Osanpo Batake rental gardens by Akisuke Nagata, Hyogo and Nagata Wards, Kobe
Kobe (兵庫区・長田区), Japan · Operator: 空き助ながた
Overview
A come-empty-handed rental garden run at two sites in Kobe — Kanda-cho in Hyogo Ward and Komagabayashi-cho in Nagata Ward — by Akisuke Nagata, a group that turns vacant houses and lots into neighbourhood assets. Its distinguishing feature is that vegetable waste and prunings are recycled into compost with a local type-B employment support workshop rather than incinerated, with the goal of getting people to use fully matured "craft compost", made entirely from local plant material and inputs, as a matter of course.
Citizen participation
A "come empty-handed" rental garden: residents without tools of their own can take a plot and start growing. Vegetable waste and prunings from the plots are composted together with a local type-B continuous employment support workshop for people with disabilities.
Operating model
Part of a wider effort to turn the problem of vacant houses and lots into a neighbourhood asset by converting idle land into rental gardens. Composting is shared with a welfare employment workshop, with the stated aim of making fully matured compost — from 100% locally sourced plant material and inputs — something people use casually and routinely.
Impact
Notable for tying idle-land reuse, supported employment for people with disabilities, and the reduction of food and green waste into a single arrangement. The source gives no plot or user numbers.
Land tenure
Vacant lots put to interim use as rental gardens. The source does not specify the contractual form.
Crops
- vegetables
Scale
神戸市兵庫区神田町および長田区駒ヶ林町の2か所。面積は出典に記載がない。
Sources(2)
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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