On Monday, June 1, third-year students in the IM Course participated in the annual beach clean-up activity at Hakoishi Beach as part of their community contribution activities.

Large amounts of marine debris drift ashore at Hakoishi Beach not only from within Japan but also from various parts of Asia. Although local residents continue to carry out regular clean-up efforts, the burden is by no means small. Through this activity, students learned about the current state of marine pollution and worked together with members of the local community to think about environmental conservation.

On the day of the activity, students collected many different types of trash, including large ropes, fishing nets, plastic bottles, and plastic containers. Some of the larger debris was too heavy for one person to carry alone, so the students cooperated with one another and worked together while encouraging each other throughout the activity.

As they walked along the beach picking up trash, many students realized that even coastlines that appear clean at first glance still contain a significant amount of waste, giving them a firsthand understanding of the seriousness of the marine debris problem.

After the activity, students shared comments such as, “I did not realize there was this much trash until I actually picked it up myself,” and “I now think about the issue of marine debris as something much closer to me.”

Through this hands-on experience, which could not be gained through classroom learning alone, students learned the importance of viewing environmental issues as their own responsibility and taking action. We hope that they will apply this experience to their future studies and community service activities.