Garbage day

Ok, so garbage is an even stranger topic than toilets. But just as important if you think about it. And considering today was the first time I managed to get rid of mine since I moved into the apartment, I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

Like many things here, this is no simple process. For starters, you go to the grocery store and buy special garbage bags. Not like the giant black ones at home that you buy simply because they’re large and near-indestructible. No, these are smaller and colored highlighter green (yes, I checked - it’s an exact color match) and you buy them because if you put your garbage out in anything else, they won’t take it. Note that there are also highlighter yellow bags on the same shelf at the store – those are for recycled cans and bottles.

Ok, so far so good. I have my bright green baggie of garbage, now what do I do with it? I’ve never lived in an apartment complex without a dumpster, but unless the Japanese have dumpster cozies that look like
motorcycles, there’s nothing here. When I asked, I was told that there are collection points along the street (not at every house like at home), and that I was to put the bag in front of the fish market on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ok. But I really couldn’t see running across the street, dumping my fluorescent green bag on the sidewalk in front of a perfectly respectable shop, and then running away. They already think I’m weird enough here.

So I went out last Thursday night looking for piles of bright green. I mean, how hard can this be to find? But nothing. At this point, I’d only been in the apartment for 2 days – I wasn’t too worried. So Monday night I go out again. Nothing. I get the bright idea to try Tuesday morning early – maybe people don’t put their garbage out the night before. Still nothing. At this point, I’m getting worried, but I figure I can make it till Friday. So I give up and ask again. And get the same answer.

Repeat the exercise again Thursday night. With the same depressing results. At this point, the importance of garbage collection is starting to make itself very clear. This morning, I happened to wake up late and ran out in a panic, convinced that the garbage men came at some wee hour in the morning and I missed them again. I need not have bothered. I was actually late enough that people were awake and cheerfully piling up green baggies on the sidewalk. I keep forgetting that 8am is REALLY early for most people over here.

So the garbage is finally gone. Picked up by a baby garbage truck driven by two grandmas in aprons and straw hats. I might go out next Tuesday to try to get a picture of that.