*This article is a translated and edited version of a story originally published in January 2026 on “Green Hub in Asia,” a platform managed by the City of Yokohama’s International Affairs Bureau. It was produced by Harch Inc., the...
SATO Corporation and Re-Tem Corporation have partnered with Chiba City to launch a resource circulation model for lithium ion batteries using IoT technology. It commenced earlier this month, deploying smart collection boxes designed to recover small...
Why are there vending machines literally on every corner of Japan, and yet so little litter? The difference can be jarring when you see vending machines almost everywhere, and realise the surprising absence of rubbish bins. Some tourists find...
Japan’s 2026 policy calendar is planning tighter controls on waste in terms of information, while providing stronger incentives and obligations for circular design and recycling. With multiple commitments coming from various cities, like...
Daiei Kankyo has commenced demonstration tests of a pioneering unmanned sorting plant for small electronic waste, a move set to advance the recovery of precious and rare metals while improving safety in the recycling sector. The new facility...
Six solar-powered SmaGO smart bins, created by Forcetec, Inc., have been installed at three prominent locations in Kyoto’s Arashiyama area as part of a joint public-private initiative to tackle litter and preserve the region’s scenic beauty. The...
Based on data from fiscal year 2016, the Ministry of the Environment announced that landfill sites in Japan may be exhausted by 2040. Currently, the recycling rate for general waste in Japan remains around 20%, ranking it 29th among the 34 OECD...
Unison Co., Ltd. has launched the “Circular Pave Project,” an ambitious initiative aimed at transforming discarded solar panels into a valuable resource in the construction industry. Japan faces a looming challenge: the anticipated mass...
Researchers from the Saitama Prefectural Institute of Industrial Technology have collaborated with the National University Corporation Toyama University, announcing the development of a new low-cost technology to extract magnesium alloy from used...
One of Japan’s iconic summer spectacles is its festivals, and in the Kansai region, two of the country’s three major festivals, the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka, hold special significance. The sense of unity and...