Trash

We have had our ups and downs with the trash here in Japan. When we first moved here about 25 years we lived in Shimane Prefecture in the town of Gotsu and we had to put out our burnable trash in clear plastic city bags. There was a place for our name so we learned how to write our name in Japanese and we used a marker to write our name. It was kind of weird because people were able to see what was in our trash but I guess trash is trash. We came home one day after trash pickup and there was our bag, all alone with a large red sticker on it that we couldn't read what it said but we soon realized our violation. Joanna had accidentally put a pasta sauce can in the burnable trash and they rejected it. We were so embarrassed because there was our bag, all alone in the street for everyone to see.

We then moved to Numazu and again we had to do the same thing here. One quirky thing was that on cans and bottle recycling day we had to line up the bottles according to color and have them neatly in rows. I remember having those small baby food bottles and bringing them to the place on the street where you line up the bottles where the community attendants were watching. I placed them nicely in a row on the ground and an older gentleman started yelling at me because the bottles had not been washed out completely. Yes, the had to be completely cleaned out. My limited Japanese didn't allow me to fully understand him but I just remember him continually gesturing and yelling so I finally cursed at him (I know, pretty bad) and took my bottles back and walked away. There were two ladies who were helping and they seemed sympathetic but didn't want to intervene in the conversation. I went back and told Joanna and washed out the bottles and headed back to the place and was ready to show the gentleman that I had washed the bottles and they should be acceptable. As I walked up, tense and ready for another tongue lashing, the man was standing next to the two ladies and his demeanor had completely changed and they all bowed and thanked me repeatedly. It seemed strange and the older gentleman was so nice that I knew something was up and he didn't say a word. As I left, I bowed to the three of them and the one lady gave me an extra bow and a smile and it was then that I knew what had happened. After the gentleman had given me my tongue lashing, the ladies must have given him one knowing that I was a foreigner trying to learn their customs. It was the way the lady smiled at me like, "We've got your back!" I never had a problem after that.

Fast forward to our second time living in Japan. We have lived in different places and the trash area and trash day vary between the community that you live in. One place had attendants there in the morning and you had to bring the trash out in the morning between 6 AM and 9 AM. Another place had no attendants and nobody seemed to care even though the bottles were still lined up nicely. Our current place has community people there from 5 PM to 7 PM to help you get your bottles in the right crates. Even the attendants vary because they are volunteers from the community and each one has a different idea of how things are supposed to be. I was once putting in bottles into a crate and the lady ran over and told me that I was supposed to lay them down flat. I had to take some of them out so I could do that. Other times they want the bottles standing so it just depends.

On my way to school when I am walking, I pass by a really nice gentleman who always tries to speak  to me in English and always greats me with a Good Morning and a small comment however...he is the trash Nazi. He stands with a clipboard and when people bring their trash then he marks them off and how many bags they have put in the trash container. I really like him but I can't imagine having to be that accountable, even with regular trash like burnables and plastics. He was gone for a few days and I was worried that something might have happened to him but sure enough, there he was a few days ago, checking off the trash.

I know it is hard to see him but...He's There!