Japanese family spotted ‘talking cheerfully’ while picking up litter near Tiong Bahru Plaza

Japanese family seen picking up litter near Tiong Bahru Plaza bus stop

On Saturday morning (14 Dec), a Japanese family of three — a mother and her two children — were seen picking up litter along the walkway near Tiong Bahru Plaza (TBP).

Their kind act was noticed by Alex C., a 46-year-old regional auditor, who shared the encounter on the Tiong Bahru Social Page on Facebook.

In response to MS News’ queries, Mr Alex, a resident of the Tiong Bahru estate, said that the incident took place around 9.15am.

He was in the area buying breakfast when he spotted the family standing along the path leading to the bus stop, facing the main road.

Curious, Mr Alex observed one of the children picking up trash scattered on the ground and soon realised the family wasn’t just passing through — they were actively cleaning up the walkway.

“I recognised their language as they were talking cheerfully while picking up the litter,” Mr Alex recalled, adding that although he didn’t know the family personally, they were “obviously not local”.

“We [locals] are either littering or wearing CWO (corrective work order) vests,” he joked.

Not the first act of kindness

According to Mr Alex, this isn’t the first time he has seen Japanese families cleaning up in the Tiong Bahru area, noting that it was “probably the second or third time”.

Initially, he wondered if the family was part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, but he didn’t see any other volunteers nearby.

Mr Alex speculated that their actions might be inspired by SpoGomi, a global Japanese movement where participants pick up litter in a competitive, game-like setting.

Regardless of their motivation, Mr Alex admired their initiative.

“Visitors to our country are doing more than what is expected of them,” he said.

Uses incident to teach kids about responsibility

Mr Alex told MS News that the pathway near the bus stop is often littered with trash and cigarette butts.

Seeing the family clean it up reminded him of the importance of personal responsibility.

“I felt the need to highlight the difference in culture and social responsibility,” he said.

Inspired by the sight, Mr Alex shared the incident with his own children, encouraging them to be “responsible citizens and not to litter in public spaces”.

“We can be better neighbours and citizens,” he concluded, expressing his hope that others will also be inspired by the family’s actions.

Also read: Japanese Man Picks Litter At Tiong Bahru, Says He Wants To Help Keep S’pore Clean & Green

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Featured image courtesy of Alex C and adapted from Google Maps.