The main ingredient in shikkui is a rock called limestone. Do you know where this rock comes from?
Actually, it was formed over a very, very long period of time by the accumulation of tiny organisms—such as shells and coral—that lived in the ocean long ago. You could say it’s a gift from the sea. For 100 years, Tagawa Shikkui Labs has been using that gift to create products.
But that ocean is now in trouble. You’ve probably heard about plastic pollution in the ocean. You might picture plastic bottles or shopping bags. But that’s not the only cause. There’s another cause in an unexpected place—the white lines painted on roads, or road paint.As cars drive over them and rain washes them away, they gradually wear down into tiny particles that flow from rivers into the ocean. It’s said that this accounts for approximately 7% of the primary microplastic waste that ends up in the ocean. Right at our feet, on the roads we walk every day, lies a source of ocean pollution. Isn’t that a bit surprising?
This leads us to reflect. We make products using the bounty the ocean provides. If that’s the case, isn’t it our responsibility to protect the ocean that gives us that bounty? We shouldn’t just use it and be done with it. We should give back properly in proportion to what we’ve taken. That’s what we believe.
So, what can we do? One of the answers Tagawa Industries has arrived at is a paint called “Botancial Paint.” It’s a paint made not from petroleum, but from plants such as soybeans. We aim to gradually increase the number of options in the world that don’t pollute the ocean—even if it’s just a little at a time. We’ll pass on the gifts we’ve received from the ocean to the future—that’s our way of doing things.
