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There’s a paradox that just about every foreign traveler notices when they come to Japan. There’s hardly any litter on the streets, but at the same time, there are hardly any trash cans.
“What does everyone do with their trash?” is a common question from first time visitors, and the answer is that most people carry it home with them, or, often, they simply don’t create “trash” until they get return home. Japan, in general, isn’t so big on eating and walking, so usually when people pick up food to go, they won’t be eating it until they get back to their office or home.
But things are different when you’re travelling, popping in and out of take-out fast food joints or convenience stores to keep yourself fueled during a full day of sightseeing (and really, in Japan the awesome convenience stores are a sightseeing destination unto themselves). Before long, you’re likely to have a half-dozen wrappers, boxes, or bags that held your snacks, but nowhere to throw them away. So here’s a solution to that problem that costs less than a buck.
While it’s not as internationally famous as Daiso, Can Do is yet another chain of 100 yen stores in Japan. The greatest thing we’ve found at Can Do in recent memory is this portable trash bag holder, which, like all items at Can Do, costs just 100 yen.
That incredibly low price gets you not only the compact holder that keeps everything nice and organized, but also a roll of 12 trash bags that you can easily pull out one at a time through the holder’s opening.
The holder is small enough that it’ll easily fit inside your tote bag, backpack, or whatever other travel bag you’re carrying with you while sightseeing. When you’ve got messy trash, simply peel off a trash bag, toss your garbage in it, tie it up, and carry it back to the hotel.
If you’re staying in Japan for an extended period of time, or simply expect your trip to be particularly messy, 36-bag refills (split between three rolls) are also just 100 yen.
Keeping one in your car, for example, is a much more elegant way to manage in-vehicle trash than simply having a couple of loose bags floating around the back seat.
So while there are no doubt plenty of place you want to go on your trip to Japan, make time to swing by Can Do too, to help keep yourself from getting stressed and Japan’s streets from getting dirty.
Related: Can Do location list
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© SoraNews24
9 Comments
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Gorramcowboy
Headline is complete misleading.
I've seen these things outside of Japan ages ago. Popular among dog owners to carry their poop bags while out walking their dogs attached to the handle part of the leash.
Luddite
More plastic to pollute. Not big nor clever.
Scrote
That depends very much on the street. Shopkeepers clean up outside their shops every day, but other streets contain plenty of rubbish. Many people here just throw their rubbish in the street.
Mike Wyckoff
Exactly right!
Are people that messy that they need a garbage bag to carry around with them? How about advising people to buy a bento box and do as the locals do, “not create trash”
Nicholas Poetker
I love Japan but trash here is a big problem.
I think this looks cool but like mentioned above its not new nor very clean, as we know people will fill their bags and randomly just put the whole bag down someplace out of sight.
I just got home from a 2 hour hike in the mountains and was once again reminded at how many people go up to the hills to dump trash.
I really wish there were more trash bins around the city and in parks. I have seen kids playing while eating snacks just showering the park with little plastic wrappers. There is a very low education on how to properly take your trash home. Thats why, given all the taxes we pay, we should have proper bins for public usage.
I live in the country side here so it might be different in the bigger cities but I can see trash flowing down the rivers and trapped in bushes everywhere.
Kobe White Bar Owner
They are biodegradable dog poo bag, which you can flush down the loo.
Fumi Tsubone
Today, Japanese 100 yen store is very popular with tourists. There are a wide range of products, such as the simple trash cans published in this article and origami of traditional Japanese patterns. Even though it is cheap, the quality products and the convenience of the large number of stores will be more popular from tourists in the future.
Andy
All the fairy tale romance talking points about Japan are just that, fairy tales. The people who actually believe this stuff either only know Japan from travel books or live in a bubble.
Big city Japan or small town Japan, there is trash tossed on the side of the road, stuffed in bicycle baskets, and stuffed into other various nooks and crannies.