A brass band blares as a parade of teams march inside the main auditorium of the United Nations University in Shibuya. Cosplayers in bright wigs and superhero capes lead the procession, waving national flags to cheers from an international crowd.
It might easily be mistaken for a (small) Olympic opening ceremony were it not for the equipment the athletes are going to compete with — not balls or rackets but tongs and trash bags.
On Oct. 29, Tokyo hosted the second Spogomi World Cup, a global tournament that turns litter-picking into a competitive sport. A total of 33 teams from around the world gathered to test their speed, teamwork and environmental awareness in the birthplace of the movement. The event and competition, organized by the Nippon Foundation Spogomi Federation, occupied the UNU campus in Shibuya and several streets in the vicinity, where competitors combed sidewalks and alleys for debris invisible to the casual passerby.
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