Old Glove, New Dreams

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.

We make sure they're not forgotten;

We make sure they're not forgotten;
passed down to the next generation.

Baseball, one of Japan's best loved sports, played by people of all ages, with a nearly universal appeal.

Nine players on a side alternate between offense and defense, with each defensive player serving a different role.

The gloves worn to catch the ball also vary, depending on the player's position.

Infielders' gloves have shallow pockets for catching ground balls.

The tall first baseman's mitt offers good coverage.

Or the catcher's mitt, that protects the hand from powerful fastballs.

It's thicker here to protect the thumb.

- How many do you have?
- Me, three of them.

- How many do you have?
- I've got four.

Around one million Japanese-made fine leather baseball gloves are sold annually.

But since even the slightest defect can affect a game's outcome, they're frequently discarded.

Kamata, Tokyo, known for its manufacturing.

Here, a baseball glove specialty retailer is trying something new.

Alongside new ones, they also sell refurbished old gloves.

New gloves can cost as much as US$ 500, but these sell for roughly half that price.

The artisan refurbishing them is Oki Satoshi.

He makes sure the old gloves he restores will have a long new life.

A glove is something
we share our youths with.

There's a real emotional connection.

It's not right to throw them away
just because they're no longer used.

They should be passed on.

Oki takes in old gloves from all over Japan, through a website.

The glove refurbishment system was created by company president Yonezawaya Tomohiro three years earlier.

For many years, Yonezawaya had been aware that some children were forced to give up baseball for economic reasons.

You often hear, "It costs so much,
but who knows if I'll keep playing."

Money can keep kids from starting,
or cause them to give up.

I thought there must be something
we could do to help.

To produce the refurbished gloves, he approached Oki, a skilled artisan.

Their aim was a low-cost option, as good as a new one, working to find the best repair techniques.

I broke down gloves from
every maker and studied them.

Making adjustments to the leather's
thickness, the tightness of the lacing,

I rebuild the gloves with close attention
to such details.

As their work continued, a real boost came when a high-end glove maker agreed to provide them

with low-cost leather offcuts, left over from the manufacturing process.

The leather they use is the best.

They make their gloves using the best
materials with no compromises.

We couldn't have been happier.

Their zero-compromise, refurbished gloves have been very well received.

And so far, Oki and Yonezawaya have given a new lease on life to over 3,000 gloves.

The remade gloves now support many young players.

This boys' club team has been using them for close to a year.

Say I wanted to move a player
from the infield to the outfield,

would they be able to afford
an expensive glove?

Considering the financial burden,
I would have trouble moving them.

Ultimately, money is the biggest issue.

The gloves also have a certain advantage in being refurbished.

It's nice and soft.

You have to break in a new one,
but this was already used.

It's easier to catch with.

So, I get fewer errors.

Today, Oki has taken in another old glove, but this one came with a rather unusual request.

A well-worn glove, nearly thirty years old.

The order came from Ishii Akira, residing in Tokyo.

It's his hope that the old glove can be worn again by his son, Hayato.

I was 17 maybe? I was at my peak.

He devoted nearly every day to baseball for three years in high school.

It may be too much to call it treasure,
but that's pretty much what it is.

On the bad days, also the good ones
when things went well, it was with me.

It brings back so many memories.

But I never imagined my son
might use it someday, too.

- Are you excited?
- Yes. I can't wait to see it.

To make sure the old glove doesn't lose its character,

Oki will restore only the most worn elements, keeping as much as he can original.

This is the inner lining.

This part will need to be completely remade.

He carefully breaks down the damaged portions to serve as a pattern for the replacement.

Having soaked it to make it supple, he traces the precise shape on the new leather.

It's such a treasured glove,
I'd hate to make an alteration.

I try to recreate the shape and character
of the original as much as possible,

so it stays true to the client's memory.

The moment you put it on,
it should feel familiar. "It's my glove!"

The cutouts are stitched together, along with an additional layer of shock-absorbing material.

The inner lining complete, it's then fitted into the original outer glove.

The final work is done with care, to ensure the feel is right when worn on the hand.

Oh, it's finished!
Yeah. This is how it came out.

Fantastic! It's really great!

Perfect. It'll stick for sure.

I hope they like it.

The Ishiis are here to pick up the finished glove.

Hello.

And... here it is!

I thought it'd look more beat-up.

Let me see.

Oh! Amazing!

I'm glad it still has the old battle scars.

It's really incredible.

- Must bring back memories.
- It really does. So many memories.

Can you grab it?

Can you grab the ball?

It's not stiff at all. Easy to grab.

- You can get a good grip?
- Yeah.

Right in the middle.

Okay!

- Take good care of it.
- Thanks dad!

I'll use it to get a spot
in the starting lineup.

Gloves are part of our youths.

Hopefully they're reused until
we can't restore them anymore.

I want people to use them so well

that I have to say, "Sorry,
there's nothing left to be done."