Olympic race walk bronze medalist Hirooki Arai led the way around the main competition area for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on Monday in a trash-picking event aimed at increasing environmental awareness in the buildup to the games.

Athletes, representatives from business partners for the games and those from the Brazilian Embassy in Tokyo were among the roughly 100 people who took part in the competition-style event, which coincided with World Environment Day.

The participants were divided into more than 20 teams and competed in the amount and type of trash they picked up in one hour on the streets near National Stadium, which is under construction, and Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.

"There will be many people visiting Tokyo from foreign countries and I want them to think Tokyo is a clean place," said Arai, the bronze medalist in the men's 50-kilometer walk at last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

"I'd like to help elevate Japan's reputation through not only my results in races but community services like this," he added after the event sponsored by the organizing committee of the 2020 Games.

More than 76 kilograms of garbage were picked up in total, including cigarette butts and broken umbrellas. The trash that the first place team picked up exceeded 10 kg, according to the organizers.

"It was a great way to raise awareness about the environment and motivating people to find improvements," said Ana Paula Kobe, a diplomat at the Brazilian Embassy in Tokyo.

"Sustainability was important in the Rio Olympics, so this event connected Rio and Tokyo and passed down the initiative," said Pedro Brancante, another diplomat at the embassy.