Reviving “Mottainai” to Eliminate Food Loss

In the United States, taking home leftovers from restaurants has been a familiar practice. In a food culture known for generous portions, “to-go boxes” were once ubiquitous, though their use has declined in recent years. Still, bringing home uneaten food remains common. Across the Pacific in Tokyo, however, a different approach is gaining momentum: encouraging people to finish an appropriate portion as a way to reduce food waste. 

Food Waste Rises with Dining and Tourism Comeback 

As dining and tourism rebound, Tokyo faces a growing challenge: food waste. The city generates 206,000 tons from businesses and 148,000 tons from households annually. Restaurants alone account for over one-third of the city’s total food loss, largely due to uneaten portions.  

Fighting Food Waste with the Spirit of Edo 

In October, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched the 2-month “Zero Food Loss with the Spirit of Edo!” Campaign, partnering with 1,054 restaurants and other establishments citywide. The initiative draws on the Edo-era spirit of Mottainai—a Japanese term expressing regret over waste, to promote a lifestyle of “zero leftovers” and accelerate concrete actions toward its ambitious goal of virtually eliminating food waste by 2050.  

What Is Food Loss? 

Food loss refers to edible food that is discarded, excluding inedible parts such as bones, peels, or seeds. 

• On farms: Misshapen or undersized vegetables often fail to meet retail standards. 
• In processing: Overproduction, misprinted packaging, or damage during transportation leads to disposal. 
• At retail: Unsold items become waste. 
• At restaurants: Customer leftovers contribute significantly.  
• At home: Overbuying, forgetting ingredients, or cooking too much often results in waste. 

Tradition Meets Technology 

Tokyo is advancing measures that combine cutting-edge technology with cultural heritage. 

Under the FY2022 “Food Tech-Based Upcycling Promotion Project,” the city supports the social implementation of technology that transforms discarded ingredients into high-value products, moving beyond America’s “take leftovers home” mindset to “create new value from surplus food.” 

At SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025, innovations such as 3D food printers and preservation-enhancing technologies showcased the future of dining and waste prevention. 

Public awareness efforts promote “temae-dori”—taking items from the front of the shelf to reduce expiration-related waste, echoing the Edo-era frugality.  

Education initiatives visualize food loss as “one rice ball (102g) per person per day” to make the issue tangible. 

The Global Potential of the Tokyo Model 

Worldwide, more than 770 million people—one in ten—struggle to secure food, making the disposal of edible food profoundly Mottainai. 

In Japan, discarded food is incinerated as combustible waste, contributing to CO₂ emissions and global warming. 

Tokyo aims to bring the Edo-era principle of valuing “every grain of rice and every leaf of a vegetable” into the modern era, creating a world-class zero-food-loss model. In the U.S., people take home what they cannot finish; in Tokyo, people order only what they can eat. Beyond these cultural differences, both share the same value: “Do not waste food.” 

Will you start practicing Mottainai today and help build a sustainable society?