'Bad guys doing good': Star Wars villains pick up trash in Tokyo's Shinjuku

TOKYO -- Villains from the "Star Wars" movie franchise suddenly appeared in the neon-lit streets of Tokyo's Kabukicho nightlife district in a recent event. But instead of wielding lightsabers or blaster guns, they held trash bags and tongs.
They are members of the 501st Legion Japanese Garrison, a group made up of Star Wars fans. The 501st Legion is an international Star Wars costuming organization, formed in the United States in 1997, and its members exclusively wear costumes that "portray the villainous, morally ambiguous or non-partisan characters" from the franchise.
Their activities go far beyond promoting the movies. Members also visit hospitals and children's homes, take part in charity work, and engage in community service. More than 13,000 members are active around the world. The Japanese Garrison has about 130 members who carry out activities across the country.
In this recent event, members joined a cleanup effort organized by Green Bird, a group dedicated to picking up trash in urban areas. The unique sight of Star Wars villains earnestly collecting litter brought smiles to passersby. During the cleanup, the members gladly posed for photos and waved to onlookers.
Yoko Murakami, 55, who took part in the event, said, "It's fun for me, and when we make others happy, I really feel it's worth doing. I also get to go places I normally wouldn't and make friends with members (of the 501st Legion) from around the world, which is one of the great things about it."
Members of the Japanese Garrison say the goal of their activities is to make everyone smile and have fun, based on their slogan, "We are bad guys doing good!"
(Japanese original by Mimi Niimiya, Photo Group)

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