Governor Koike Attends Trash-Picking Event

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko attended the opening ceremony for a trash-picking competition in downtown Tokyo on June 6, 2026.

The event, which was held in and around the Ginza district, was organized by Rotary International District 2750 and designated as SPOGOMI@ROTARY_2750. Spo stands for sport and “gomi” means trash in Japanese.

“The innovative approach of ‘SPOGOMI’ is to combine litter cleanup activities with sports, with the aim of encouraging as many people as possible to participate in efforts to reduce littering,” Governor Koike told the ceremony at Tokyo Innovation Base. According to the organizers’ website, the first competition of Japan-originated SPOGOMI was held in 2008, and the sport has been gaining popularity around the world.

“To maintain a clean and comfortable Tokyo, the Metropolitan Government is promoting the ‘Tokyo Cleanup Movement’ under the slogan ‘Keep Tokyo Clean,’ encouraging residents and tourists alike to participate in the beautification efforts,” the governor added. “Let’s seize on this event to deepen our understanding of community beautification efforts and work together to keep the streets of Tokyo clean.”