Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

We’ve all heard stories about Japan’s sodai gomi halcyon days, when perfectly good appliances would be thrown out with the trash simply because the owners had upgraded to newer models. These days, that discarded hi-fi set probably is broken—but who’s to say it isn’t salvageable? Fixing things can be a fantastic money-saver, but it’s also a good way of freeing yourself from the cycle of chucking and buying every time something stops working. Start by repairing punctured bicycle tires and wobbly furniture, and work from there. For advice on fixing things around the home, check www.doityourself.com or the Japanese-language www.pipin.jp.