Uchikura & Co., LLC

Why Japan’s Streets Are Clean — And It’s Not Because of the Government

 

I walked this morning starting around 8:00 a.m. from my hotel near Tokyo Station to Akihabara Station, two stations away. It was a little over two miles—about the same distance I usually walk every morning in Bellevue.

 

People often say, “Japan is clean.” And I agree.
But what I saw this morning reminded me that Japan isn’t clean because the city cleans it.

 

Along the way, before most commuters even appeared, people came out from buildings facing the street—shop owners, staff, maybe small business operators. They swept the sidewalk in front of their stores. Some were even washing the pavement with buckets of water. No city trucks. No uniforms. Just people quietly taking responsibility for the space in front of them.

 

I’m not saying every street in Japan is clean. That’s not true.
However, the streets people use every day—for walking, working, opening shops—are very, very clean.

 

When I reached Akihabara Station, there was no trash anywhere around the entrance. One of the busiest stations in Tokyo, yet spotless.

 

You cannot make a city clean by relying on the government alone.
Clean cities are built by people, not policies.