Seseragi Community Garden (Machi no Namagomi Ikashi-tai)
Hino, Japan · Operator: まちの生ごみ活かし隊（佐藤美千代 代表／日野市と連携）
Overview
A community garden in Hino City, Tokyo, started by citizens who believe 'kitchen waste is a treasure.' It collects and composts the kitchen waste of around 200 households and grows vegetables and flowers pesticide-free as a food-cycle garden. Naomi Shimpo studied its management and governance in detail in her 2021 and 2024 papers.
Citizen participation
Run mainly by citizen volunteers who collect and compost neighbourhood kitchen waste and grow vegetables and flowers without pesticides or chemical fertiliser. The garden also provides work and activity opportunities for people with disabilities and serves as a site of environmental and food education for children and residents.
Operating model
Non-profit operation combining a kitchen-waste collection contract from Hino City with citizen volunteer labour. Kitchen waste is cycled locally as a resource, simultaneously reducing incinerated waste and activating urban farmland.
Impact
Cuts incinerated waste while activating urban farmland, and functions as a hub for work opportunities for people with disabilities, children's environmental/food education, and community exchange including elderly residents. During COVID-19 it sustained food security, physical and mental health, ikigai and social ties, contributing to community resilience.
Crops
- seasonal vegetables
- flowers
Scale
日野市内の畑を市民ボランティアが運営。約200世帯の生ごみを週1回ダンプカーで回収し畑に直接投入して土ごと発酵させる、市域規模の生ごみ循環の拠点。
Sources（4）
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
- PaperThe governance of a community garden with a food cycle in suburban Tokyo (Shimpo, 2021) ↗acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- PaperCommunity garden management for resilient cities: a case study in suburban Tokyo during the COVID-19 pandemic (Shimpo, 2024) ↗sciencedirect.com
- Officialまちの生ごみ活かし隊（せせらぎ農園） - 一般財団法人都市農地活用支援センター ↗tosinouti.or.jp
- Article生ごみを宝に！市民が活躍するコミュニティガーデン ～日野市 せせらぎ農園～ - TOKYO GROWN ↗tokyogrown.jp
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