[Akari Tanaka's goal is to create an environment where pets, who are often seen as members of the family, can be accepted in communities, and "poop posts" are only the first step. Tanaka stands in front of a "poop post" for disposal of dog waste in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Photo by=Kyodo)]

AOMORI: A dog trainer in northeastern Japan has taken it upon herself to make her city more pet-friendly by installing "poop posts" for owners to dispose of their dogs' waste.

Akari Tanaka, a 37-year-old resident of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, is hoping her project will help create a society where people can live comfortably with their pets as she says locals have struggled to "take the initiative to clean up after their dogs." Tanaka put up the first "poop post" outside her dog-grooming salon in July 2020. It stands about 90 centimeters tall, is 50 cm wide, and comes with plastic bags that people can use to pick up excrement. After setting up the post, Tanaka found that people naturally started to use it without being asked, and locals told her that they even gained the courage to pick up waste from other owners' dogs too. As the posts came with plastic bags attached, using them to pick up dog excrement took little effort.

Tanaka used online crowdfunding to collect around 650,000 yen ($5,600) for the "poop post" project and has since been able to establish posts in three locations in the prefecture. She’s now in negotiations with municipalities to expand the posts to roadside rest areas and public parks.