TOKYO -- The capital's Toshima Ward has launched measures to curb the illegal dumping of suitcases by raising awareness of reuse programs among travelers and forming partnerships with private companies.

According to the ward government, about 290 instances of abandoned suitcases were reported last fiscal year at garbage collection sites, on streets, in parks and elsewhere within its jurisdiction. Many more were also confirmed at hotels, private lodgings and in areas overseen by the Tokyo metropolitan or national governments. After collection, the ward must store the items for a certain period and also shoulder the disposal costs.

The abandoned suitcases are believed to be mostly left behind by foreign visitors. Many apparently upgrade to larger suitcases to carry souvenirs and goods purchased in Japan, leaving the old ones behind. Some travelers are even said to visit Japan planning to replace their luggage with high-quality Japanese-made suitcases.

On July 1, the ward government signed partnership agreements with two private companies involved in suitcase reuse as part of efforts to prevent illegal dumping. It has since promoted buyback and paid collection services, distributed multilingual leaflets urging people not to discard suitcases, and begun displaying warnings on large outdoor screens.

A ward official in charge of the matter said, "Many people seem to abandon suitcases because they do not know how to dispose of them properly. We hope this initiative will help reduce the number of such cases and encourage their reuse."

(Japanese original by Masakatsu Oka, Tokyo Bureau)