Aiming for a Clean and Comfortable Living Environment: From "Don't Know" to "Can Do" - Holding a Local Waste Separation Event with Foreign Residents

Village House Management Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryuhiko Iwamoto; hereinafter "Village House") held an event titled "Danchi de Clean Day ~Learning Waste Separation by Seeing and Doing~" to educate foreign residents on local waste separation rules at "Village House Ueno Hattori Daini" in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

This event was planned with the theme "From 'Don't Know' to 'Can Do'" as part of creating a clean and comfortable living environment, aiming to promote understanding and improve manners regarding waste separation, in response to the challenge that Japan's unique waste separation rules are difficult for foreign residents to understand. Sixty-four people, including Vietnamese residents living in "Village House Ueno Hattori and Ueno Hattori Daini," participated, learning separation rules through lectures and quizzes, and actually experiencing waste separation.

Participants eagerly listened to the explanation of waste separation rules using Iga City's designated garbage bags.

On the day of the event, explanations of separation rules using Iga City's designated garbage bags, introduction of an app to check separation rules, and demonstrations of waste oil disposal methods were provided, along with easy-to-understand explanations of separation points in a quiz format. By implementing enjoyable learning content, understanding of waste separation deepened. Afterward, multilingual signs at each property's waste station were checked, and residents were re-informed about waste collection times and usage rules, creating an opportunity for them to practice proper waste separation. After the event, banh mi and pho were served from a food truck, and participants immediately separated their waste correctly after eating.

At "Village House Ueno Hattori and Ueno Hattori Daini," more than half of the residents are foreigners. This event was held to ensure that foreign residents can live with peace of mind as members of the local community, by providing information in their native languages through lectures and promoting understanding of proper waste separation methods and interaction among residents.

Participants challenging waste separation at a waste station with multilingual displays.

Participants reported new learnings after receiving renewed explanations on waste separation.

"Until now, I didn't understand the detailed waste separation methods, but by participating in this event, I was able to understand the correct way to separate." (Vietnamese man)

"For Japanese people, commonplace waste disposal rules were something I learned for the first time. Since newly moved-in residents and foreigners often don't know the rules, I think this is a very good initiative to convey them in an easy-to-understand manner through such events." (Japanese woman)

Village House, with the desire for foreign residents living in Japan to live safely and securely, is implementing disaster prevention events and community events aimed at multicultural coexistence, as opportunities to learn necessary living information. This event on waste separation is the third of its kind, following events in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture in March 2026, and Kani City, Gifu Prefecture in April of the same year, and is planned to be expanded to managed properties nationwide in the future. We will continue our efforts to create an environment where all foreign residents can live with peace of mind as members of the local community.

Event Outline "Danchi de Clean Day ~Learning Waste Separation by Seeing and Doing~"

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Location: Village House Ueno Hattori Daini (2-21 Hattori-cho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture)

Participants: 64 people, including Vietnamese residents of Village House Ueno Hattori and Ueno Hattori Daini

Property Information: "Village House Ueno Hattori" Consists of 2 buildings, 80 units; 76 units (approx. 90 residents), of which approx. 82% are foreigners.

"Village House Ueno Hattori Daini" Consists of 2 buildings, 80 units; 69 units (approx. 120 residents), of which approx. 68% are foreigners.

Content: ① Explanation of waste separation rules ② Waste separation quiz, demonstration of waste oil disposal ③ Fun lunch from a food truck

Organizer: Village House Management Co., Ltd.

About Village House Management Co., Ltd. Village House Management Co., Ltd. is one of Japan's largest rental housing service companies, operating and managing 1,064 properties (2,960 buildings, 108,409 units) *1 across all 47 prefectures nationwide under the "Village House" brand. When the Employment Promotion Housing, managed by the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers, was sold to the private sector, Fortress Investment Group acquired them en masse, rebranded them as "Village House," renovated them, and began offering them as rental housing. By effectively utilizing existing buildings rather than rebuilding them and using them for a long time, the company achieves low rents and is the only private company to extensively provide affordable housing *2. With simple administrative procedures, it can be used by singles, families of all generations, as well as foreigners and corporate housing. The company aims to build a better living environment in Japan by maintaining continuous supply.

*1 As of April 2026