TOKYO (TR) – The neon-lit streets of Shinjuku Ward’s bustling nightlife districts face a mounting crisis of widespread littering.
As Fuji News Network (May 31) reports empty booze cans and cigarette butts pile up as brazen street drinkers ignore strict “No Littering” warnings.
The focus is the nightlife arounds around JR Shinjuku Station. Mountains of discarded alcohol cans are routinely left abandoned on outdoor air-conditioning units, while the pavement below is heavily carpeted with cigarette butts. Local business owners, tired of the grime, are at their wits’ end.
“It’s escalating and getting much worse recently,” one local restaurant manager laments. “Sometimes you get groups of about 10 people gathering, drinking, and smoking together. It’s reached a level where we are powerless. We need the ward to step in.”
The shameless nature of the offenses was captured on camera by a television news crew on the night of the 28th. Reporters filmed multiple individuals casually discarding their garbage in the street. One man was recorded downing a cup of sake before effortlessly tossing the empty container onto an air-conditioning unit.
Another man was caught committing a “double dump” — tossing both an empty canned chuhai and a cigarette butt.
When confronted by reporters, the man admitted he regularly litters in the area two to three times a week.
“I just have a quick drink and go home,” he says. When asked why he chose to dump his trash in that specific spot, he replied bluntly: “Because it’s dark. It’s easier to throw things away in the dark.” He then casually acknowledged that he knew his actions were wrong.
Fines
While Shinjuku struggles to contain the mess, neighboring Shibuya Ward has recently taken a hardline stance against street trash. As of June 1, Shibuya Ward began slapping litterbugs with on-the-spot 2,000-yen fines, deploying a patrol force of up to 50 officers to enforce the crackdown and clean up the streets.
Shinjuku Ward currently possesses ordinances that can carry fines of up to 20,000 yen for littering in designated areas, but the threat of financial penalty has so far failed to curb the relentless dumping.
A representative from Shinjuku’s Garbage Reduction and Recycling Division stated that the ward is now looking to amend and expand the scope of its anti-littering ordinances.
“We want to consider effective measures while closely watching the results of the new ordinance starting in Shibuya,” the official said, as locals continue to demand a practical solution to stop the endless cycle of trash.
