When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Or in this case, the tough get growing. 

But first—they had to get creative. Sometimes they get so creative that tough times turn into profitable times. For YouTuber Kazuki Nakata, Japan’s growing food costs have become a good thing. 

Mr. Nakata started indoor farming a few years ago. It was just a hobby at first. But now the 37-year-old has nearly 90,000 subscribers to his video channel. He teaches viewers how to make store-bought vegetables last longer. He shows them how to grow new veggies in containers of water, without soil. 

“I’ve seen 4,500 new followers in the past two weeks,” he says.

Mr. Nakata quit his job in 2023. Now he can focus on the 47 types of vegetables he grows all over his house. At his home, every container seems to hold a plant. Plastic bottles. Old cans. Even the basket of his bicycle! 

In these spots, Mr. Nakata grows shiso leaves (an herb), onions, and daikon radishes. 

Growing vegetables at home isn’t without its challenges. Mr. Nakata’s family has had to sleep without air conditioning on sweltering summer nights. They lose some privacy too. The curtains have to stay open so the leafy greens can get sunlight.

Still, with vegetable prices so high, Mr. Nakata says the sacrifices have paid off. He recently succeeded in cultivating a healthy patch of cabbage leaves in a kitchen bowl. Maybe he could make some okonomiyaki!

And he’s using his success to help others in a tough time. “Home gardening has really helped us slash our spending on food, so I want to share my findings,” he says.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. — Hebrews 13:16

Recommended Reading: For more about indoor gardening, read Grocery Store Garden by Michelle Marsh.