Kamikatsu Town
Momona Otsuka

Momona Otsuka started her life in Kamikatsu as the CEO of Zero Waste Center, just being reestablished in 2020.
Enjoying her days in Tokushima to the fullest at her own pace while cheerfully sharing the "now" of the Kamikatsu Zero Waste project with the others and welcoming visitors.

The exterior of the Zaro Waste Center WHY is made up of a bright red roof and walls as well as used window frames. The impressive design of the Zero Waste Center "WHY" is already becoming a landmark in Kamikatsu. On the day that I visited, many people gathered to spend time in their own way.
The visitors were not just the residents of Kamikatsu who came to sort out their garbage to recycle but they were also those who seemed to have stopped by on their way to a holiday, guests of HOTEL WHY, as well as people who came to take a peek at the "Kuru Kuru Shop" where they could bring back usable waste items for free. Even though the majority of the facility is that of a garbage collection, the fact that it is bustling with people as if it were a tourist attraction totally makes sense after visiting the facility myself. Still, I think it is amazing.
One of the central figures of the facility is Momona Otsuka. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, she graduated from a university in Tokyo, and arrived at WHY in 2020 as the CEO. In addition to the management of HOTEL WHY, the wide range of her task includes to respond to interviews and inspections offered from all over the world as well as to plan the collaborations with companies to reduce the remaining 20% of garbage that cannot be recycled, which is the biggest issue for Kamikatsu-cho.
From the perspective of making the village "beautiful,” the creation of places that connect people inside and outside the region is also a major issue.
I think that the renewed Zero Waste Center is an extraordinary place as opposed to ordinary. While garbagerelated issues are often talked about in a negative way, having a place like this where we can talk about it in a positive way is a very big thing. But on the other hand, it is also true that there are some issues that have arisen among the townspeople, such as feeling embarrassed to come here wearing an apron.
It is true that taking out the garbage is a particularly private act in our daily lives. The question of how to reconcile the extraordinary time brought in by tourists with the ordinary time of the townspeople may be inevitable.

Interviewed in October, 2021
Writer : Mikiko Tamaki / Photographer : Hiroyuki Tamura