Toshima Ward targets fines for unstoppable "littering" of suitcases in Ikebukuro

On the 11th, Tokyo's Toshima Ward, which has been experiencing a number of illegal dumpings of suitcases in areas such as Ikebukuro Station, where hotels and private lodging are concentrated, announced plans to revise its ordinance prohibiting smoking and littering on the streets, and to make those who dump suitcases subject to fines. According to the ward, this is believed to be the first such initiative in the country.

According to the ward, approximately 290 abandoned suitcases were found on the streets in the ward in fiscal 2025. It is possible that travelers may have thrown away items they no longer needed after purchasing new items. Because the contents cannot be seen from the outside, 911 may be called as a suspicious item.

Under the current ordinance, littering includes plastic bottles, cans, and cigarette butts, and stipulates fines of up to 20,000 yen. The ordinance will be revised to include suitcases and prohibit littering. The plan is to focus on areas around Ikebukuro Station and Otsuka Station, and to impose fines of up to 20,000 yen on violators in those areas. The plan is to propose the revised bill at the ward assembly meeting in February next year, with the aim of having it come into force in April.

So far, the ward has distributed flyers in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean to stations and accommodation facilities within the ward, calling for people to stop illegally dumping suitcases. Measures have also been taken, such as a large-scale visual display around Ikebukuro Station calling for people not to leave the buildings unattended.