Trash Duty

So the trash system operates a little differently here in Japan, and I just wanted to explain how it worked. Trash is divided into three categories, and is sorted by the individual who is throwing away the trash. The categories are: combustible (burnable - consisting of food waste, etc.), uncombustible (or non-burnable - consisting of glass, plastics), and recyclable (paper). Japan is incredibly cleanly, with little trash found anywhere. The mystery of all this lies in the fact that trash cans can rarely be found in public. Turns out that most of them were taken away after 9/11 for fear of trash can bombs. In return for this safety, people carry their trash with them.

At the beginning of the semester, we drew lots to see who would take out the trash (since each has its own day, and burnable goes out twice, there are four trash days during the week). Lucky me, I got bathroom duty. At least this gives me an excuse to put up a picture of our toilet:

Notice the ingenuity of the Japanese in the faucet on top of the tank, so that when you flush you can rinse off your hands without using excess water.