Garbage War Declaration Day

What Is Garbage War Declaration Day?

September 28th is "Garbage War Declaration Day," commemorating the day in 1971 when Tokyo Governor Ryokichi Minobe declared the "Tokyo Garbage War" before the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.

A Ward-Versus-Ward Standoff Over Waste

During Japan's period of rapid economic growth, Tokyo's surging volume of garbage had become a serious social problem. The declaration made on this day was a defining moment in that struggle.

• Date of declaration: September 28, 1971
• Declared by: Ryokichi Minobe, then Governor of Tokyo
• Background: Growing tension between Koto Ward, home to Tokyo's waste-processing facilities, and Suginami Ward, which sent its garbage there
• Significance: A historic moment when the Tokyo metropolitan government confronted the garbage crisis head-on

The Responsibility Urban Growth Forces Us to Face

The declaration pushed Tokyo to overhaul its waste-management system and shaped the city's waste policy for years afterward. It's a reminder that convenient urban living always comes with a question we can't avoid: what happens to what we throw away.

Ways to Mark the Day

• Learn about the Tokyo Garbage War and the social conditions of the time
• Check how garbage collection and recycling work in your own area
• Take a fresh look at how you sort and reduce your own waste
• Talk with people close to you about garbage and environmental issues

A City's Memory of Confronting Its Own Waste

Garbage War Declaration Day looks back at how serious Tokyo's garbage crisis became, and how the city rose to meet it. September 28th is a day to think again about the garbage that is such an inseparable part of our daily lives.