While many Cambodians are grateful to Japan for its generous aid to the emerging nation, there is also a growing appreciation among the local populace for Japanese "waste."
Used goods that had been destined for recycling or dumping in Japan are instead surviving as "new" items for Cambodians -- even when the items are no longer environmentally friendly in terms of emissions or coolants.
The items in question include refrigerators, air conditioners, bicycles, motorbikes, televisions, tape recorders, computers, and even used brassieres.
Cambodians have even coined a name for Japanese castoffs. Secondhand Japanese items, particularly computers, are now known as "chochus."