REPORT

The "NIPPON STAGE" event, held in Shinjuku, Tokyo, saw representative teams from all 47 prefectures gather and collect an impressive $712.57kg of trash in just 60 minutes.The winning team was "Smile Story" from Niigata Prefecture. Their overwhelming record of 78.24kg / 8,462.9 points earned them the title of Japan representative, advancing them to the World Cup on October 29th.The tournament truly embodied the appeal of "Sports Gomi-hiroi" (Competitive Trash Picking), with diverse teams engaging in fierce competition.

COMMENT

Motivated by the goal of "Smiles for a slightly cleaner future," Smile Story acts with a strong sense of mission for marine litter issues in their hometown, Niigata, and Japan. For them, SpoGOMI is a means to transform environmental challenges into accessible action and to raise public awareness. Embodying the spirit of "Litter picking is a sport!", their challenge spreads a positive environmental movement across generations and borders, making them a beacon of hope for a cleaner world.