Akita Prefecture works actively on environmental protection. For over 20 years, its staff have done cleanups, and it runs lectures and hands-on programs on the environment, such as the Environment Akita Citizens' School. We spoke with Miura of the Global Warming Countermeasures Division, Akita Prefecture, about why the prefecture adopted the Pirika for Governments visualization page, and about the thoughts and passion for litter picking behind it.

1. Before the visualization page: 22 years of staff cleanups, with about 5,000 staff joining each year

We hear you held regular cleanups even before the visualization page.

Our staff do a cleanup once a month. On the last Wednesday, they clean around their offices on the way to work or before work starts. We also ask groups and companies that do cleanups in the prefecture to "clean up in your own places." We started in 2001, and this is the 22nd year. Each year, a total of about 5,000 staff take part.

The staff cleanup is part of a wider aim: to take an active part in local activities, such as sports and snow-clearing volunteering, and to "contribute to the community, not only through our work as prefectural staff."

What cleanup months or days do residents take part in?

April is our Clean-Up Month, and 70,000 to 80,000 people take part each year. Many other prefectures choose June, Japan's Environment Month. But in Akita, April is the best time, because the winter snow melts and litter becomes easy to see. The third Sunday of April is "Akita Beautiful Sunday," a special cleanup day.

2. Litter picking shows clear results and anyone can do it: a doorway to thinking about environmental problems

Why did you adopt the visualization page?

There are two reasons. One is to get more young people involved in environmental activities. The other is that it is the best way to make these activities fun.

On the first point, most people who take part in environmental activities in Akita are in their 60s and 70s. For example, people who finish the "Environment Akita Citizens' School" program are certified as "Akita Eco Meisters" and become leaders of local environmental activities. Most Meisters are in their 60s and 70s. We wanted more people in younger age groups to take part.

On the second point, Akita values the idea of "omoheguneba tsuzugane," which means "if it isn't fun, it won't last" in the Akita dialect. For example, an NPO that has cleaned up the Omono River for 20 years added some fun: "Pick up litter, and you can ride a canoe." This brought in many more participants. The prefecture's "Aki-Eco Dondon Project" also added fun to environmental activities: you collect points for eco actions and may win prizes. We felt Pirika was the best way to bring this "omoheguneba tsuzugane" spirit to cleanups too.

You are in the Global Warming Countermeasures Division. Why do you promote litter picking?

We hope litter picking, where you can see the results, can be a doorway. It can give residents a chance to think more deeply about other environmental problems, such as global warming. Global warming is the most discussed environmental problem today, and Japan has declared it will reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Akita Prefecture has also made a carbon neutral declaration and promotes renewable energy and forest conservation. But many people may not know what they can do as individuals. For example, you cannot see carbon dioxide, and in daily life you cannot tell whether it goes up or down. With litter picking, you can see that a place has become clean. We felt it is the best doorway to environmental action for individuals. With Pirika, both people who pick up litter and people who cheer them on can take part as individuals. We hope this will lead them to think about other environmental problems.

Was it hard to introduce the visualization page as the Global Warming Countermeasures Division?

Not really. Despite its name, our division has always had a role in raising awareness of environmental issues in general. Also, the Pirika App and the visualization page fit the trend toward digital tools, so they were easy to adopt.

3. "Picking up is not the only way to help": friendly exchanges on social media make litter picking more fun

Have residents reacted to the visualization page?

Residents thanked us for introducing it. One even asked, "Could I have some Pirika posters? I want to tell more people about it." After we introduced litter picking with the Pirika App to university students, an environmental club at that university began posting its cleanups on Pirika. So we also met our goal of getting young people involved.

Also, the timeline on the Pirika App shows residents enjoying litter picking.

Have posts on the Pirika App made communication about litter picking more active?

Yes. On the Pirika App, people share not only litter but also photos of the scenery where they found it, and their hobbies before or after picking. I feel this makes communication more active.

For example, one post showed sake and snacks along with the litter: "I had a drink, then went litter picking." It got lively with comments about Japanese sake and sashimi. Another user picked up litter at a tourist spot, and the scenery photo got many reactions. You can tell both posters and viewers are having fun. This kind of light, friendly exchange is unique to social media. It may not happen in face-to-face conversation.

Sending a "thank you" or a comment on a litter-picking post to cheer someone on also plays a very important role. I keep in mind that "picking up is not the only way to help. Saying thank you is the same as picking up litter together." So I also comment on residents' posts from my personal account.

4. Next steps

What are you doing now to promote litter picking with the Pirika App?

We reach out to companies, work with the media, and make awareness videos.

We want people to know that companies pick up litter as a social activity. So when we see companies or groups doing cleanups in the newspaper or elsewhere, we invite them one by one to post on the Pirika App.

In autumn 2021, Akita Broadcasting System (ABS) ran a "Cleanup Caravan" using the Pirika App as part of its SDGs Week. I also appeared on ABS radio about twice to introduce Pirika.

Last year we made an awareness video with manga artist Go Ohinata, "Stop Global Warming Akita: Akita's Future Made with COOL CHOICE." It also introduces litter picking with the Pirika App.

More Pirika users means more people picking up litter. So through the visualization page and the video, we want more people in Akita to become interested in Pirika or start using it.

What kind of society do you want to build with the Pirika App?

With the Pirika App, we want a world where people do not only hold big group cleanups, but also quickly pick up litter when they see it. Do you know that major leaguer Shohei Ohtani often picks up litter during games? It was shared on Twitter and other media in the U.S. When I saw it, I thought, "This is exactly the kind of litter picking I had in mind!" Group cleanups are important too. But I want to spread the habit of quietly picking up litter whenever you see it, whether during a game or while walking in town.

For that, I think it is important to feel that "people live in a house called Earth." If you see litter in your house, you pick it up and put it in the bin. At home, no one would throw litter on the floor. So why is it different in town? I think that is the heart of litter picking. I want to spread the feeling that the town is also part of the big house called Earth, so that people pick up litter naturally.

Promoting cleanups with the idea of "picking up litter in our house, Earth" is also a way of thinking about how we build our towns. Because of COVID-19, society has shifted from group activities to individual ones. With this in mind, we want to use the Pirika App and the visualization page to make Akita a place where people casually pick up litter on their own.

Akita Eco Meister (Japanese)

Aki-Eco Dondon Project (Japanese) 

Cleanup Caravan (Japanese)

"Stop Global Warming Akita: Akita's Future Made with COOL CHOICE" (Japanese)

Akita Prefecture visualization page: here

More about Pirika for Governments: here