Source: The "Sea and Japan Project" Public Relations Office press release
Official Site: https://okinawa.uminohi.jp/event/machinaka2023/
Photo courtesy of the Nippon Foundation. © TOHO CO., LTD.Running through August 20th, "Godzilla vs. Okinawa Raids Again" (ゴジラ対沖縄の逆襲, Gojira Tai Okinawa no Gyakushū) is the second annual Godzilla-themed event* in Okinawa hosted by the Nippon Foundation's "Sea and Japan Project" to combat litter on the island and its surrounding waters.
In partnership with Little Monsters Co., Ltd. the event held the "Operation Machinaka Garbage Pickup" (まちなかごみ拾い大作戦, Machinaka Gomi Hiroi Daisakusen) on Saturday, June 17, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. On that day, Fifteen volunteers gathered in front of the Tenbusu Naha on Kokusaidori Street, a popular destination for locals and tourists. Despite the rain, the event went off without a hitch as participants collected 25 bags (30 liters) of trash in 3 hours. There were many plastic bottles and empty glass bottles, while cigarette butts were heavily concentrated in gutters, around stores, and around benches set up along the streets. Some of the wet cigarette butts were washed into the drainage ditches and out to sea by the rain, sadly emphasizing the need to create a viable system to prevent people from littering.
Comments from Participants...
Man: "I enjoyed the event, but I was surprised to see so much trash."
Man: "I didn't realize how many cigarette butts were left behind."
Man: "I walk along Kokusaidori Street (International Street) all the time, but the cigarette butts are in places that are hard to see."
Woman "There was a place where many empty bottles were thrown away. I thought it would be dangerous if they broke."
Woman: "I saw the banner and joined the event. I would like to participate in the next one if there is another opportunity."
Photo courtesy of the Nippon Foundation.
Photo courtesy of the Nippon Foundation.
Photo courtesy of the Nippon Foundation.
■ Organization Profiles
Sea and Japan PROJECT in Okinawa Prefecture
In response to the marine litter problem, which has become more serious in recent years, we aim to promote "personalization" of the situation among many residents of the prefecture through beach cleanup activities as well as media and events, and to link this to action by each individual. In order to cope with the ever-increasing amount of marine debris, this project will implement plans to encourage prefectural residents to change their behavior, in addition to awareness-raising and actions in cooperation with various companies, organizations, and government agencies.
Official Website: https://okinawa.uminohi.jp/
CHANGE FOR THE BLUE
This project has been promoted since November 2018 as part of the Nippon Foundation's "Sea and Japan Project" with the goal of making the issue of marine litter a personal matter for each citizen and raising awareness throughout society to stop littering the oceans
The project aims to create a model for reducing marine litter in cooperation with stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and the private sector, and disseminate the model both domestically and internationally.
Official Website: https://uminohi.jp/umigomi/
Photo courtesy of Shinagawa Aquarium. © TOHO CO., LTD."Connecting people with the sea."
The oceans support Japanese people's daily lives in various ways while also providing comfort, excitement, and inspiration. This is an all-Japan project, under the banner of the Nippon Foundation, the Headquarters for Ocean Policy, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, to help children and people across Japan see the ongoing environmental degradation of the oceans as "their own business" and expand the circle of action to pass on the oceans to the future.
* The "Sea and Japan Project" also sponsored the children's "Chibi Godzilla and the Mystery Solving SDGs - Let's Protect the Richness of the Sea" environmental event at the Shinagawa Aquarium in Tokyo this past April and May.