Japanese volunteer group cleans New York with environment in mind

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 22 Total Comments Show All

Disillusioned at 05:30 PM JST - 11th July

And I'll bet they have spent all their lives in Japan dropping their garbage where ever they please, spitting on the street, dropping their ciggy butts and dumping their non-specified garbage in another unit block's garbage area.
NeoJamal at 06:05 PM JST - 11th July

What's the standard issue sidearm they use?
JeffLee at 07:17 PM JST - 11th July

A really smug attitude by these folks. As a Canadian resident of Tokyo, I should form a group to install litter bins on Tokyo's street corners, in local parks, and in hiking areas, where they are nearly always absent and where garbage can be found scattered around regularly.

Then I should annouce that I want Tokyo's streets to be as "spotless" of those in my country. Now, how would that play, I wonder? I suspect I'd be seen as a smug prat. Hmmmm.
m6bob at 09:49 PM JST - 11th July

New York? How about starting this in some dirty Asian cities? Or does 'New York' makes these Asian people look good?
Kwaabish at 10:15 PM JST - 11th July

I still think, in general, most Japanese cities are cleaner than US cities.

As for "dirty Asian cities", again, Singapore sure has a better image than New York.
Freespeech at 10:31 PM JST - 11th July

where are these spotless streets that sato kun speaks of here in Japan?

Indeed, Japan can be pretty dirty particularly in the suburban areas ; and what to say about the mess inside many japanese houses ? Can be frightening.

My second point is about the image and international stature that Japan wants to acquire (assuming it wants anything) : is this a national vocation to be perceived as the sanitation workers of the world ?

Laughable !
hamiltontruther at 11:13 PM JST - 11th July

typical ******* japanese. all is fine and well in japan. we japanese must save others from themselves. hate to say it but the japanese are an oblivious people when it comes to their own shortcomings.
DickMorris at 03:04 AM JST - 12th July

JeffLee: You would probabaly be arrested as a trouble maker. Many have inJapan for less.

What is wrong bwith Japanese with their smug attitude, let'S face it these guys just want peaise and thanks but don't say it as Japanese are so humble, bah!!!!
nigelboy at 04:47 AM JST - 12th July

"A really smug attitude by these folks. As a Canadian resident of Tokyo, I should form a group to install litter bins on Tokyo's street corners, in local parks, and in hiking areas, where they are nearly always absent and where garbage can be found scattered around regularly.

Then I should annouce that I want Tokyo's streets to be as "spotless" of those in my country. Now, how would that play, I wonder? I suspect I'd be seen as a smug prat. Hmmmm. "
sammuraisteve at 09:02 PM JST - 12th July

If I could get my neighbors to stop burning their garbage I'd be happy. Sure, the streets are clean but every day I smell the plastic burning and see people tending to their piles of pet bottles, newspaper, tissue, plastic wrapping, etc. I sometimes think this country needs to stop calling their trash 'burnable'.
lazarus0202 at 04:03 PM JST - 13th July

Thanks for cleanig up my city Sato! I will do my best to do the same here in Japan.
Farmboy at 07:36 AM JST - 14th July

Well, of course there is trash in Japan...take a walk on the beach, or go fishing for bicycles in any river. The point is, this folks are helping out, and I think it's great. There is no need to be cynical about everything. I appreciate what this group is doing.
otis123 at 12:38 AM JST - 15th July

West Village...BAh! Go clean the Bronx pls...thx.
goingtoshopping at 11:53 PM JST - 15th July

Don't forget to wrap it all up in heaps of plastic like back at home! Eco!
as_the_crow_flies at 07:32 AM JST - 17th July

Don't forget to wrap it all up in heaps of plastic like back at home! Eco!

Many Japanese seem to equate "spotless streets" with green practices. But if you haul a kilo of plastic from the supermarket with your daily shop and carefully wrap it in plastic and throw it out, at the right time, in the right place, for burning, that doesn't make you any greener than the slob who tosses his conbini waste out the car window. What about doing what other groups in the US do, and actually using stuff rescued out of the waste?