(Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN) — Bronze statues on a street corner suddenly start moving and picking up garbage — the cleanup activities of street performers are attracting attention in the Kawaramachi district of Kyoto, which is crowded with tourists.
The performers include members of the artist group Strenjoy. Dressed as bronze statues or robots and with garbage bags and tongs in hand, they have been cleaning up the area around Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Railway in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, for about one hour a week for the past year or so, to give back to the community for allowing them to use the sidewalks for their performances.
The Strenjoy leader, who goes by Mr. Kids, performs as a bronze statue and other things three to four times a week, mainly in the shopping area in the Kawaramachi district. “People become interested whenever I pick up garbage in this style. I hope what I do will help people stop littering,” Imado said.
