Kanagawa Prefecture: Hakone Installs First 'Compressing' Smart Trash Cans 'SmaGO' at Hakone-machi Park
Hakone Town, Odakyu Hakone, and Forcetec have installed five 'SmaGO' IoT smart trash cans at Lake Ashi. Donated by Odakyu Hakone, these solar-powered bins compress waste to combat littering and improve collection efficiency.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 00:29 (487h 41m after Collected)
On March 24, 2026, Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture (Mayor: Hiroyuki Katsumata), Odakyu Hakone Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President: Hidehiro Mizukami; hereinafter "Odakyu Hakone"), and Forcetec Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yohei Takemura; hereinafter "Forcetec") installed and began operations of five units of the eco-friendly IoT smart trash can "SmaGO" at the Lake Ashi Hakone-machi Park, one of Hakone's representative tourist hubs. A ceremony attended by stakeholders was held on site on the same day. This initiative was realized in the form of Odakyu Hakone donating the SmaGO units to Hakone Town.
The newly installed SmaGO features a solar-powered function that automatically compresses waste to approximately one-fifth of its volume, as well as a function to notify operators of the accumulated volume, preventing trash overflow while enabling efficient collection.
This initiative aims to suppress trash overflow, maintain the scenery, and streamline collection operations in the Hakone area, which welcomes many visitors from Japan and abroad as one of Japan's leading tourist destinations, by replacing existing trash cans with SmaGO.
◾️Background of SmaGO Installation at Hakone-machi Park
The area around Lake Ashi is a transportation and tourism hub in the Hakone area, visited by more than 20 million tourists annually from home and abroad. It is known as the departure and arrival point for pirate ships and sightseeing boats, and the finish line for the Hakone Ekiden, making it one of the most iconic places in Hakone. On the other hand, especially during periods when visitors are concentrated, such as summer, trash often overflows from existing trash cans, creating issues in terms of scenery and the burden of collection work. Under these circumstances, this installation was realized through Odakyu Hakone donating the SmaGO units as part of its regional contribution.
Odakyu Hakone has deep ties with the region as a company responsible for tourist transportation in the Hakone area, operating the Hakone Tozan Railway, the Hakone Ropeway, and the Lake Ashi Hakone Pirate Ship. This donation was carried out as an initiative to contribute to the environmental improvement of a region it is closely connected with.
◾️About the Certificate of Appreciation Presentation and Unveiling Ceremony
On March 24, 2026, to commemorate this installation, a ceremony by stakeholders was held at the Hakone-machi Park. On the day, representatives from Hakone Town, Odakyu Hakone, and Forcetec attended. In addition to the unveiling of SmaGO, a certificate of appreciation was presented.
◾️About the Smart Trash Can SmaGO
SmaGO is an IoT smart trash can developed with consideration for the global environment, deployed by Forcetec. It operates on solar power and automatically compresses waste to about one-fifth...
The newly installed SmaGO features a solar-powered function that automatically compresses waste to approximately one-fifth of its volume, as well as a function to notify operators of the accumulated volume, preventing trash overflow while enabling efficient collection.
This initiative aims to suppress trash overflow, maintain the scenery, and streamline collection operations in the Hakone area, which welcomes many visitors from Japan and abroad as one of Japan's leading tourist destinations, by replacing existing trash cans with SmaGO.
◾️Background of SmaGO Installation at Hakone-machi Park
The area around Lake Ashi is a transportation and tourism hub in the Hakone area, visited by more than 20 million tourists annually from home and abroad. It is known as the departure and arrival point for pirate ships and sightseeing boats, and the finish line for the Hakone Ekiden, making it one of the most iconic places in Hakone. On the other hand, especially during periods when visitors are concentrated, such as summer, trash often overflows from existing trash cans, creating issues in terms of scenery and the burden of collection work. Under these circumstances, this installation was realized through Odakyu Hakone donating the SmaGO units as part of its regional contribution.
Odakyu Hakone has deep ties with the region as a company responsible for tourist transportation in the Hakone area, operating the Hakone Tozan Railway, the Hakone Ropeway, and the Lake Ashi Hakone Pirate Ship. This donation was carried out as an initiative to contribute to the environmental improvement of a region it is closely connected with.
◾️About the Certificate of Appreciation Presentation and Unveiling Ceremony
On March 24, 2026, to commemorate this installation, a ceremony by stakeholders was held at the Hakone-machi Park. On the day, representatives from Hakone Town, Odakyu Hakone, and Forcetec attended. In addition to the unveiling of SmaGO, a certificate of appreciation was presented.
◾️About the Smart Trash Can SmaGO
SmaGO is an IoT smart trash can developed with consideration for the global environment, deployed by Forcetec. It operates on solar power and automatically compresses waste to about one-fifth...