Kamakura asks visitors not to eat while walking on the streets
The coastal city of Kamakura, in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture, has passed an ordinance asking visitors not to eat while walking. This seaside resort, situated around 50 kilometers from Tokyo, is famous for its giant Buddha statue.
While the city enjoys tourists and the excitement they have for the attractions, they tend to leave a lot of trash, especially related to food products. To combat this, the city issued an official ordinance in April that asks visitors to not eat and walk.
According to CNN, the city is concerned that food packaging left behind, along with the uneaten food itself, creates messes, smells and attracts unwanted animals. The city has posted this ordinance in public areas to inform tourists of its existence.
The city isn’t going to fine or cite people who violate the ordinance, but they hope that by bringing more awareness to the trash issue related to walking and eating, they can diminish the amount of litter in the destination.
Others point out that the ordinance relates to a cultural aspect of Japan. Many Japanese see it as bad manners to walk and eat as you should appreciate your food.
Kamakura isn’t the only city who has made an effort to deal with tourists and the trash problem associated with them eating in public. Florence has a ban on people eating on sidewalks, roadways and the steps of shops and houses and will issue a €500 ($581) fine for those who break that law.
Source: travelpulse.com