LINE 148 Participation in the "13th Abe River Driftwood Cleanup Festival"

Following its participation in the previous year, NTT West Shizuoka Group took part again in the "13th Abe River Driftwood Cleanup Festival" (hosted by the Abe River Driftwood Cleanup Festival Executive Committee) on November 15 (Sunday).
The weather was rainy since two days before until the morning of the event. The festival was on the verge of being canceled, but fortunately the rain stopped and it was held as scheduled.
Despite the rainy weather up till the last minute before the event started, a total of 130 people from the NTT West Shizuoka Group turned up for the cleanup activity.

2015 marked the 400th anniversary of the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
During his reign, town planning of the Sumpu castle town and flood control measures for Abe River were implemented, which formed the prototype of the city center we see today.

Abe River (approximately 53km in length) flows from the 3,000m-tall Southern Alps of Japan into Suruga Bay (with a maximum depth of about 2,500m, the deepest bay in Japan). Due to the huge difference in height, it is a torrential river that is comparable to the rivers of the Himalayan mountains. For this reason, the water level rises rapidly when there is heavy rainfall, which brings along with it driftwood and other types of trash.
Although the quantity of driftwood was lesser compared to the previous year with a decrease in the number of typhoons that approached or directly hit Shizuoka Prefecture, the amount of driftwood and trash found in the river was still considerable. Participants of the festival combined their efforts to move the driftwood and trash to the storage space while drenching in sweat.

In the speech by the organizer, it was mentioned that due to floods caused by typhoons and torrential rainfalls, a large quantity of driftwood is accumulated at the riverside and mouth of Abe River as well as on the seashore. Driftwood not only poses a problem to the rivers, but causes damage in extensive areas including the local environment, forest development and fishery, so it is important to show concern and take actions while considering the impact of driftwood on the local community as well as what can be done to keep the rivers and sea clean.

Thanks to all the employees, family members and retired employees who took part in this activity.

<Reference> Provided by organizer
笳週otal no. of participants: 1,200
笳酬olume of driftwood and trash collected: approx. 35m³

Participating companies

Companies of the respective NTT West Business Units (NTT West Shizuoka Branch, NTT Business Solutions, NTT Marketing Act, NTT Fieldtechno, NTT Neomeit, NTT Business Associe West)
NTT-West Business Front
NTT Facilities
NTT TelWel West Nippon
Shizuoka NDS
Retired employees of NTT West

Venue

River bed of Abe River (from Abekawa Bridge to Anzai Bridge in Shizuoka City, Aoi-ku, Tamachi, Abekawa Shinsui Recreation Square)

No. of participants

130