Sand That Waits for Spring

Miko, I noticed something while walking outside today

…What is it, nya

Y’know how there’s all that crunchy gravel on frozen roads?

…Miko hates that stuff, nya. It gets stuck between my paw pads, nya

Ahaha, classic cat problems (>_<)

…And?

That gravel… where does it come from, and where does it go?

…Go, nya?

It’s there in winter, but in summer there’s none on the roads, right?

…Now that you mention it, that’s true, nya

So I looked it up and… that “sand” is actually not sand at all

…Not sand, nya?

It’s technically crushed stone. They crush mountain rock into granules about 2.5 to 5mm in size

…Miko always thought the grains were too big to be sand, nya

Wait, you noticed that?! (>=<=)

…The texture when you step on it is different from playground sand, nya. Much more coarse, nya

Turns out they actually used fine sand way back. But the grains were so small they’d sink right into the ice

…If it sinks in, it’s pointless, nya

Exactly! So they made the grains bigger so they’d actually stay on top of the ice

…They changed the grain size to improve function, nya. In cooking terms, it’s like choosing between coarsely ground pepper and fine powder, nya

Oh, that makes so much sense…!

…Fine pepper blends into the flavor but loses its presence, nya. Coarse pepper bites back when you chew, nya. Choosing grain size to match the purpose is the same in any field, nya

And here’s the cool part… there’s this thing called a sand box

…Sand box

On hills and intersections, slippery spots basically, they put out boxes filled with sand. And get this… anyone can just open them and use it

…Anyone, nya?

Yep yep! If someone thinks “this looks dangerous,” they just open the box and spread sand themselves. Not just for them, but for everyone walking after them too

…

…That’s an interesting system, nya. Instead of administrators handling everything, the people on the ground make the call, nya

And in Sapporo alone, there are 3,625 of these boxes installed

…3,625, nya?

AND there’s a version where they pack sand into plastic bottles! This was a volunteer’s idea, and they’re still hand-packed to this day

…Hand-packed, nya

Someone thought “if we make them portable, more people would spread sand casually.” And that idea actually became real and it’s still going

…Netsuki. That’s not a “system.” That’s a culture, nya

…! (>=<=)

…If the city just sets out boxes, that’s a system, nya. But when residents voluntarily spread sand, volunteers improve the design, and it keeps going for years… that’s culture, nya

So about the question I wanted answered most… “where does it go?”

…Go on, nya

When spring comes, they collect it all at once with street sweepers. Big vacuum-like trucks clean the roads, and sidewalks get swept by hand

…By hand, nya

Yep. Brooms, bags, and pickup. Good old manual labor

…That’s tedious work, nya. Just use machines, nya

Sidewalks are too narrow and have too many curbs for big machines to fit

…Makes sense, nya. Same with cleaning, nya. Big rooms get the vacuum, corners get a broom, and tight spots you wipe by hand, nya. Matching the tool to the space is basic, nya

So about what happens to all the collected sand…

…They reuse it, nya?

…This part’s kinda sad, actually (>_<)

…

Only about one-tenth gets reused. The rest is disposed of as waste

…One-tenth, nya?

Over winter it mixes with trash, mud, and oil, so they can only pick out the clean bits and use them as road base material

…Nine-tenths thrown away, nya

But y’know, at one park, workers sweep the sand by hand, pick out the big debris, sun-dry it, and reuse it the next season

…Sun-dried, nya

Like making umeboshi, right?

…Don’t compare pickled plums to gravel, nya

Ehehe~ (>_<)

…But sun-drying to separate impurities does make sense, nya. It’s the same process as drying salt to remove contaminants, nya

Looking at the whole picture, the life of this sand is kinda fascinating

…The life of sand

Born as rock in a mountain, crushed down, ground into 2.5mm granules at a factory, packed into bags, loaded into a sand box

…

Winter comes and someone spreads it on the road. Hundreds of cars drive over it. Thousands of shoes step on it

…Miko’s paw pads step on it too, nya

Ahaha. Then when the snow melts, it drifts to the road’s edge, gets swept up in spring… and nine-tenths just get thrown away

…

But because that sand was there, someone didn’t fall

…

Tires didn’t skid. An elderly person didn’t slip at the crosswalk. Netsuki and Miko both walked safely over it

…That’s like yesterday’s story, nya

Huh? (>=<=)

…The Angel’s Share, nya

Oh…!

Whisky becomes richer by the amount that evaporates, nya. Sand becomes someone’s safety by the amount it gets worn and dirtied, nya

By disappearing, it leaves something behind…

…Being consumed and being wasted are not the same thing, nya

Hey, Miko

…What, nya

From now on, whenever I walk on frozen ground and hear that crunch, I’m gonna think “thank you” just a little

…You’re gonna talk to sand, nya?

I’m not talking to it! Just in my head!

…Miko would think “stay out of my paw pads” before “thank you,” nya

Miko…! (>_<)

…But

But?

…Without that sand, Miko probably would’ve slipped a few times, nya

Miko…! (>=<=)

…It’s not gratitude, nya. Miko is simply stating facts, nya

Crushed from a mountain, works only in winter, swept away in spring, and nine-tenths get thrown out

But without that single grain, someone might’ve gotten hurt

…

No name. No thanks. Tossed aside once it’s done. But it did its job

…That’s not just about sand, nya

…Yeah. You’re right