How clean is Japan?

[mdchachi]

I remember back in the days when I started living here that I was surprised to see no garbage bins on the streets. In Holland there are bins everywhere. You would think people would litter as there aren't any but it is they opposite as people don't really do it, but in Holland people do litter way more than here.

As the others have mentioned, it's hard to tell if there's less littering or if the people cleaning up after the a-holes are just more diligent. I think it's both. At Fujisawa/Enoshima they have a twice a year beach cleanup these days and get about 100 bags of trash out each time. And that's not including the marine debris.

If there is no soap do you just not wash your hands, or do you go to some place close by and use theirs?

In that situation, most people rinse with water and dry off with the handkerchief they keep with them for that purpose. But as Mike said, soap is commonly provided these days.

I was wondering, seeing as how Japan has industrial and is a small nation, does Japan have any smog problems?

Relative to the amount of people there, surprisingly little. Believe it or not, Japan sometimes gets smog that comes over all the way from China!

 

[Zuba]

Well even if there is just as much litter at least there are more people trying to clean it up. So that is plus I suppose.
Wow smog makes it all the way to Japan from China. That is surprising.

 

[mdchachi]

Well even if there is just as much litter at least there are more people trying to clean it up. So that is plus I suppose.
Wow smog makes it all the way to Japan from China. That is surprising.

In case you don't believe me, see here.

 

[musicisgood]

In case you don't believe me, see here.

We also get the yellow sand from China which is just as bad. Cars are all yellow and yellow rain, but the smog does come all the way down to Yamaguchi and Kyushu , bad stuff I tell ya. Children don't go outside on them days.

 

[Zanoske]

I live less in NJ, less than 15 miles from NYC. Near me, when you really stop to look at most areas it's just straight disgusting here. There are a few towns that are exceptions, but they're generally pretty wealthy areas. So in NJ/NYC $$$ = cleaner streets.

I just got back from Japan less than a month ago. There is some littering to be sure, but I really only noticed it in a few areas (primarily in certain parts of Tokyo, like Shinjuku and some in Osaka, near Dotonburi-dori). However unlike NYC, there are plenty of areas in Tokyo that are pretty much spotless. I compare Shinjuku to the amount of trash/litter you'd expect to find in Times Square NYC. As you leave the major cities I saw even less trash/liter. While I was in Hakone I don't think I saw any at all!

So Japan as a whole is not entirely spotless and clean, but in comparison to NJ and NYC, it might as well be.