The above photo is attributed to www.en.wikipedia.org
Tokyo is the cleanest big city I have ever been to. By far. This may seem obvious, but it is also a conundrum, as it is also the hardest place in the world to find a rubbish bin!!! I have spent hours walking around with my empty Starbucks coffee cup in hand looking for somewhere to (ethically) deposit it. My first time in Japan I was totally bewildered. My kids and I would find ourselves in the middle of Shinjuku, asking ourselves…WHY???? Why is it so difficult to find a bin.
When you do find a bin, it is usually a bank of them, with several different recycling choices. Rubbish disposal, like everything else in Japan, is very efficient. Train stations are usually the best place to find them. I have never found one in a Daimaru or a Takashimaya? Unless there is a cafe within the building.
It took me going back a second time to Japan to realise that there are no random bins around the place, as it is considered pretty rude to walk and eat, and eating on trains (unless it is Shinkansen) is forbidden. When you order take away, even from Starbucks, everything is packaged, in a box or holder then in to a carry bag. This struck me as overkill when I first saw it, but then the expectation is, if you are having takeaway, you are taking it SOMEWHERE to enjoy it. That somewhere is not loitering in the streets or on the train platform.
So, my suggestion is, eat in or don’t reject the carry bag, as you will need it to carry your rubbish around in!!
