Mottainai feels like sacrifice at first. Then it feels like the only way to live." Mottainai means waste. Popular with the Japanese for generations, mottainai (pronounced moe-tie-nye) is the Buddhist term for essence. One can say mottainai and mean "waste nothing." Or, if something appears wasteful, one might remark, "mottainai." A kind of modern day fairy tale, MOTTAINAI: A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF THE ZERO WASTE LIFE is the story of a young man who has everything and feels nothing but frustration. Until he meets an unusual stranger and learns how little we really need-and why living differently is important for each of us, and for the planet.