By oceana 
Ishigaki Island is popular with divers. I think many people have the image of a clean beach, but did you know that there are actually places where garbage tends to wash ashore? Hidenori Tanaka (hereinafter referred to as Hide) of Jomon Kikaku LLC, a company that conducts tours, was unable to stay after witnessing this situation. He used to work at an IT company, but he moved to Ishigaki Island and became a fisherman.He wanted to do something about the marine debris he saw there, so he carried out beach cleans every day for over 1,000 consecutive days. On March 26th (Sunday), the 999th day, the day before the memorable 1000th day, Rohto Pharmaceutical’s sunscreen, which does not contain ingredients (*1) that may have a negative impact on corals, will be released.NEXTA®Nexta” will also cooperate to hold a beach clean event “NEXTA EARTHCLEAN 2023 in Ishigaki.” We report on an event that brought together about 30 people from companies with ocean-friendly feelings.
To Sakie Beach, where stranded garbage tends to accumulate
Unfortunately it was raining from the morning on this day. In the morningNEXTA®NextaThe organizer was planning to go to a remote island to clean the beach by SUP, but it was canceled due to bad wind direction. Fortunately, however, the rain stopped in the afternoon, and the 999th day of the beach clean organized by Mr. Hide, which was scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., went ahead.
The venue will be Sakie Beach. Located in the northwestern part of Ishigaki Island, this beach is also known as “Sakie Beach” or “Makigai Beach,” and is loved by locals. While it is a beautiful place where coral reefs spread out in the waters just off the beach and can be used as a diving spot, it is also a place where garbage tends to wash ashore. Some people were surprised to see so much trash when they arrived at the beach and started picking it up even before the start time.
Does picking up trash become fun? Teach the magic words before starting
At 1:00 p.m., we started with radio calisthenics as a warm-up exercise. While listening to Doraemon’s version of radio exercises, the mood was relaxed as they talked, saying things like, “No matter how many years pass, your body remembers it.” It will relax not only your body but also your mind.
Afterwards, orientation began before the beach clean started. Yoko Tamura and Yayoi Oshima of Sustainable Island Ishigaki, which carries out sustainable initiatives such as coral conservation on Ishigaki Island, said that it is important to improve water quality in order to preserve corals, and to do so, He talked about the importance of preventing harmful substances from entering the ocean and picking up trash. In addition, Mr. Katsunori Nakaya and Mr. Kanah Umeda of Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have proposed a sunscreen that does not contain ingredients (*1) that may have a negative impact on corals.NEXTA®Nexta” and the idea that through this activity, Ishigaki Island should convey a kind feeling of protecting the sea.
And Mr. Hide explained about beach clean. In addition to precautions and procedures, he also taught us the magic that will make beach cleaning even more fun. The idea is to work in pairs with strangers, one person picks up trash and puts it in a bag, and the other person calls out, “Nice clean!”
Collected two 2-ton trucks worth of garbage with “Nice Clean!”
Earth Cleaning finally began with strangers forming pairs. The time limit was 30 minutes, so everyone spread out and picked up trash. And you can hear chants of “Nice clean!” coming from all over the place.
In front of the collected garbage, Hide said, “The common feature of all the garbage I’ve picked up is that it’s floating. You can’t pick up things that have sunk in the ocean,” and “The garbage that flows out of Japan ends up in Hawaii and the Midway Islands. He also taught me that there are
Picking up trash is all about sorting it out
Several people have shared their impressions, and there is a sense of accomplishment, but this is where the real trouble begins. We have to separate them properly. Cans, bottles, Styrofoam, plastic… In addition, in order for the items to be collected, they must be placed along the road and must be carried back and forth over the slope from the beach to the road. Divide the roles and repeat the task of sorting and transporting.
They explained to me in advance, “You can tell which country it’s from by looking at the number at the beginning of the barcode.” At first, I was just checking “Which country?” but this is how much it is. Gradually, I no longer have the time to check it. Everyone present must have been happy when the pile of garbage disappeared and the sheet underneath was visible, and the end was in sight.
Separation and transportation are completed in about 40 minutes. Participants left the clean beach with refreshing smiles on their faces.
“Feeling kind to the sea” connecting Ishigaki Island to the world
The 999th day of Earth Cleaning ended successfully. Participants said, “I thought Ishigaki Island was full of clean beaches, so I was surprised,” “I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I collected the garbage and made it into a mountain,” and “It felt great to be able to clean the beach. Everyone who participated became positive and proactive.” I believe this event served as an opportunity to connect people and activities with a kind heart toward the ocean, and to create a larger movement. Furthermore, the plastic bottles and caps collected at Earth Clean will be upcycled, so they will enrich someone’s life again. And those who pick it up will no doubt feel kinder to the sea again.
Sponsored by NEXTA®
Manufactured and sold by Rohto Pharmaceutical,NEXTA®Nexta” was developed with the aim of supporting the creation of healthy skin for each individual and the well-being of society. It has an environmentally friendly formula design (*2), while also achieving high sunscreen effectiveness and ease of use. NEXTA®, which is kind to not only people but also the ocean, is now on sale at drugstores nationwide.
Nexta UV Milk, which is sold in limited quantities in the Okinawa area, does not use plastic in its packaging and is an environmentally friendly sunscreen. *1 Octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate), oxybenzone-3
*2 Does not use octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) and oxybenzone-3, which are regulated in some countries and regions
Jomon project
Nowadays, it is said that “If we continue to use the earth’s resources at our current standard of living, we will need two earths by 2030.” In order to preserve this beautiful earth for as long as possible, we need as many people as possible. Our mission is to create opportunities for people to reconsider their lifestyles, and we conduct projects related to tour planning and environmental protection.