Japan tourist sites implement new waste measures amid rising littering

Japanese tourist destinations are facing increasing challenges regarding littering and waste management due to rising numbers of visitors. In Kamikochi, a famous trekking area in Nagano Prefecture, mountain huts have reported a significant increase in illegal dumping. Specifically, large quantities of trash containing Hangul markings and South Korean municipal waste bags have been discovered, alongside food waste such as kimchi and ramen.

In Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, local authorities are addressing littering by pilot-testing the installation of smart trash cans. Historically, the city avoided placing public bins in urban areas due to security concerns following past terror incidents. However, to combat the rise in discarded items like skewers and cigarette butts, the city will test automated compression bins that reduce waste volume by approximately one-fifth. These bins feature multilingual instructions in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. The city aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this measure through March 2027.