Also held this year! 'Umigome' Interactive Litter Cleanup Program On-site Trial Campaign 2026, Recruitment Starts
issue+design has launched the 'Umigome' Interactive Litter Cleanup Program On-site Trial Campaign 2026, seeking partners. This program aims to address the social structures that generate waste and individual consciousness through litter cleanup.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 16:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 07:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 07:54 (23 min after Collected)
issue+design (Specified Non-profit Organization issue+design: Tokyo), which works to solve social issues through design, has begun recruiting partners for its interactive litter cleanup program 'Umigome'.
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▶︎ Apply here
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Marine litter, which never seems to decrease no matter how much is collected. Approximately 80% of marine litter is said to be plastic waste, etc., generated in cities and flowing into the sea via rivers. Behind this is the reality that we ourselves are not confronting what is happening in our society that generates "waste" itself.
Therefore, we organized and classified the fallen litter, and by identifying the "feelings" within each of us that generate waste, we discovered that there are 15 types of 'Umigome' connected to waste.
Currently discovered Umigome types
The 'Umigome' interactive litter cleanup program involves collecting litter found nearby, classifying and visualizing our society's "feelings connected to waste" that emerge from that litter, and confronting the social structure that generates marine litter. In this program, participants actually pick up nearby litter and deepen their learning with each other.
Using a workbook, participants classify the collected litter based on the feelings of the person who discarded it. They reflect on the circumstances in which the litter was found and consider why waste is generated. At the end of the workshop, each person expresses and performs a ritual to bid farewell to their own 'Umigome' (feelings connected to waste).
Last year, we held interactive workshops in 30 regions, 40 times, with 1,051 participants nationwide.
You can see how each session was held here.
This project is supported by a grant from the Nippon Foundation.
Application Guidelines
Target period: Programs to be held from May 2026 to March 2027
Required time: Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours (1 hour cleanup + 1 to 1.5 hours workshop)
Recruitment slots: Approximately 30 (first-come, first-served basis once holding is decided)
Format:
・If the number of participants is less than 5-15, the workshop will proceed online.
・If the number of participants is 15 or more, it will proceed in person (dates and locations are negotiable, online is also possible).
Recommended age for workshop: Elementary school 4th grade and above~
* Participation of those below the recommended age is also acceptable if they can sit and listen, or if they are accompanied by a parent/guardian who can provide support.
Cost: Free
* Organizers are requested to bear actual costs such as venue/equipment fees and waste disposal fees.
There are no costs for teaching materials, instructor travel/accommodation, or personnel expenses.
Target:
・Those considering holding Umigome programs themselves in the future.
・Those who want to take action to reduce marine litter.
・Those who want to update existing environmental learning or litter cleanup programs.
・Those who are creating opportunities to learn about marine litter independently.
Conditions:
・The organizer is responsible for the progress of the litter cleanup (it will be a regular litter cleanup).
・We ask the organizer to handle publicity and participant recruitment, participant support, waste disposal, and arrangement of venues and equipment.
・After completion, please submit a report on the event.
Anticipated holding scenes:
・Training sessions or study groups for litter cleanup organizations.
・As an addition to regularly conducted litter cleanup activities.
・Environmental learning, ocean learning classes.
・Self-study sessions for operating teams, etc.
Can be implemented in offices, wetlands, or cities!
=====================
▶︎ Apply here
=====================
Note: After applying, we will conduct an online explanation and interview. Please understand that our decision to accept or not accept may depend on the content of the interview, and apply accordingly.
