Spogomi: Japan's Trash Picking World Cup episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 20, 2025 · 23 MIN

Spogomi: Japan's Trash Picking World Cup

from Sportly · host Immigrantly Media

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson dives into how Spogomi became the world’s most unexpectedly competitive eco sport and why it might just change the way we see clean-up duty. Every year, hundreds of athletes from around the world gather in Tokyo, not for soccer, but for trash. It’s called Spogomi, short for Sport + Gomi (the Japanese word for garbage). Competitors race through the streets with tongs and color-coded bags, collecting litter for points, strategy, and glory. What started in Japan in 2008 as a quirky local event has exploded into a global movement for sustainability, proving that saving the planet can actually be fun. Keep up with Sportly on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@sportlypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Content Writers: Emmanuelle Monahan & Kavitha Davidson I Fact Checking and Research: Irene I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts.  You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly  Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson dives into how Spogomi became the world’s most unexpectedly competitive eco sport and why it might just change the way we see clean-up duty. Every year, hundreds of athletes from around the world gather in Tokyo, not for soccer, but for trash. It’s called Spogomi, short for Sport + Gomi (the Japanese word for garbage). Competitors race through the streets with tongs and color-coded bags, collecting litter for points, strategy, and glory. What started in Japan in 2008 as a quirky local event has exploded into a global movement for sustainability, proving that saving the planet can actually be fun. Keep up with Sportly on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@sportlypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Content Writers: Emmanuelle Monahan & Kavitha Davidson I Fact Checking and Research: Irene I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts.  You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly  Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Spogomi: Japan's Trash Picking World Cup

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This episode was published on October 20, 2025.

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In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson dives into how Spogomi became the world’s most unexpectedly competitive eco sport and why it might just change the way we see clean-up duty. Every year, hundreds of athletes from around the world...

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