Why I Started Growing My Own Vegetables

Since moving to Nagano, I've started growing vegetables in small planters outside my home.

I've never grown vegetables before, so I decided to begin with a small garden. My first plants were cherry tomatoes, kale, shiso, basil, and mint—vegetables and herbs that are easy to grow for beginners.

When I was living in Australia, I learned that many vegetables and fruits in Japan are grown using pesticides. That stayed in my mind for a long time. My current home has a small outdoor space, and I thought, why not try growing my own organic vegetables? That simple idea became the beginning of my little garden.

Every morning, I water my plants and enjoy watching them grow. Seeing tiny tomato flowers bloom, then slowly turn into green fruit before becoming bright red, reminds me that good things take time.

Sometimes caterpillars eat my tomatoes.

Instead of killing them, I leave those tomatoes for them.

I believe that we are all part of nature, and even the smallest creatures deserve a place in it. Living alongside nature is more important to me than trying to control it.

Basil and shiso grow quickly, and I love using them in my cooking. I've always enjoyed cooking, and having fresh herbs from my own garden makes every meal feel a little more creative and meaningful.

Growing vegetables has also given me a much deeper appreciation for farmers. Before, I simply bought vegetables at the supermarket. Now I understand how much patience, care, and hard work it takes to grow food.

I also started making compost using a simple cardboard box. Vegetable scraps become compost, the compost becomes soil, and the soil grows more vegetables.

To me, this is the same philosophy behind ENHANCE.

I give vintage kimono, obi, and furoshiki a second life through upcycling. In my garden, I try to do the same by creating a small cycle where nothing is wasted.

I know my garden is small.

But it reminds me every day that sustainability doesn't have to begin with something big.

Sometimes, it begins with a single planter, a handful of soil, and the simple decision to care for what we already have.