17th September

Shinkansen from Tokyo to Akita
Today we had to take four hours of Shinkansen to Akita city in Akita. We arrived at Tokyo train station at 8:10 and waited at platform. Wow! We were able to see bullet trains running so fast at such close distance about one meter. The Shinkansen was so cool that we quickly took several pictures of it when it stopped at the platform. I noticed that during 40 minutes of waiting, there were approximately five Shinkansen passing the platform, proving that Shinkansens take an important role in public transportation for passengers in Japan.

We got on the bullet train, and it was exactly the same as a bus inside. It was quiet, steady, smooth, comfortable, no quick break, no quick turn, no bump, which was a good kind of transportation for travelling and relaxing. Although the view outside the window was beautiful in such a fast motion, we couldn’t help with our sleepiness because we hadn’t had nice sleep for four nights. We received a Japanese lunch box for each at 11:00 and arrived in Akita at 1:00.
At Akita train station, we were welcomed by Mr. Sato Hideaki, our supervisor in Akita, other two coordinators, a cameraman, and Borng Ith Visal, Cambodian scholarship student in Japan. Without a break, we paid a visit to Akita Recycle Plaza promptly.

Recycle Plaza (A-TEC), first destination in Akita
Our instructor at Recycle Plaza was Ms. Kawaguji. The Recycle Plaza can also be called Garbage melting and transformation center or Akita Total Environment center (A-TEC). It was established in 2002 mainly to collect all garbage in Akita and melt it in 1700-1800℃ in order to reduce its volume to minimum. In comparison with combustion, high temperature melting is ten times more effective in garbage volume reduction. There is modern technique in toxin gas emission treatment while melting, which ensures nearly-zero pollution to atmosphere. The waste produced by melting garbage becomes slag and metal which can be used in building construction, road paving, and metal-making. The ultimate useless waste is kept in a highly safe place.

The second purpose of the plaza is electricity generation from hot vapor. During the melting, hot vapor are produced and transferred to generator so that it can produce maximum 8.5 MW of electricity.

The third purpose is transformation. PET (Plastic bottles) can be shattered and transformed to cotton-like material. After some additional processes, it can be made to be clothes, uniform, tie, etc. Moreover, aluminum and iron cans are compressed into a rectangle box-shape for convenient transportation and transformed to various metal products.

The fourth purpose is recycling. Wine, beer, coke glass bottles which are still in good condition can be sterilized and reused for more than ten times. Newspaper and used paper can be recycled in order to reduce natural resource consumption.

First of all, Ms. Kawaguji illustrated some information and animated video clip related to A-TEC by slideshow to us inside guest meeting room. Then she led us to look around some of the sections and explained the functions of all machines we saw.

First, we went to see the platforms where garbage trucks dropped their garbage. There were 9 platforms, and the 9th we the biggest with large gate. It was said that there was 400 tons of garbage in average to drop at these platforms.

Second, we moved to see the deep storage pool of garbage behind the platform gates from the top. Inside, there was a huge five-finger iron had moving by human control or sometimes automatically to grab garbage to drop into the melting area. Every of its grab is 3 tons of garbage and its 24 hours without stopping. It grabbed, dropped, and grabbed again so as to diffuse the garbage before dropping into the melting area for entire melting purpose. Paper, glass bottles, iron cans, aluminum cans, PET, and other combustible garbage were inside the deep pool.

Third, we turned right to see the central control room. There were three controllers in the room monitoring the moisture of garbage, the five-finger iron hand, the process of all machines, and visitors.

Fourth, we saw the electric generator by hot vapor produced by melting garbage, which in maximum provided 8,500 KW of electricity for the whole plaza utilization and outside. There, another instructor explained and showed that the materials received from melting garbage was ‘metal’ for lead making and ‘slag’ for road paving.

Fifth, we continued to see the deep storage pool of garbage behind the 9th platform, where the large garbage like furniture was dumped just a grab by the five-finger. Those furniture was mattress, log, armchair, TV, etc., and we witnessed a 14-inch TV was smashed into pieces in only a few seconds.

Sixth, the Metal Plaza had been built since September 2006 and not been finished yet, so we didn’t see it.

Seventh, we went to exhibition area of transformation PET (Plastic bottle) was broken into small pieces, transformed to cotton-like materials, made into thread and fabric, and finally becomes uniform, tie, wrapping cloth, etc., while some PET was transformed into PET stone for making bowls, souvenir, and construction. Aluminum cans were compressed to 80×50×26 box shape weighting 36kg and iron cans weighting 90kg for convenient transportation. Those cans are melted and made to other metal product, and they can be recycled 97℃.

Eighth, we went to wine and beer bottle area and saw the process of good condition bottles selection by the staff. If the bottle is still in good condition, they pick it up and sterilize and use it again. If the bottle is cracked or broken, they throw it away and use it for road paving or brick making.Those were all for Ms. Kawaguji instruction to what we saw, and the bottles are divided into three groups according to their colours—transparent, green, and mixed, and they can be recycled more than ten times.

Then it was question and answer time at a classroom. Four of us asked Ms. Kawaguji a question for each, and her reply was following. It takes four hours for garbage melting, and six hours for transformation to metal and slag. The quality of recycled product is according to the type of garbage. The Recycle Plaza belongs to government, but machines were bought from private companies. People don’t need to pay for this service. Recycling is better than production with original material. At the end, we received a paper bag with four mini-bags of tissue and leaflet of A-TEC inside. After that, we went to Akita View Hotel.

Courtesy meeting with deputy governor of Akita prefecture, Nakano
In the evening, we had another crucial meeting with deputy governor of Akita prefecture, Nakano. I had to be the representative and gave the speech of impression in Akita. The script had been prepared by Sovann, but it was changed by Bellin and Virya for summarization. I had no time for practice of reading several times. Fortunately, I could look at the script while speaking. I read it only once in my heart and read it out in front of Nakano. I had a little error, and I knew myself it was not good but acceptable. At the end, we received a piece of souvenir for each. It was Cherry-Bark Craftwork, a little round wooden container.

Welcome party at the first night in Akita
For the first evening in Akita, the welcome party was celebrated. We had buffet dinner in a restaurant where we can see the night view of Akita city form a high point. The supervisor, coordinators, a few Japanese university students, and our delegations raised glass and Kan Bei (cheered up). After dinner, we received the third souvenir of today, a LED manual generating flashlight. The flashlight doesn’t need any batteries or charging. It is generated by squeezing its handle continuously. One minute of squeezing supplies for 8 minute of using. Although the electricity of Japan never stops, this useful flashlight is still creatively invented.