Awaji Island is surrounded by three straits.
From the north, there is the Akashi Strait between Kobe City and Awaji City, the Kitan Strait between Wakayama City in Wakayama Prefecture and Sumoto City, and the Naruto Strait between Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture and Minamiawaji City.Trash washes up in these straits due to the tides.
For this reason, a large-scale cleanup operation is carried out once a year (usually the first Sunday of November, this year the fourth Sunday of October).
Mainly members of the executive committee and volunteers pick up trash on the coast.
By protecting the environment and increasing its value as a tourist destination, the aim is to have the area registered as a World Heritage Site.
Since 2023, the Naruto City side of the Naruto Strait has also been participating as a Tokushima venue.
The owner of the store also cleaned up the beach near his school as part of an extracurricular class when he was in junior high school.
Back then, most of the items were pieces of rope used in aquaculture or empty cans, but in recent years, many are plastic bottles or items that connect to smartphones.
Here, too, I can feel the changing times.
I realized that volunteering is indeed an activity that enriches your life.
Finally, I was a little surprised by something that happened through this activity.
What do you think it was?
I'll answer next time.
#The image is taken from the website of the NPO Awaji Island Residents' Association for Making Whirlpools a World Heritage Site.