UmiGome (Mii), a group challenging marine litter reduction, held an interactive event in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, with support from the Nippon Foundation and a donation from Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.
issue design Press release: September 10, 2025 Umigome (Mii), a group challenging marine litter reduction, held an interactive event in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, with support from the Nippon Foundation and a donation from Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd. Umigome is a project that aims to tackle the social structure that produces marine litter by visualizing the small egos hidden within each individual and the darkness of Japanese society. An exhibition event and donation ceremony will be held at Ario Kawaguchi on October 4th.
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participation by people of all ages, it may contain difficult words. Please join us and have fun interacting with your children and friends. ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ To make a reservation to attend or apply for a workshop, please contact here ========================= 《 content１ 》Umigome Planet Exhibition
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-cb7b03dd94ce430ac26bcd52e1a1fe50-1704×644.png The unique “Umigome” (sea litter) are the embodiment of our inner feelings that lead to waste. In the year 2XXX, Earth became
overflowing with garbage and was dubbed the “Garbage Planet.” Earth, once a beautiful, blue planet, has become a place where it’s difficult to obtain food or drinking water. The troubled people met together and formed an expedition team to search for a new planet. They left some of their friends behind on Earth and set off into space. 100 years, 200 years, 300 years… After many years, the expedition team finally found a planet that looked like it could be habitable for humans. But what will they see when they land on that planet…?! ~ Three missions participants will undertake ~
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-5c92994d1b31df45924f89432fbae48c-827×827.png “Mission 1: Investigate the Planet!” Explore the planet as an investigator and uncover the ecology of sea urchins.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-501ad5887b73eeb76c3ae62af71ba544-827×827.png “Mission 2: Capture the Sea Rice Ball!” Draw the Sea Rice Ball inside you.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-89c8701745345627871147edc1b7242f-827×827.png “Mission 3: Seal the Sea Goblin!” Obtain the sealing item and say goodbye to the Sea Goblin. 《 Content 2 》Special Workshop “Learn about marine debris and make sea litter from ocean plastic!”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-40afc118fd751f43a46edcf0355ff3ed-1788×686.png Time: 13:00-14:30 (1 hour and a half) Application: Reservation required (limited to the first 15 groups, or approximately 30 people) Target audience: Parents and children interested in marine debris, and adults aged high school and above *The workshop content is designed for fourth graders and above. Please apply with this in mind. Contents: 1:00 PM Welcome Talk & Donation Ceremony (30 minutes) * Event sponsors Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd. and The Nippon Foundation will give opening remarks and introduce their activities. 1:30 PM Umigome Workshop & Talk (40 minutes) *This is a session to think about and learn about marine debris through everyday trash. 14:10 Making Marine Plastic Seaweed (20 minutes) *We will create our own original seaweed using marine plastic. 2:30 PM Group photo shoot ends Note: It will take about an hour for your artwork to dry (please collect it by 4:00 PM after the event). For public relations purposes, photos will be taken and posted on social media. Thank you for your understanding. 《 Content 3 》Mini Workshop Time: 10:00-12:00 Time Required:
Approximately 20-30 minutes of production time (individuals will work on their own) Application: No reservations required, first-come, first-served, accepted at any time (approximately 20 sets will be available) Target audience: People interested in marine debris and marine education Content: Create an original Umigome using marine plastic Note: This project will take place after viewing the Umigome Planet Exhibition If you are unable to create the work alone, please have someone help you. It will take about an hour for your work to dry (please pick it up by 4:00 PM after the event).
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ To make a reservation to attend or apply for a workshop, please visit here =========================
──────────────────── About the Umigome Project ────────────────────
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-a34b179cedba91de322afe6c3fa3200b-1098×1196.png Organizer/Planner | issue design This social design project, launched in 2008, has the motto, “Bringing citizens’ creativity to social challenges.” Citizens, government agencies, and businesses participate in the project, using the beauty and empathy of design to tackle social challenges facing local communities, Japan, and the world. She is currently working on a number of design projects that tackle local issues with diverse approaches in collaboration with government and businesses, including the “Dekiru Bib” which supports volunteers in the Great East Japan Earthquake, the “Parent and Child Health Handbook” which supports pregnancy, childbirth and childcare, the “Community Travel Guide” which is a travel guidebook for enjoying meeting people, the “Kochi Prefecture Sagawa Town Comprehensive Plan Created by Everyone” which envisions the future of the community together with 300 residents, and “How to Walk in a Dementia World” which visualizes the world in which people with dementia live. https://issueplusdesign.jp/ Donation | Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd. Ito-Yokado has responded to various changes in the social environment by providing valuable products and services, striving to realize a rich and convenient lifestyle. At the same time, social issues such as various environmental problems and external diseconomies have become apparent, and solving these issues is an urgent priority for the sustainable development of society. Based on this recognition of the current situation, all employees will work together to further reduce the environmental impact throughout our nationwide store network and supply chain and pass on a rich global environment to future generations. https://www.itoyokado.co.jp/company/iycsr/vision/ Cooperation & Support | The Nippon Foundation Ocean and Japan Project ~ CHANGE FOR THE BLUE ~ This project, promoted by the Nippon Foundation’s Ocean and Japan Project, aims to encourage every citizen to take the issue of marine litter personally and raise societal awareness of the need to “stop dumping more litter into the ocean.” The project unites the entire nation of Japan in a strong
determination to protect the ocean’s richness and stop dumping litter into it, increasing the number of people interested in the ocean and realizing the challenge of changing the future of the ocean. https://uminohi.jp/umigomi/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20948/65/20948-65-573a6399a866ee01a8a1b1e176375090-1598×566.png ────────────────────── Inquiry ────────────────────── Issue Plus Design Office Email: info@issueplusdesign.jp (Contact: Shiraki) For more information about this release Press release attachments
