[Sea and Japan Project Public Relations Office] High school team “Sei! Sei! Sei!” won the “Spo GOMI World Cup 2025 Akita STAGE”! The amount of garbage picked up was 10.24kg
Sea and Japan Project Public Relations Office Press release: October 30, 2024 “Spo GOMI World Cup 2025 Akita STAGE” high school team “Sei! Sei! Sei!” wins! The amount of garbage picked up was 10.24 kg. ~To the All-Japan tournament to decide the Japanese representative~ Japan’s SPOGOMI WORLD CUP 2025 is planned, supervised, and supported by the Nippon Foundation (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Chairman: Yohei Sasagawa), and organized and operated by Social Sports Initiative (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Kenichi Umizuka). The qualifying tournament “Spo GOMI World Cup 2025 Akita STAGE” was held in Akita City on Saturday, October 26, 2024. A total of 28 teams and 84 people participated, and the “Sei! Sei! Sei!” team was chosen to represent Akita Prefecture. This team will advance to the “Spo GOMI World Cup 2025 Japan STAGE,” an all-Japan tournament to be held in Tokyo in September 2025 (scheduled), in which teams that have won the qualifying tournaments in 47 prefectures nationwide will participate. After that, we aim to participate in the “Spo GOMI World Cup 2025,” which is scheduled to be held in Japan in the fall of 2025 and will attract representatives from 30 countries around the world (including Japan). Official website: https://nf-spogomiwc.com/
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-a05171e91e2087731152534e55eef551-2048×1152.jpg SPOGOMI is an abbreviation for “Sports x Garbage Picking.” Teams of three people are formed to pick up trash within a designated area within a 60-minute time limit and compete for points given according to the amount and type of trash. It is a sport that originated in Japan. The SPO GOMI World Cup 2025 will promote the international dissemination of SPO GOMI, as well as create an opportunity from Japan for people of all countries and generations to participate in marine litter reduction activities. This project is being carried out as part of the Nippon Foundation’s “Ocean and Japan Project – CHANGE FOR THE BLUE,” with the aim of connecting this to a global movement. ■What is Sports GOMI? https://www.spogomi.or.jp/ Event overview ・Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024 ・Venue: Akita prefecture area Nakaichi area ・Number of participants: 3 people per team x 28 teams = 84 people ・Planning, support, and supervision: The Nippon Foundation ・ Tournament management/sponsor: General Incorporated Association Social Sports Initiative/(one company) Sea and Japan Project in Akita Prefecture ・Akita STAGE special support : Todenka Kogyo Co., Ltd. Toshoji Co., Ltd. The winner was Meio High School Baseball Club “Sei! Sei! Sei!” The total amount of garbage picked up was 10.24 kg! A total of 28 teams participated in the Akita STAGE, and 25 teams were made up of high school students, making it a competition that demonstrated the high level of interest that Akita high school students have in picking up trash. Among the participating teams will be the “Kaiji Yaro Kai” team, which won this year’s “Spo GOMI Koshien Akita Prefecture Tournament,” aiming for their second consecutive victory against Koshien. Other members of the Meio High School baseball team participated, with 57 members from 19 teams making the atmosphere of the venue their own even before picking up trash. After the garbage collection started, the “Keiji Yaro Kai” team collected garbage mainly in the restaurant area as planned in advance. Earn points by collecting 2.9kg of combustible garbage and 4.1kg of non-burnable garbage. Competing against this is the Meio High School baseball club’s “Sei! Sei! Sei!” team. They collected 4.4kg of bottles and cans, 0.29kg of cigarette butts, and 3.7kg of plastic bottles, far more than other teams, and earned a large amount of points. As a result, the “Sei! Sei! Sei!” team won with a total waste of 10.24 kg/2073 points, with a difference of 867 points over the runner-up team “Code Yaro Kai.” Good results are expected at the Sports GOMI World Cup 2025 Japan STAGE, which will be held in Tokyo in September 2025 (scheduled).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-c1a0196abfc006ffec5b8dc721fc91a7-1920×1080.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-081ab5693caebeb63085267e5fe5b962-2048×1152.jpg The total amount of garbage collected at STAGE in Akita Prefecture was 65.83 kg On the 263km coast of Akita Prefecture, marine debris washed ashore by the Tsushima Current from the opposite continent (overseas) and the southern part of the Sea of Japan in Honshu is washed ashore. Additionally, much of the garbage generated from inland sources tends to be land-based garbage that flows through the prefecture’s three major rivers. Last year, the heavy rains that hit the prefecture caused rivers flowing through Akita city to flood and a large amount of garbage overflowed into the city, but local
governments, companies, and organizations regularly pick up garbage around the opening and closing ceremony venue. No large, conspicuous debris was found. However, it was observed that garbage was scattered around the small streets and restaurant areas just off the main street, especially the streets where there were many restaurants that served alcohol. There is a lot of combustible garbage, as well as cigarette butts, bottles, and cans lying around, and I feel that people who have consumed alcohol may find it troublesome to throw it away in the garbage can or take it home with them, so they tend to throw it away on the spot. Ta. The actions of just one person can change the atmosphere and appearance of a city. We will continue to use the power of young people, mainly high school students, to show adults how to pick up trash.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-b4234c969c35b8ef8c9f9bf6bc853658-1920×1080.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-04769cae1efc13944b9b376f1ff19271-1920×1080.jpg Winning team “Sei! Sei! Sei!” Comment In preparation for the Japan STAGE in Tokyo, I want to be conscious of “picking up trash” and “not throwing away trash.” There was a lot of garbage lying around, and as more and more garbage gathered in the garbage bags, I felt happy that I was helping to keep the city clean. Picking up trash leaves behind a tangible number, so at Japan STAGE, I want to do my best to increase that number and contribute to society. Organization name: Social Sports Initiative General Incorporated Association URL: https://www.spogomi.or.jp/ Activities: Treating trash picking as a sport, and by picking up trash while sweating competitively, we aim to build a healthy body and make children and adults aware of the recycling habit of not throwing away trash, contributing to the creation of a clean and livable city. Our aim is to contribute to the development of the Japanese sports world by realizing the fusion of sports and the environment and by proposing new appeals of sports.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-dfa51a8e3a0ba271eaae7465a8b99c6e-632×260.png CHANGE FOR THE BLUE As part of the Nippon Foundation’s “Ocean and Japan Project,” the 2018 This is a project that has been underway since November. We will work with stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and the public to create a marine litter reduction model and disseminate it domestically and internationally. https://uminohi.jp/umigomi/ ■About the Nippon Foundation Pain, hope, and future together. Since its establishment in 1962 as the largest foundation in Japan, the Nippon Foundation has Children, people with disabilities, disasters, oceans, humanitarian aid, etc., transcending race and national borders. We are promoting activities in a wide range of fields using grants from boat race sales as a financial source. https://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/77920/3022/77920-3022-1addc6ab433b155871fef4f30dad23cc-289×259.png
