A middle-aged man walks through the Tokyo neighborhood of Higashi-Nippori at dawn, dropping bits of food for crows and cats to feed on, ensuring in the process that a mess is left in his wake.
Blocks away, the stench from a two-story house overflowing with what appears to be garbage is overpowering.
"We've been receiving many calls from residents complaining of the smell and filth," an Arakawa Ward official said when explaining why the ward has finally decided to take action against the chronically untidy. "We're not saying it's against the law to feed stray animals or save trash. It's just gone way too far," he said.