[Provided by Nanki Kumano Geopark Center] Experience of making kaleidoscopes with marine plastic

Held at Nanki Kumano Geopark Center, a popular experience program "Making kaleidoscopes with marine plastic". This time, we invite the staff of the Geopark Center to our hotel to experience the program while listening to commentary on the issue of marine plastic. You can learn the connection between the sea and our lives in an easy-to-understand manner while touching on the current state of garbage generated in the world and the impact on the sea.

The sea here in Kushimoto-cho is the southernmost sea area of Honshu, which is strongly affected by the warm current and Kuroshio Current, and is characterized by a warm climate and a highly transparent sea.
The largest table coral community in Honshu spreads, and there is a rare ecosystem nationwide where corals and temperate creatures coexist.
It is also known as a spot for various Malin activities, and has a rich marine environment where diverse fish and migratory fish gather.

It is said that about 8 million tons of plastic waste is flowing into the sea every year around the world. It has been pointed out that in 2050, the amount of plastic floating in the sea may exceed the amount of fish.
The beautiful Pacific Ocean seen from Kushimoto-cho, the southernmost tip of Honshu. We provide opportunities to feel the environmental issues behind the rich nature as "self-self."

Wash and process PET bottles collected on the coast and reuse them as a kaleidoscope material. We freely combine plastic pieces of different colors and shapes to create only one work in the world.
You can experience the moment when what was “garbage” is reborn as a “treasure”.

Production time is about 20 to 30 minutes per set. Because we use safely processed materials, small children can participate with confidence. Looking through the completed kaleidoscope, the fragments that once drifted in the sea receive light and draw beautiful patterns.

This experience was born only because Kushimoto lives with the sea.
I hope that your time of stay will be a catalyst for thinking about the environment as your own and a small step that will lead to the future.