Pride of Place
It’s a universal observation when people visit Japan: “It’s so clean here!” And, it’s true. Whether you are strolling through a neighborhood park or window shopping on a commercial boulevard or queuing up outside an izakaya on a bustling Friday night, you will be hard pressed to find litter, or even a leaf, at your feet.
What’s more surprising to many, at least it was to me, is that there is not a single trash can on any street corner that I have ever observed. Rumor has it that this stems from security concerns after the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. But perhaps its longevity in practice has more to do with a deeper cultural commitment to personal responsibility and tidiness.
And while I have been quite annoyed to carry an empty coffee cup or a banana peel for hours, I am also quite impressed and grateful for the resolve and commitment to keep the community clean and beautiful for each other and oneself. That’s what people do here: they either don’t create any waste, or they carry it until they can discard it properly. It’s the individual making a conscious choice and effort for the collective. How incredible is that!
Every morning when I walk our dog, we are greeted by many volunteers, mostly elderly, who have quietly dispersed through our neighborhood park and along residential streets to sweep the paths and sidewalks and seating areas so that they will be beautiful for all who visit throughout the day. It’s a Sisyphean effort especially in the Fall when the ginko nuts and maple leaves fall by the hundreds, and in the Spring, when the cherry and plum blossoms and camelias carpet the earth in petals. But these individuals are there, every day, one sweep at a time.
There is indeed a beautiful pride of place that seems to permeate every communal space in Japan , whether it's a subway station, a public restroom, a museum, or an alleyway. How lucky are all of us, whether we live here or are just visiting, to be the benefactors of that. Maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from this and find ways to bring beauty to our communities in quiet but consistent acts for the greater good too. What a gift of joy that would be!
