiness.

Certainly, the reason for the residents of Kamikatsu to live is to wake up early to collect leaves and share the beauty of nature with others.

Mr. Yokoshi's dream has come true through his determination to bring happiness to others.

And what about our dreams? When will they come true?

 

SOURCE : www.bangkokbiznews.com