Mt. Fuji Cleanup Activity Report

Community Service Committee Vice Chair 川合 利幸

On Saturday, May 10, a total of 26 people, including Youth Exchange student 北澤拓実 and his parents, carried out a clean-up near Mt. Fuji Children's Kingdom in Shizuoka Prefecture.
This time, we cleaned along the roadside, as PET bottles and cans are thrown from the windows of trucks and cars, convenience store purchases are dumped still in their plastic bags, and there is also illegal dumping.
From the local guide's explanation, we learned that long-distance drivers sometimes fill PET bottles with human waste and throw them away, and we actually found several.Although this clean-up was around Mt. Fuji, all participants learned through this activity that such littering occurs on national and prefectural roads, interchanges and all kinds of roads throughout Japan, and that it is a social problem.After the clean-up, we enjoyed a buffet lunch with all-you-can-drink local beer and wine.Our club will continue this activity, and since we believe it offers families, especially children, a valuable and enjoyable opportunity to engage with a social issue, we think it is important to plan such an event for them next time.