Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, has a population of about 137,000. It is the gateway of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, directly linked to the Tokyo metropolitan area, and many people visit for its large shopping facilities and tourist events. It also has a rich natural environment, including the Banzu tidal flat, and promotes "organic" town building in which people and nature live in harmony.
Because people and nature gather here, the city must deal with littering and illegal dumping. In Kisarazu, a staff member of the Town Beautification Unit, Living Environment Division, Environment Department, handles town beautification.
We asked about the city's work using the Pirika for Governments visualization page.

1. Making cleanups more active

-- What was the background to adopting it?

Many people come and go in Kisarazu because of the Aqua-Line. The other side of that convenience is more littering and illegal dumping, so we had to treat environmental measures as important in order to protect rich nature such as the tidal flats. Against this background, I think the main reason was our policy that, besides the city taking preventive measures, we should also make local cleanups more active.

2. It started with asking: what are the benefits?

-- How did you feel when you took over from your predecessor?

At first I did not really understand how effective Pirika was or how to use it. About six months after I took over, more residents and businesses began to use the Pirika App and cleanup events became more active, and I gradually felt the benefits. Cleanup events and the number of registered users have grown, and I get the impression that things are changing, especially in urban and residential areas such as the Hatorino and Kaneda districts.

3. Visualization has also changed the work of staff

-- Where do you see the effect of the Pirika App?

First, photos are posted, so I can see what is happening, which is very helpful. Places such as roadsides along expressways, the coast, forest roads and areas under development tend to see illegal dumping, but there are residents who clean them almost every week. The city has not asked them to; they do it on their own. Without going to look, I can see how much litter they picked up that day. I am also very grateful to everyone who helps us day after day.

There are more regular posters in the Pirika App. We can also see groups and individuals who keep cleaning a particular area. Their everyday efforts become visible, and I always look at the visualization page with a happy feeling.

I also feel the "ranking" feature on the visualization page is more than just ranking. It creates a healthy sense of friendly competition among residents and groups, which raises motivation.

On the visualization page, I check the spread of litter by looking at where there are many posts and where there are few. I talk with my supervisor and decide which areas to focus on this year. We hope for even a small improvement over last year.

It matters that we can discuss things while looking at data on where litter is heavy, not just by feel. We can now share "this is the trend," rather than a vague impression.

4. It started with making phone calls

-- We hear you put real effort into this after taking over.

At first I phoned 20 to 30 groups in the city. Some turned us down at first. I contacted many kinds of groups, not only in the environment field but also in welfare, commerce and industry, and education, and talked with them many times. As a result, we made no-littering signs with Kisarazu High School, and held joint litter-picking events with Chiba-bu and Seiwa University. Some things did not go well at first, but as we repeated them we built know-how, and more people now help without us asking.

The morning after the annual Kisarazu Port Festival, we hold a cleanup. In fiscal 2025, we announced it in the Pirika App, and as many as 213 volunteers came. What stands out is that many came on their own, with a simple wish to "make our town clean ourselves."
Next, we want to expand to partnerships with private companies and sports teams.

Another idea was to interview Pirika users and post the interviews on the city website. City explanations alone are hard to follow. I thought hearing from real users would do more to promote it and bring people in. The comments include "It is fun," "We feel united," and "We do it like a club activity." There is a feeling that everyone enjoys doing it together with the city.

5. Looking ahead to three years from now

-- What is your outlook?

Local government alone has limits, and we want to keep the town clean with the help of residents and businesses.
In Kisarazu, beautification first spread in the urban area and is now gradually reaching surrounding areas. We want the city, residents and businesses to work together and make local cleanups more active, and visualization works as the base for this. I think keeping a town clean is not a one-time effort but something we build up. It is important to start small and keep improving together, little by little.
In three years, we want to double the number of registered users while gradually spreading cleanups to the suburbs.

Kisarazu City visualization page: here

More about Pirika for Governments: here