Kimono-clad Japanese businessmen littered the busy streets of Baguio Saturday to help clean the summer capital of the Philippines.

Japanese traders in kimono jackets swept the landmark Session Road and hauled trash away amidst monsoon rains and thick fog.

The community service amused residents but some concerned Baguio residents joined the early-morning activity to support the foreigners.

The Japanese businessmen are based in Baguio and members of the Baguio Community of Volunteers (BCV), a civic group dedicated to keeping the Baguio as clean as possible.

The drive was made more difficult by the city government, who deliberately did not collect the trash to teach residents to segregate their trash.

The city enforced a "no-segregation, no-collection" policy for daily garbage, after noting that less than 10 percent of the 128 villages in Baguio followed the new waste management rules that calls for the separation of recyclable and residual waste.

City officials stood pat on their decision despite warnings of the spread of disease. Residents also stressed the government must comply with sanitation laws.

Baguio is located north of Manila and a favorite vacation place for its cool weather and various tourist spots.