Man Gains Attention After Creating Entirely New Sport From Unusual Hobby: 'Our Long-Term Goal Is [to Be as] Widely Recognized as Soccer or Tennis'

Man gains attention after creating entirely new sport from unusual hobby: 'Our long-term goal is [to be as] widely recognized as soccer or tennis'

What started as a solitary morning jog has grown into a global sport that's changing how people think about trash. About two decades ago, Kenichi Mamitsuka, an avid runner in Kagoshima, Japan, began picking up litter during his daily runs. At first, the habit felt awkward — passersby stared, and the trash itself was unpleasant. But over time, something unexpected happened. "The trash I used to find unpleasant gradually turned into targets," Mami…