Debito’s SNA VM column 77: “Big Garbage Day and The Purge”, a light, relaxed summer slice-of-life in Japan essay on how long-term lifestyles for NJ Residents are doomed (Aug 9, 2026)

Intro: “Dave! Dave! Get over here! I’ve found it! The Holy Grail of ‘Big Garbage Day’!” It was Joe ringing Dave’s keitai first thing in the morning. It wasn’t the first time. It was that regular time of the year in certain parts of Japan that for some foreign residents was better than Christmas: Sodai Gomi no Hi. That day was quite a celebration during Japan’s Bubble Era of the late 1980s-early…