On October 20, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment launched a reuse promotion campaign aimed at increasing the share of consumers who practice reuse. On the same day, the ministry unveiled a “Reuse Portal Site” consolidating information related to reuse, and also launched a campaign site proposing “Chuko-Spa! LIFE,” a lifestyle concept centered on incorporating secondhand and reused goods into everyday life.
The Reuse Portal Site brings together reuse-related information and reference materials tailored separately for local governments, businesses, and consumers.
“Chuko-Spa! LIFE” is a coined term combining “chuko” (the Japanese word for “secondhand”) and “cost performance,” representing a lifestyle in which secondhand goods and reuse are naturally woven into daily living. According to the Ministry of the Environment, as rising prices increase the burden on household budgets and consumer values around spending grow more diverse, the way people choose goods is shifting. There is a growing trend toward making choices that are valuable to the individual beyond price alone—skillfully incorporating secondhand items, passing on unneeded items to the next user, and using items longer through repair. At the same time, because secondhand and reused goods are still often associated with images such as “a way to save money” or “a substitute when you can’t afford something new,” the ministry is positioning them under a new set of values: not something to settle for, but a smart option that delivers good cost performance while enabling a lifestyle true to oneself. On the campaign site, registered businesses, local governments, and individuals can download promotional materials such as logos and posters.
This campaign was launched based on the “Roadmap for Promoting Reuse and Related Initiatives” formulated in March 2026. The roadmap sets out a vision for the future and progress indicators, organizing concrete measures targeted at businesses, local governments, and consumers. It was also positioned as one of the pillars of the Circular Economy Action Plan decided by a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers in April 2026. Among its progress indicators, the roadmap sets targets for 2030 including expanding the reuse market from its current scale of ¥3.5 trillion by 32% to ¥4.6 trillion, doubling the number of local governments collaborating with reuse businesses from roughly 300 to 600, and raising the consumer reuse participation rate from the current 40.8% to 50%—representing half of the population.
【Reference】Ministry of the Environment｜Launch of the Reuse Promotion Campaign ～Why Not Start Chuko-Spa! LIFE～
【Reference】Ministry of the Environment｜Reuse Portal Site
【Reference】Ministry of the Environment｜Chuko-Spa! LIFE Campaign Page
【Reference】Ministry of the Environment｜Formulation of the Roadmap for Promoting Reuse and Related Initiatives
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