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.

About two hour's drive from Tokyo, the city of Hiratsuka on the Pacific coast.

Three times a week, the young students at this judo school work up a sweat during practice.

Sato Hitoe is their instructor.

Okay, and... That's it! Again!

Okay! Ah, you let go. Don't let go.

Sato doesn't just teach judo.

After practice is over, she sets to work at her sewing machine.

The material she uses comes from worn-out judo uniforms, or gis.

Originating in Japan, the martial art of Judo.

Practitioners grapple using collars or sleeves to hold on to their opponents.

To withstand all that punishment, the gis they wear are made to be durable.

Sato says that even when worn out they make excellent material.

It's such rugged fabric.

And even items made with just one piece have a nice form.

They always look good no matter what you make.

Today she'll be making a handy pouch.

She carefully cuts out a section of fabric.

The zipper I'm using is blue.

The pouch strap is made with a drawstring cord used to secure judo gi pants.

A worn out gi, transformed into a charming pouch.

A perfect size for storing small items.

Cute, very cute. The blue zipper was a good choice.

Okay, all done.

Sato was once among the top judo athletes in Japan.

And through her influence, both her children also practice it.

As they grew, she found herself constantly having to buy new judo gis.

And she had a pile of old ones that had become too small.

They can't be worn as regular clothing, and they don't make good pajamas,

so all you can do is store them away.

But it felt wasteful just keeping such durable items in storage.

How to make use of those now useless judo gis...?

She decided to apply her skill as a sewing hobbyist to remake them into accessories and other useful items.

These are some of her first creations.

I cut the judo gis into swatches to see what I could make with them,

and it turned out wonderful.

The quilting of the original material gave it such a great texture.

A single piece made such cute items.

Sato became enchanted with the joy of remaking old judo gis.

Including accessories and stuffed toys, she made all kinds of items, selling them at flea markets.

I started posting pictures of things I made on social media.

Then messages came in from customers asking me to make this or that.

It was a lot of fun.

This is a stand-up pencil case.

But people often just leave them open like this as decorations.

This is a sauna hat. Cute, right?

Since I do judo myself, I can't help but add little extra touches

like this made-up dojo name.

"Sauna Dojo"

Sato has recently taken a special order.

It came from judo instructor, Goto Masakazu.

He wants to give a 60th birthday present to the man who once instructed him in judo.

He taught me for many years and, as a token of thanks,

I want to give him something to commemorate his 60th birthday.

So I asked Sato to remake an old gi.

During Goto's days in high school, Furuya's enthusiastic guidance earned him a special place in his former student's heart.

Now that he's older he's gotten nicer, but back then he was very strict.

He didn't just teach judo, he taught me good manners, how to live in society.

That connection is something I'll treasure forever.

The judo gi being remade is emblazoned with the name of his alma mater.

Sato has taken delivery of the gi.

The embroidery here on the breast is the mark of a school judo uniform.

I'll make sure to use it well.

It seems the design is now set.

Time to get cutting.

She starts with the key feature, the embroidered school name.

She'll be making a stuffed animal.

Stuffing it as full as possible will help it keep its shape

no matter how long it sits on a shelf.

Naturally, this bear has a black belt.

The design incorporates the color red, a celebratory color in Japan, alongside the white of the original judo gi.

When they're all done like this, there's always a brief moment

when I can't bear to let them go.

The day of Furuya's 60th birthday party.

The bear made by Sato has arrived.

It's really well made. Amazing.

It says "gratitude" on his foot. It's just wonderful.

"Gratitude"

I want to present it to Mr. Furuya in front of everyone.

Goto's mentor and former teacher, Furuya Yoshiyuki.

The time to present his gift has come.

A judo gi teddy bear.

Congratulations on your 60th birthday!

I'm grateful to have such a wonderful thing made for me.

It's great that our school name, "Fujisawa," is on it.

There's no doubt the material came from one of our team uniforms.

I'd be happy to get such a gift, and I'm so glad he loves it too.

It's all gone as well as I'd hoped.

They're taking lots of pictures.

I'm so happy!

Or rather thankful that my little bear was part of such a special event.

I did judo myself, so I know about the memories an old gi can hold.

Making all those memories makes the judo gi itself happy too.

Yeah, a happy gi.