20 “smart” trash bins that have automatic compression features and real-time monitoring of waste accumulations will be installed in Tokyo’s touristic Akihabara district that has been beset with littering.

According to Chiyoda Ward, there has been a noticeable amount of littering in Akihabara due to the increase in foreign tourists and other factors. Plastic bottles, empty cans and boxes with figurines have been found discarded.

The ward announced plans to install a total of 20 smart trash bins at 10 locations, primarily along the central street in Akihabara, which is known to be a pop culture paradise and a town packed with electronic retailers.

The bins have automatic compression features and real-time monitoring of waste accumulations features that allow more efficient collection operations.

The ward states this is the first nationwide initiative led by a local municipality to install such bins. It has allocated 74.38 million yen in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and aims to complete installation within the year.