SpoGOMI x UNIQLO x GU Shibuya Chuo-gai with Tokyu Sports Oasis: A Recommended Trash Pickup Event for Children

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I participated in "SpoGOMI" held in Shibuya on 6/17/2023 (my 4th time). I will write my impressions of it.

In conclusion, I thought this was an event that is especially recommended for those with children (the same impression every time). The good points were: 1) you can spend the day meaningfully from the morning, 2) both the city and your heart become clean, and 3) for children, picking up trash becomes fun and a habit. Thank you to everyone at Uniqlo, GU, and Tokyu Sports Oasis for always hosting this free of charge.

▶︎ Motivation for participating

I signed up after seeing a post on Uniqlo's Instagram story. This is my 4th time participating in SpoGOMI.

1. June 2022: Harajuku

2. June 2022: Shibuya

3. April 2023: Harajuku

4. June 2023: Shibuya (this time)

▶︎ What is SpoGOMI?

SpoGOMI is a sport where you form teams of 3 or fewer, pick up trash within a time limit, and compete with other participating teams for points based on the amount and quality of the trash. It is a new type of trash pickup where you wear matching uniforms and use your head and body to clean up the city.

The reason Uniqlo is involved in SpoGOMI is well explained in the article "SpoGOMI Kenichi Mamitsuka x Uniqlo Keiji Okada Special Dialogue".

▶︎ SpoGOMI Rules

Within the time limit (about 50 minutes), you pick up trash while sorting it within a designated area. Points are set per gram for each type of sorted trash, and the person with the highest total score wins. It is competitive, as it is not just about weight, but also about collecting high-point trash like plastic bottles.

▶︎ Scenes from SpoGOMI

When I participated in SpoGOMI exactly one year ago (June 2022), I was surprised by how dirty the streets of Shibuya were. It was just as COVID restrictions were beginning to lift, and because more people than usual were gathering in Shibuya, trash (and people) were scattered all over the streets.

Compared to last year, there was significantly less trash in Shibuya this year. I think this is because, in addition to the volume of people returning to normal and traffic decreasing, there are fewer vacant storefronts and more people cleaning the streets.

That said, it remains true that there is more trash in Shibuya than in Harajuku. Center-gai, in particular, was littered not only with cans and bottles but also with trash from Starbucks and McDonald's, snack wrappers, and cigarette butts.

The people of Center-gai seem to have some sense of the issues, as they once renamed the area "Basketball Street" to improve its image and public safety. I felt that one way to solve these issues is to continuously carry out activities to clean the city (as suggested by the "Broken Windows Theory"). Currently, foot traffic in Shibuya is shifting away from Center-gai toward Parco, Miyashita Park, and Shibuya Stream. If Center-gai doesn't take some kind of action, its appeal as a place for "profit" seems likely to diminish.

My amount of trash wasn't that high, but I received an award (Special Award) for the first time! (Thank you). The top scorers apparently targeted the area around Maruyama-cho strategically to collect many high-point plastic bottles, cans, and glass bottles.

▶︎ Summary

How was it? Starting at 9:00 AM made for a meaningful day, and by participating in SpoGOMI, both my heart and the city were cleansed. Also, especially for children, since they can pick up trash while having fun, I think they can make trash pickup a habit through experience rather than just being told about it. My child has been participating while saying, "I wonder if I can get first place today," so receiving a "Special Award" will lead to future motivation and was a really great experience!

▶︎ Today's Breakfast