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GINZA Q&A

Why are the sidewalks on Ginza-dori St. always so clean?

　The sidewalks on Ginza-dori St. were paved with recycled granite paving stones that were no longer needed when the Toden Ginza Line was discontinued in 1967, but some parts have been replaced with new stones due to aging.
　The width of the sidewalk is 6.25 m. They are wide and lowering construction for easier vehicular entry is prohibited, so cars do not obstruct pedestrians and they provide a comfort and openness as a shopping street. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tokyo National Highway Office is requested to carry out routine road repair work.
　The sidewalks on Ginza-dori St. are kept clean by members of the Ginza Street Association. All along the street, you used to see people out early cleaning the sidewalk in front of their shops, but this is a rarer sight these days as larger buildings have been created to house multiple shops.
　Nowadays, the Ginza Street Association commissions specialty contractors that work 364 days a year (with a day off for New Year’s Day), once in the morning and once in the afternoon, to help the Association pick up litter from the sidewalk, flower beds, and tree belts and collect any uncollected cardboard boxes and leaflets or flyers posted on poles like traffic lights and streetlights.
　The morning cleaning starts at 9 a.m. Many shops in Ginza open at 10 or 11 a.m., and so the sidewalks must be made spick and span before then. Being a customer-centered neighborhood, it must be kept clean. In the afternoon when there are many customers, trash collection carts are pushed carefully so they do not get in the way.
　Ginza-wide sidewalk cleanings are also held once in the spring and once in the fall by about 1,000 members of the Ginza Street Association, together with national and prefectural road administrators. This makes the sidewalks even more comfortable and raises awareness among users about protecting the streets. Also, about 100 people from the Japan Chewing Gum Association clean gum off the sidewalks once a year.
　Safety and security warnings prohibiting signs on sidewalks, flyer distribution, leaving bicycles unattended, and riding bicycles also make the sidewalks look more beautiful, and your understanding and cooperation is appreciated.

(Ginza Street Association)