Garbage in Japan

Since moving here I have not actually found the lack of garbage cans to be much of a problem in day to day life, but when I was a tourist it did feel inconvenient since I wasn’t used to it (and as a tourist, you don’t have the structure in your life wherein you would naturally have access to trash cans throughout the day, like at a workplace).

From the perspective of taking care of public spaces, I absolutely agree that it is a great cultural attitude. People are ingrained from youth to understand that other people are cleaning the spaces you exist in, they are not lesser for doing those jobs, and it’s a core cultural belief that you shouldn’t inconvenience others even if you don’t know them; this attitude makes public spaces feel very pleasant and contributes to the cleanliness and safety that most who visit Japan come to admire.

That said I don’t think that Japan is exempt from foisting their garbage onto third world countries as was posited in the article. Once it’s in the trash system you’re just as equally not taking responsibility for the waste you generate. While the public spaces are clean, Japan is also renowned for using a lot of unnecessary single use plastics, and people don’t really take responsibility for that.

The irony is that products in Japan come with so much garbage. Small items come packed in thick, crinkly plastic that doesn’t hold any form once it has been emptied of its product. Bento boxes are several times thicker than the packaging for ready-to-eat meals in other countries, and they don’t compress at all. When I’m touristing, I rely on the ability to shed load and make space for other things so I don’t have to go back to the hotel.

Its amazing how different the culture is. I don't even think twice about carrying garbage on me, but when I recommend Americans to just carry their garbage until they can toss it, I might as well have insulted their mother.

Apparently the view is that if society wanted them to keep the earth clean, they would have set out more garbage cans.

Excellent article!

I especially appreciated the connection of the personal responsibility for one's waste to "adulting" in general. (you know it's problematic when a word had to be invented for not remaining a perpetual petulant child, which is assumed to be the default behaviour)

Another aspect that really follows immediately for accepting one's garbage responsibility: maybe don't buy all that shit from corporate vendors in the first place?

That's another Japanese tradition: pack your own lunch in a reusable container.

Of course, that's also not a part of the internet brain damaged era...

Aside from the point made by author - I visited Japan last year, I never had too much of an issue with garbage when visiting the major cities.

Most garbage was compactible and clean enough that I could stuff it into my garbage pocket (to the dismay of my girlfriend). Larger or dirtier items, I would put into a ziplock bag in my backpack that I carried with me everywhere. Public trash receptacles, while rarer than in North America, could be found often enough if you were observant of your surroundings.

I dislike it when people take one little cultural difference and try to use it to deduce all sorts of grand proclamations about the different cultures. Especially when it's trying to paint Japan as some sort of paradise country where everyone is considerate and "more adult" all the time. Of course there are cultural differences, but the garbage cans specifically were removed because of the Aum Shinrikyo attacks.

This tangential paragraph is gold:

"The modern condition consists of a constant self-infantilization, of any number of “non-adulting” activities. The main being, of course, plugging into a dopamine casino right before going to sleep and right upon waking up. At least a morning cigarette habit in 1976 gave one time to look at the world in front of one’s eyes (and a gentle nicotine buzz). Other non-adulting activities include relinquishment of general attention, concentration, and critical thinking capabilities. The desire for deus ex machina style political intercession that belies the complexities of real-world systems. Easy answers, easy solutions to problems of unfathomable scale. Scientific retardation because it “feels” good. Deliverance — deliverance! — now, with as little effort as possible."

The last time I went to Japan, my Japanese friend told me that some of the Japaneses don't even leave trash in their hotel rooms when they travel (!)

It's less of an issue when you live there versus when you just visit, however when you live there you have to learn how to get on the right side of your local garbage do gooder. They will judge your garbage separating ability and they will make it known if they have to adapt your work. There is one in every block, and if you haven't bumped into them then you are doing well. Sometimes they don't even live in your block, sometimes they commute to your building to judge what you left on the kerb.

TL;DR: Japan doesn't have ubiquitous public garbage cans - you are expected to take your garbage with you until get home.