News On Japan

Illegal garbage dumping plagues Tokyo streets

TOKYO, Nov 22 (News On Japan) - Streets littered with heaps of garbage, even spilling onto the opposite sidewalks, have become a pressing issue in Kamata, Tokyo, where local eateries line the streets.

The problem centers around the dedicated waste collection areas, intended for temporarily storage of waste from eateries. Unauthorized dumping of household waste makes it difficult to identify the perpetrators, especially as the dumping often occurs at night or dawn. Consequently, private waste disposal from a collection area incurs an extra monthly costs of about 200,000 yen.

To identify the culprits, a team installed a camera near the waste collection area. Footage captured a man, believed to be an employee of a different building's eatery, disposing of waste. Upon questioning, an employee from the same eatery admitted to occasionally dumping waste there because "everyone does it."

However, such actions could be considered illegal dumping. During the interview with local residents, another man was seen throwing a garbage bag from his bicycle into the collection area. He confessed to disposing of household waste, which could have been collected for free, thereby inadvertently causing the building to incur paid disposal costs.

Takashi Matsukuma, an attorney from Hashimoto General Law Office, explained that such acts violate the Waste Management Law, potentially leading to a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to 10 million yen. Responsibility falls on the individual if they can be identified; otherwise, it may be attributed to those managing the area.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Yomiuriland’s iconic Ferris wheel, cherished by visitors for over four decades, marked its final day of operation on Monday, as fans flocked to bid farewell to the beloved attraction and relive old memories.

Last month, Chef Kei Kobayashi, the first Asian to earn three Michelin stars in Paris, supervised dishes for the film "Grand Maison Paris." His restaurant in Paris, as well as five branded establishments in Japan, was featured in a special interview. Kobayashi proposed 20 to 30 menu items for the movie, with several dishes now being offered in Japan for a limited time, including a 5,500-yen course at his Gotemba restaurant.

Chiba's Urayasu City hosted a '20-Year Celebration' event at Tokyo DisneySea on Monday, marking the transition to adulthood for local residents.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has unveiled a plan to start covering up to 1.5 million yen in student loan repayments for individuals hired as teachers or technical public officials in the city starting from April this year. The initiative is expected to launch next year.

A female student wielded a hammer on Hosei University's campus in Tokyo, injuring eight students.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A poetry collection featuring 466 previously unpublished poems by Empress Emerita Michiko will be published on January 15.

At Kyoto’s Sanjusangendo, newly recognized 20-year-old adults gathered to demonstrate their archery skills during the annual "Toshiya" event.

A female student wielded a hammer on Hosei University's campus in Tokyo, injuring eight students.

A ceremony to celebrate new adults was held in Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City, drawing many young people dressed in vibrant and flamboyant outfits.

Two women were fatally struck by a train at a railroad crossing in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, on January 9th, with investigators believing that the women may have accidentally waited for the traffic signal inside the lowered crossing gate.

A streetlight collapsed and struck an elementary school boy, leaving him with a serious injury.

A leader of a massive scouting group has been arrested on suspicion of introducing women to illegal 'fuzoku' establishments. The group is believed to have earned around 7 billion yen through tactics described as akin to human trafficking.

This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II, yet some individuals in the Philippines, torn apart from their Japanese parents during the war, continue to live as "stateless" citizens. An investigation sheds light on the lives of these Japanese descendants.