California General Store joins the Kugenuma Beach Clean Club (KBCC) for its monthly beach cleanup whenever possible. This year, the team also participated in the Enoshima Ocean Cleanup 2025, an event hosted by the Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club on June 29.
We’ll take a look at the event, which drew about 150 people from local businesses, and explore the future California General Store aims to build—one that values the local community through cleanups, local events, and sustainable products.
Photography: Kentarou Fuchimoto
Words: Rie Watanabe
Beyond the Beach: Using Surfboards to Clean Hard-to-Reach Areas and Uncover a Hidden Reality
The Shonan area is the heart of Japan’s beach and surf culture. On June 29, the Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club and Billabong teamed up for the fourth annual Enoshima Ocean Cleanup 2025. California General Store, which promotes local events, surf schools, and regular cleanups from its storefronts on the Katase and the Kugenuma coasts, was proud to participate for the second year in a row.
This year’s event featured two cleanup efforts: a traditional beach clean along Katase Nishihama Beach and its surrounding sidewalks, and an ocean clean of the hard-to-reach back side of Enoshima, accessed from the water by surfboard.
Team members paddling to clean the back side of Enoshima.
Thanks to a growing number of groups and individuals organizing beach cleanups, many California General Store staff members who participate in the monthly KBCC events have noticed a decrease in trash. However, the inaccessible areas of Enoshima are known for accumulating large amounts of debris, including waste that flows from rivers into the ocean.
The ocean clean was created to shed light on this reality. Reaching the area requires entering the water from the beach, so for safety, the team was limited to members who could paddle to the island on surfboards and paddleboards. The group was led by the Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club and included Billabong employees and pro surfers. Representing United Arrows were California General Store store manager Keita Yamazaki and H Beauty & Youth staff member Eisuke Hakamada.
Mr. Hakamada on the green surfboard (left) and Mr. Yamazaki (right).
After a 20-minute paddle, the team arrived and began the cleanup. The scene was completely different from the main beach area. They found large pieces of washed-up debris and household trash that had been accumulating for a long time, creating a strong odor.
“Because beach cleanups have become so common, I felt like the amount of trash had recently decreased,” said Mr. Hakamada. “But paddling out to a place I don’t normally go, I saw that there was still so much large garbage, broken glass, pottery, and plastic. Participating in the ocean clean has strengthened my desire to help clean our ocean and our planet.”
The back side of Enoshima had large debris and household waste not typically seen on the beach, such as ropes and balls.
Giving Back to the Ocean and Community We Call Home
During his remarks, Mr. Yamazaki commented, “We want to give back to the ocean and the community.”
After the cleanup, the team paddled back to the beach. At the same time, United Arrows employees and their families took part in the beach clean, focusing on removing microplastics. During the event’s closing remarks, Mr. Yamazaki commented, “We are supported by our local community every day, and we joined this event because we wanted to give back to the community and to the ocean, which is our playground.
This experience has raised my own awareness as well.” When asked about his first ocean clean, he added, “It was a longer paddle than I’m used to when surfing, but going to a place I can’t normally access, I saw so much glass and other debris not found on the main beach. It made me realize how important it is to clean this area regularly. Since it’s difficult to get there alone, I hope to join again whenever I have the chance.”
UNITED ARROWS LTD. employees and their families actively participated in the beach clean.
A Hub for the Community: Why High Awareness Matters
Manabu Shimizu, the store director for California General Store, spoke about participating in the event. “I feel that the locals in Shonan are already very committed to sustainability. As a store on the beachfront, we feel a strong responsibility to lead by example through our actions and by sharing information.
This is the second time California General Store has participated in the Enoshima Ocean Cleanup, and there were even more local companies, individuals, and children taking part than last time. To protect the environment for the next generation, we want to continue this work and expand our focus from the local community to global challenges and our next steps.”
Beyond Cleanups: A Focus on Preventing Waste from the Start
California General Store values its connection with the area and continues to serve as an important hub for the local community. When asked about future initiatives, Mr. Shimizu said, “While we continue our cleanup activities, we also want to focus on reducing and eliminating waste at its source. For example, we hope to propose projects like upcycling old wetsuits.”