Organizer/Planner | issue+design
A social design project that started in 2008 with the slogan "Citizen creativity for social issues." It challenges social issues faced by regions, Japan, and the world with the power of beauty and empathy that design possesses, involving citizens, government, and businesses. It has implemented numerous design projects to solve regional issues through diverse approaches, such as "Dekimasu Zekken" to support volunteers for the Great East Japan Earthquake, "Oyako Kenko Techo" to support pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, "Community Travel Guide" for enjoying encounters with people, "Kochi Prefecture Sagawa Town Comprehensive Plan" to envision the future of the region with 300 residents, and "Dementia World Walkthrough" to visualize the world in which people with dementia live, among others, in collaboration with government and businesses.
https://issueplusdesign.jp/
Grant | Nippon Foundation
Keywords:
=====================
▶︎ Apply here
=====================
Marine litter, which never seems to decrease no matter how much is collected. Approximately 80% of marine litter is said to be plastic waste, etc., generated in cities and flowing into the sea via rivers. Behind this is the reality that we ourselves are not confronting what is happening in our society that generates "waste" itself.
Therefore, we organized and classified the fallen litter, and by identifying the "feelings" within each of us that generate waste, we discovered that there are 15 types of 'Umigome' connected to waste.
Currently discovered Umigome types
The 'Umigome' interactive litter cleanup program involves collecting litter found nearby, classifying and visualizing our society's "feelings connected to waste" that emerge from that litter, and confronting the social structure that generates marine litter. In this program, participants actually pick up nearby litter and deepen their learning with each other.
Using a workbook, participants classify the collected litter based on the feelings of the person who discarded it. They reflect on the circumstances in which the litter was found and consider why waste is generated. At the end of the workshop, each person expresses and performs a ritual to bid farewell to their own 'Umigome' (feelings connected to waste).
Last year, we held interactive workshops in 30 regions, 40 times, with 1,051 participants nationwide.
You can see how each session was held here.
This project is supported by a grant from the Nippon Foundation.
Application Guidelines
Target period: Programs to be held from May 2026 to March 2027
Required time: Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours (1 hour cleanup + 1 to 1.5 hours workshop)
Recruitment slots: Approximately 30 (first-come, first-served basis once holding is decided)
Format:
・If the number of participants is less than 5-15, the workshop will proceed online.
・If the number of participants is 15 or more, it will proceed in person (dates and locations are negotiable, online is also possible).
Recommended age for workshop: Elementary school 4th grade and above~
* Participation of those below the recommended age is also acceptable if they can sit and listen, or if they are accompanied by a parent/guardian who can provide support.
Cost: Free
* Organizers are requested to bear actual costs such as venue/equipment fees and waste disposal fees.
There are no costs for teaching materials, instructor travel/accommodation, or personnel expenses.
Target:
・Those considering holding Umigome programs themselves in the future.
・Those who want to take action to reduce marine litter.
・Those who want to update existing environmental learning or litter cleanup programs.
・Those who are creating opportunities to learn about marine litter independently.
Conditions:
・The organizer is responsible for the progress of the litter cleanup (it will be a regular litter cleanup).
・We ask the organizer to handle publicity and participant recruitment, participant support, waste disposal, and arrangement of venues and equipment.
・After completion, please submit a report on the event.
Anticipated holding scenes:
・Training sessions or study groups for litter cleanup organizations.
・As an addition to regularly conducted litter cleanup activities.
・Environmental learning, ocean learning classes.
・Self-study sessions for operating teams, etc.
Can be implemented in offices, wetlands, or cities!
=====================
▶︎ Apply here
=====================
Note: After applying, we will conduct an online explanation and interview. Please understand that our decision to accept or not accept may depend on the content of the interview, and apply accordingly.
Organizer/Planner | issue+design
A social design project that started in 2008 with the slogan "Citizen creativity for social issues." It challenges social issues faced by regions, Japan, and the world with the power of beauty and empathy that design possesses, involving citizens, government, and businesses. It has implemented numerous design projects to solve regional issues through diverse approaches, such as "Dekimasu Zekken" to support volunteers for the Great East Japan Earthquake, "Oyako Kenko Techo" to support pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, "Community Travel Guide" for enjoying encounters with people, "Kochi Prefecture Sagawa Town Comprehensive Plan" to envision the future of the region with 300 residents, and "Dementia World Walkthrough" to visualize the world in which people with dementia live, among others, in collaboration with government and businesses.
https://issueplusdesign.jp/
Grant | Nippon Foundation
Keywords: