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.

There's far too much waste in the world,
I want to change that.

I'm always looking for ways to make
waste something we value.

Kuramae, downtown Tokyo.

This historic area, once lined with the rice storehouses of the Tokugawa Shogunate, was home to many artisans.

And today, this center for artisanship is home to a much-talked-about brand of liquor.

The fragrance of essential oils.

A sip yields the sourness of lemon, the spice of ginger, a floral freshness...

A variety of flavors greet your palate.

Most of the customers come for the gin.

But not just any gin.

The gin that's served here is made with food waste.

It's a surprise knowing that
it's made with food waste.

Gin is often bland with no strong aroma,
so it's interesting in that way too.

It feels like I find something new
every time I drink it.

The distillery was built here two years ago.

The gin is made by the head distiller, Yamaguchi Ayumu.

The goal is a gin that everyone
finds refreshing and delicious.

I think about gin nearly all the time.

The main ingredient Yamaguchi uses for his gin...?

"Sake lees."

"Sake lees" are what remain after all the liquid is extracted in the process of producing sake from rice.

In Japan, it's traditionally used for pickling and as an ingredient in soups.

But in modern times its use has declined.

At present, large quantities are commonly disposed of essentially as industrial waste.

We produce 30 tons or more
of sake lees a year.

If nothing can be done with it,
about 30-40% will be discarded.

So out of 30 tons, 12 tons go to waste.

Reluctant to simply discard them,

Okasora So began supplying Yamaguchi with "sake lees" three years ago.

It was a shame to waste them,
so I was happy to find a use.

It's a big help to us.

The liquid inside this still is alcohol distilled from fermented "sake lees."

Here, the spices and herbs that give the gin its unique flavor are added.

Kaffir lime leaves: often used in
Thai dishes like green curry.

Adding ingredients like these
gives a slightly Oriental feeling.

There are many kinds of gin worldwide.

I study them and think of combinations,
versions I can make in my own style.

After thorough mixing the still is sealed.

It looks okay, so I'll open the valve.

Steam comes in from the boiler and the distillation process begins.

With that, the latest batch of gin - giving use to what would have otherwise been waste - is done.

A well-balanced, citrusy base,
with a strong, fruity aroma.

Sake lees have a distinct, rich aroma.

So, I thought they'd be ideal for gin,
which is usually made with aromatics.

Paying to throw away something
that still has value is a sad waste,

and gin seemed like an excellent use.

The pursuit of all things delicious led Yamaguchi to attend graduate school at an agricultural university.

As he continued his studies, a chance encounter changed everything.

Eguchi Hiroshi was giving a talk at an event he happened to attend.

Yamaguchi was fascinated with Eguchi's discussion of the distillation process

he'd studied in Germany, and offered to help.

The two began distilling together.

And Yamaguchi was constantly surprised with how freely Eguchi chose his raw materials.

Like distilling with untreated leather,
to add its scent to the final product.

He has ideas that make you say,
"Really?! You can't be serious."

His creations are free in the extreme,
which means nothing goes to waste.

I learned this from him or,
I naturally started to feel that way.

Then, in 2020, he started a distillery with a group of friends.

They began production using things that would have otherwise been discarded as raw materials.

The gin now made from "sake lees" is the culmination of all their efforts.

It's also received high praise at international competitions.

No matter how eco-friendly,
you can't sell a bad product.

We start with the premise that
gin is supposed to taste good.

Yamaguchi seeks out other discards with hidden potential...

...using them not just as the base, but as flavoring for the gin that he makes.

For example...

...the base liquor made from "sake lees" flavored with cacao husks,

which are often discarded in chocolate making.

The pineapple-like notes of the "sake lees"

and the toasty, sweet aroma of cacao husks form a perfect balance.

This gin is made with espresso grounds.

The full-bodied aroma of coffee comingled with notes of black currant.

If you try to reuse the grounds
in an espresso machine,

the resulting flavor is too thin,
something completely different.

You could never serve it to customers.
But the grounds still have aroma.

Before throwing it out,
why not make gin?

Delicious. It really came out well.

Now, Yamaguchi is taking on a new challenge.

He heads to an elementary school an hour's drive from Tokyo.

The school closed five years earlier, and the building is now disused.

I want to revitalize this location
and turn it into a distillery.

Renovating instead of building new
comes with its own set of problems.

But the aim is to find new value
for such disused places as well.

Yamaguchi plans to use the gymnasium for his distillery.

And the revolutionary new product he plans to produce there...

We want to use this location to make
a totally new liquor using wood.

As a raw material, the aroma is stronger
than just infusing with wood.

It could be a way to make use of
waste wood from the forestry business.

The materials they'll use come from culled trees and lumber that has no ready use.

After being processed into fine chips, the material is then pulverized in a special blender and fermented.

By distilling the resulting alcohol, the wood-based liquor is produced.

I want our distilleries to be the primary
value-added waste disposal sites,

for Japan, and for the whole world.

Yamaguchi's vision of the future is that, by producing eco-friendly liquor,

effective use of waste products will become more widespread,

reducing the amount that's actually discarded.

Because of rules humans created
many things go to waste.

But for our gin, there is none.
We use everything.

I firmly believe there's nothing
in this world that's entirely worthless.

You can find a use for anything.