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Tag - waste

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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WASTE

A plastic bottle cap about 3.5 centimeters in diameter, where polychaete worms built a nest out of small pebbles. It drifted from the coast of the Philippines and was recovered off Kochi Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 20, 2026
Researchers find tiny marine ecosystem ¡ª population 307 ¡ª in a bottle cap
The discovery shows that a large amount of plastic waste floating in the sea can become small ships of organisms, according to a Japanese research team.
Rice Resin's bioplastic garbage bags are getting increased attention after the Middle East conflict began.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 17, 2026
Bioplastic use rising in Japan amid naphtha woes
The ¡°naphtha shock¡± exposed the risk of relying on Middle East crude oil for industrial and daily goods materials.
Members of Hiroshima University's equestrian club work on fermenting horse manure to produce fertilizers.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Jul 13, 2026
University equestrian club turns horse manure into farming gold
The club has been composting the manure to produce roughly 40 metric tons of organic fertilizers a year, with the number of local farmers who use them increasing gradually.
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in fiscal 2024, the lowest on record.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 30, 2026
Japan¡¯s food waste falls to lowest on record in fiscal 2024
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in 2024, decreasing for a third consecutive year.
A worker in Tokyo collects used cooking oil from a Tempura restaurant in April to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2026
Japan steps up efforts on cooking oil in race for sustainable aviation fuel??
The world¡¯s fourth-biggest economy estimates it needs about 1.7 million kiloliters in 2030, and hopes to gain as much as it can domestically through used cooking oil.
Tourists in the Shibuya area of Tokyo are stopped by a group of multilingual officials who hand out fines to people caught littering on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 6, 2026
On patrol with Tokyo¡¯s new litter police
On the streets of Shibuya, patrol teams caught 10 people littering on the first day of the new ordinance, 15 on the second day and nine on the third, according to city officials.
Tokyo's Shibuya Ward has begun handing out ?2,000 ($12) fines to litterbugs.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 2, 2026
Shibuya begins handing out ?2,000 fines for littering
Patrol officers will now monitor the ward and collect the fine on the spot from anyone caught throwing away trash improperly, with cashless payments accepted.
Many municipalities across Japan say buzz online and anxiety over the situation in the Middle East has led to people panic buying garbage bags.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
May 13, 2026
Designated trash bags run low in Japan as fears grow over supply shortages
Reports of a naphtha shortage have driven some to hoard city-designated trash bags needed in some areas to dispose of waste.
A man collects waste at the Suwung landfill in Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, on April 17.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 6, 2026
Bali drowning in trash after landfill closed
The government aims to set up several waste-to-energy projects, including one in Bali that could process about 1,200 tons of waste daily, but these could take years to come online.
An experiment shows smoke being emitted by old lighting fixtures after fluorescent lamps were switched to LED lighting.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Apr 29, 2026
Replace fixtures too when switching to LED lighting, safety watchdog urges
Over 50 cases reported to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation in the 10 years until 2025 involved fires believed to have occurred due to aging fixtures.
Tokyo's 23 wards might soon charge their residents for waste collection amid concerns that landfills are reaching full capacity.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 14, 2026
Tokyo considers charging residents of 23 wards for garbage collection
As concerns rise over landfills reaching capacity, authorities are aiming to encourage residents to reduce the amount of waste they put out.
According to the Environment Ministry, 8,543 fire incidents involving mobile batteries discarded as waste occurred in garbage trucks or elsewhere in fiscal 2023.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 7, 2026
60% in Japan unaware of mobile battery disposal methods
Experts are calling on the public to not throw such devices away as garbage, as some discarded batteries have started fires in waste collection vehicles.
The government has set a target of reducing the amount of clothing discarded from households by 25% by fiscal 2030 from the level in fiscal 2020.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jan 4, 2026
Japan to draw up action plan to reduce clothing waste
The ministry estimates that Japanese households bought around 770,000 tons of clothes in 2024, while about 510,000 tons ended up incinerated or dumped into landfills.
Swollen or deformed batteries are particularly prone to ignition.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 24, 2025
Japan aims to eliminate serious lithium battery fires by 2030
In a policy package drawn up by central government agencies including the Environment Ministry, local governments and companies are urged to properly dispose of used batteries.
Under the current law, storage is regulated only when scrap brought into yards is classified as ¡°waste.¡±
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 18, 2025
Japan to introduce permit system for scrapyard businesses
The move is a response to cases in which environmental problems like fire and soil contamination were caused by improper storage of such scrap as used metals and plastics.
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2025
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo¡¯s Spogomi world cup
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 countries scoured Tokyo¡¯s streets for discarded wrappers, crushed cans and cigarette butts.
After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 8, 2025
Jon Homewood: ¡®There¡¯s beauty in what we throw away¡¯
Using aluminum cans as his medium, the Tsukuba-based British artist creates intricate sculptures that take months or longer to complete.
Property developer I Wajan Dibawa at the site of collapsed properties after recent flooding in Mengwi, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, on Oct. 1
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 21, 2025
Bali grapples with flood reckoning as overdevelopment and waste take toll
The island¡¯s south has been transformed by a tourism boom that brought jobs and economic benefits, but also paved over and built on greenery that once provided drainage.
A flea market in Kyoto. Local governments in Japan have been urged to mediate between citizens and businesses to expand secondhand markets.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
Oct 20, 2025
Japan pushes reuse market as new consumption model
The Environment Ministry plans to compile a road map by the end of March 2026 outlining medium- to long-term measures to further boost growth of the sector.
Garment workers at a factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, in April.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 5, 2025
Bangladesh¡¯s textile firms turn to technology to sort waste crisis
Cloud-hosted software allows manufacturers to monitor waste on a digital platform and track it as it passes between factories, handlers and recyclers.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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