Thought up by all the students! Yokohama Nishi-ga-oka Elementary School hosts SPO-GOMI event to show gratitude to the community

The Nippon Foundation SPO-GOMI Federation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masanori Tamazawa; hereinafter "SPO-GOMI Federation"), which promotes the sport of competitive trash picking, supported the "Everyone Clean SPO-GOMI Tournament" held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. This event was organized by Class 2 of the 6th grade at Yokohama Municipal Nishi-ga-oka Elementary School in Kanagawa Prefecture, evolving from their local trash-picking activities conducted during integrated studies classes. This was the second time the event was held, and the students were able to handle everything from planning to operation on their own, making improvements based on reflections and insights from the previous event. By inviting local residents to join their teams, the students fostered interaction and made many discoveries through their unique perspective as elementary school students.

A SPO-GOMI tournament planned and operated by the whole class! Hosted by everyone at Yokohama Nishi-ga-oka Elementary School SPO-GOMI is a competition originating in Japan that combines traditional trash picking with sports elements, aiming to change awareness toward environmental action starting with "fun." The system of teams picking up trash within a time limit and competing for points based on the quantity and type of waste allows anyone of any age to participate easily, while also serving as an opportunity to notice the charms of the local area and environmental issues in daily life. It is spreading across the country among companies, municipalities, and schools, and is attracting attention as a venue for environmental education.

For the generation that will carry the future, encountering SPO-GOMI provides an opportunity to engage with fundamental questions about how to relate to the environment from an early stage, such as "Why shouldn't we litter?" and "What is the meaning of picking up trash in the community?" The experience of proactively engaging with the trash problem through the gateway of fun brings small changes to the students' daily actions and their perspective on the community, serving as a catalyst for fostering environmental awareness.

Making it easy to participate and fun. Lots of trial and error leads to success on the day In Class 2 of the 6th grade at Nishi-ga-oka Elementary School, students have been working on local trash picking during their integrated studies time. This "Everyone Clean SPO-GOMI Tournament" was held by developing that learning, with the students themselves taking charge of everything from planning to operation. During the preparation process, they exchanged ideas to make the tournament easier to participate in and more enjoyable, and they organized the rules and division of roles themselves. The second tournament, which was held in this way, was a success that fully utilized the students' proactive efforts.

Each team's personality shines through