Michinoku Coastal Trail Cleanup Activity
In October 2021, a cleanup event organized by Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited was held at seven locations along the Michinoku Coastal Trail in Aomori, Iwate, and Fukushima Prefectures.A total of 336 people—including employees, their families, affiliated businesses, and members of the general public—participated in the cleanup effort along the trail.
Here, we’ll share some highlights from the cleanup activity held in Soma City on Saturday, October 30.
Armed with trash bags and tongs, we picked up trash along the trail. At first, we walked through downtown Soma, where there was almost no trash—it was very clean.
Once we reached the embankment along the Udagawa River, the amount of trash suddenly increased; we even found lunch boxes, cans, and plastic bottles discarded inside plastic bags. Perhaps it’s difficult to litter in the city center, or maybe residents clean up regularly there, but trash had been dumped in areas away from the city, and by the time we were done, we had collected a considerable amount of it.
Not only did we clear the trash from the trail so people could enjoy a pleasant walk, but we were also delighted that both participants and passersby were able to learn about the Michinoku Coastal Trail.
This was the first time that businesses organized a simultaneous trail cleanup event across various locations along the Michinoku Coastal Trail within the same month. We also received cooperation from each municipality, including the provision of trash bags and trash collection.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone at Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Ltd. for organizing this event; to the representatives of each municipality for their cooperation; and to all the participants who helped pick up trash on the day of the event.
We have also received encouraging words from Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Ltd. expressing their desire to continue this initiative in the years to come. This activity truly underscores that the Michinoku Coastal Trail is a “path nurtured by everyone,” and we look forward to your continued support.
If you are interested in trail maintenance activities, such as cleanup efforts, please be sure to sign up for the “Michinoku Coastal Trail Maintenance Volunteers” mailing list to receive the latest information via email.
About Maintenance Volunteers