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Adachi Ward passes ordinance to clean up garbage-filled houses

10 Comments

The Adachi Ward assembly has passed an ordinance to deal with the growing problem of “gomi yashiki” (houses that are filled with garbage or unused items), which are public eyesores and health menaces.

The new regulation, the first of its kind in Japan, gives the municipal office the authority to force residents to remove all the garbage. If they agree to dispose of their garbage but cannot afford the cost of removal, Adachi Ward would provide a maximum of 1 million yen for support, NTV reported.

If residents refuse to clean up their mess, the ward can forcibly dispose of the garbage.

The ward will also provide mental and health care services since many of the “gomi yashiki” owners are elderly or have some sort of mental disability, psychologists say.

"By cleaning up these homes, we can make our neighborhood a better place and people might decide to live there longer," a ward spokesman said when asked about the use of taxes to implement the regulation.

© Japan Today

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10 Comments
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@sakula

1st prize for writing the most (and only) positive comment so far.

@Volland

Can I assume you're some kind if Japanophile? Don't hold back, surely there's something in this country you don't like...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Adachi ward is on to something, but I wish not just all of Tokyo, but ALL of Japan would do this! Where is Hashimoto when we really need him??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Resurfaced I believe this humongous sum they are willing to offer has something to do with volland said in the post below yours. Garbage companies get contracts, dealed out to them by your local, thin-haired oyaji politician at the nearest kabakura... As you say, something like 50-100000 would be more than enough to clean out a dirty house, no? Maybe they should offer a mil to clean up Japanese politics instead...?

@volland Yep, Japan might be progressive when it comes to producing inanimate objects but in the human department they have a long way to go.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I have lived in several countries on almost all continents for years, yet I have never seen a garbage disposal system as insulting as in Japan. People spend their time sorting out the garbage, for one reason only, so companies can earn more money in a recycle business. Extra garbage has to be brought to certain places and paid for extra. No wonder people instead store big items like old TVs, fridges, washing machines or computers on their property instead of wasting more money. If you buiy any of those mentioned items in Europe, you will be charged 200 or 500 yen extra when you buy it, but that means that the company that sold it will have to take it back, when you want to discard it. When you walk around here and really look you can see garbage all over the place, in rivers, forest, fields....

But given politics and in particular given japan's politicians, its no wonder that they are unable to change anything about it here. It would mean that there is something in Japan that is not better than in the rest of the world! The most incredible stupidity is the lack of garbage cans by the side of the road. And the reason for this is simple: they cost money. Not just to put them there, but also to empty them regular. But that would mean the end of all japanese culture if the taxes the people here pay would be used for THEM, instead of using them for the amakudari and the likes....

Hwo backward and third world this country really is can ve read in another jaopanese newspaper:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20121025a4.html

Japan falls to 101st place in gender equality rankings GENEVA — Japan came 101st in the World Economic Forum's 2012 global gender equality rankings announced Wednesday, down three places from last year.Japan was at the bottom among the Group of Eight major countries.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

My question is, if the government can assist in a one million yen hand out to clean their mess then that means the governments money issue is solved. Why does the public have to pay for this? One million yen? that's is an outrage!!! maybe about 100,000 yen tops should be enough. The government officials have too much time on their hands, their hands on our cash, our cash in their pockets.... this should be refrained some how.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If they are uninhabited, why not just rent it out for some extra cash!? Why let it go to waste.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hoarding is a worldwide phenomenon.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Something tells me hoarding has yet to be recognized as a real psychological problem here in Japan...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

And high time so, too! If these people want to live in flith fine, but if they are endangering the neighbourhood with their rodent-infested firetraps, it becomes an issue for the community.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Good for them! I hope that they are able to help those who need it and get neighbourhoods cleaned up.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

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