Trash-talking Samurai

     
Image: Japan Times

Image: Japan Times

I came across this interesting story (dated: 20 Nov) on the Japan Times website. It’s about a nonprofit organization called the Osaka Armor Corps and their mission to purge the Osaka castle grounds of every cigarette butt & piece of garbage they can get their katana-like tongs on.

The volunteers have been on the job since 2003 and back in those days they would lug away a truckload of rubbish. Nowadays though, the 20-or-so Samurai garbologists are carting away only a couple of large garbage bags worth.

The man heading the charge is Kazumi Kawai, a part-time high school teacher, who also instructed his troop on how to make the their armour using cardboard strengthened with a special type of paint.

Not only are they doing a great job cleaning up one of Osaka’s great tourist attractions, but the tourists are loving it too, asking members of the Armor Corps to pose in photos.

Tags:

  • http://chaari.wordpress.com Toranosuke

    Awesome. Keeping things clean, and doing it in a manner commensurate with the atmosphere of the place.

  • http://www.poolofzen.com コルーズ・真秀

    That’s great. I was at Osaka Jo about 2 years ago. I don’t remember a bit of trash… Then again, I was always puzzled by the fact that there are no public trash cans….. and no litter. (at least in the cities).

    I was also surprised by the ‘tent’ or should I say ‘Blue Tarp’ homeless city at the foot of Osaka Castle. So much that I felt compelled to take a photograph. A very interesting site to see.

    These guys would be a fun to run across. I wonder if they ever have dramatic duels with their tongs,,,,

  • admin

    真秀 – It is ironic that what were once places for society’s elite are now places for society’s forgotten.

    I think you have given me an idea for a blog post!

  • http://www.poolofzen.com コルーズ・真秀

    I look forward to it,