Research & reports

小杉 理理子 · 日本不動産学会誌 34巻2号 p.108 · Japan

Introduces the Kamigo Neopolis machizukuri agreement between Yokohama City and Daiwa House Industry, reporting collaboration among residents, government, and the developer to regenerate a suburban detached-housing district through gathering spaces and community building.

· Journal of Clinical Medicine · Japan

An RCT assigned 89 older adults with depressive symptoms and mild memory decline to exercise, horticultural, or control groups; the horticultural program comprised 20 weekly 90-minute sessions of field cultivation, growing, and harvesting.

Machida D. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(8):1389 · Japan

A web-based cross-sectional survey of community-dwelling older adults in Japan examined links between community or home gardening and health-related indicators. Gardening with others was significantly associated with exercise habits, physical activity, vegetable intake and neighborly connections, and with higher subjective happiness and sense of purpose, supporting gardens as a means to counter isolation among the elderly.

· 農林水産省 · Japan

Materials on the 2019 Noufuku JAS standard certifying foods and ornamental plants produced with the involvement of people with disabilities, raising trust and brand value for agriculture-welfare products via third-party certification; first certifications issued November 2019.

東急不動産株式会社 · 東急不動産 プレスリリース資料 · Japan

Completion materials for Tokyu Fudosan's Branz Nerima Nakamura Minami condominium, planning resident-only 'Hagukumi Garden', a kitchen lounge, and compost-chair food-waste cycling in partnership with Agrimedia for food education and garden community.

富子 中下, 大子 佐藤, 真紀 小澤, 徹子 藤田, 結加里 石山, 美智子 長濱, 洋子 大山 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

A self-administered questionnaire covering 27 items of daily lifestyle habits — sleep, diet, exercise, media-related habits, and family/community involvement — was given to a total of 885 children and students across the kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and special-support schools attached to a Japanese university, with results tabulated by school type and compared by grade for elementary and junior high students. More favorable habits around breakfast intake and leftover food were found at higher grade levels overall, but third-grade elementary students showed less favorable eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. Among media-related habits, internet and mobile-email use time was highest in junior high school. Habits related to family and community involvement were highest in kindergarten and declined through elementary and junior high grades, but rose with grade level in the special-support schools. The findings suggest that health education for lifestyle formation should be designed with developmental stage in mind, and that its relationship to mental health and self-esteem warrants further study.

グエン トラン イェン カン, 涼 村田 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Tokyo)

This study clarifies users' roles in urban space creation by examining two renovated open spaces with urban gardening (OSUG) in Tokyo. Through a mixed survey, the spatial settings and user experiences were analyzed, revealing quality parameters such as "usage," "space affordance," and "image of identity." These factors illustrate seven OSUG scenarios, from private resting spots to public playgrounds and community gardens.

Yoshifumi Ikejima · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Japan

A geographic information system (GIS) study examined food access among urban residents in Japan, focusing on elderly residents, across two study areas. Approximately 60% of residents aged 65 or older were found to live far from food stores needed for daily shopping, and the study identified nearby farmer-owned produce stands and farmers' markets as local agricultural outlets that could improve access to fresh food.

Soga M., Cox D.T.C., Yamaura Y., Gaston K.J., Kurisu K., Hanaki K. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(1):71 · Japan

A questionnaire survey of 332 allotment gardeners and non-gardeners in Tokyo compared five self-reported outcomes: perceived general health, physical complaints, BMI, mental health and social cohesion. Allotment gardeners reported better general health, fewer complaints, better mental health and greater social cohesion, indicating that urban allotment gardening can improve residents' physical and mental health and community ties.

Daisuke Machida, Tohru Yoshida · PubMed · Japan

A cross-sectional study in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable (FV) gardening and health-related factors among men aged 50-74. Community gardeners showed significant positive correlations between gardening frequency/time and perceived changes in FV intake and physical activity. Logistic regression models indicated that community gardeners had significantly greater physical activity, and other types of gardeners had greater FV intake, perceived neighborhood social cohesion, and less sitting time compared to non-gardeners.

河野 誠, 藤田 直子 · ランドスケープ研究 77巻5号 pp.433-436 · Japan

Analyzing user needs at corporate-run rooftop and over-track rental farms such as Toho Leo's 'Machinaka Saen', this paper characterizes high fees, convenient locations, and rich services as hallmarks of pioneering private-sector urban farm models.

Akira Yuzawa · Journal of Architecture and Planning (Transactions of AIJ) · Japan

This study examined user characteristics and effects of allotment gardens, focusing on "the community farm YUI" in Japan. It found that the main applicants were men aged 50 or older, and key factors in choosing an allotment garden were use charge, distance from home, and agricultural guidance. The identified effects of allotment gardens included providing a purpose for living, fostering agricultural understanding, and promoting exchange among participants.

· ランドスケープ研究（日本造園学会誌）73巻5号 pp.469- · Japan

A field study of how danchi outdoor (open) spaces are actually used, examining directions for regeneration through stock utilization; it found demand was highest for children's play, followed by walking and resting, pointing to the need for regeneration plans that promote diverse outdoor uses, including gardens.

Norio Hayashi, Teruo Wada, Hiroaki Hirai, Takaaki Miyake, Yoshimasa Matsuura, Norinaga Shimizu, Hiroshi Kurooka, Shousaku Horiuchi · Environment Control in Biology · Japan

A Japanese study examining the psychological effects of horticultural activity on mood state (POMS) among 61 subjects (22 men, 39 women, mean age 46). Active participation involved planting non-flowering pansies, while passive participation involved observing a community garden; one group engaged in 2 hours of active participation, while two other groups completed 6 hours of horticultural activity (with the 6-hour group in experiment 3 also completing a mid-point POMS assessment 2 hours in, alongside before/after measures). The overall POMS score for 2 hours of horticultural activity was significantly higher than for 2 hours of simply observing, and the greatest psychological effects were found among the group that engaged in 2 hours of active horticultural activity, suggesting that 2 hours of horticultural activity induces the best psychological effects among the conditions tested.

ミサワホーム株式会社 · 都市農地活用支援センター『農のある暮らし』事例集 · Japan

A case report on Misawa Home's Kitasenju detached-housing district 'A Town with Herbs and Orchards', introducing edible landscaping through leasehold housing with common plazas and shared rear gardens as a model for integrating farming and community space into private housing development.

Takashi Watanabe, Makoto Yokohari, Ryuto Matsuzawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan (Tokyo)

This study clarified farmers' responses to agricultural activities involving urban residents in Tokyo. The findings showed that over half of the farmers engaged in agricultural activities in cooperation with urban residents, and those enthusiastic about such activities tended to excel in farm management. Furthermore, municipalities within the target area were categorized into three types based on the proportion of farmers conducting agricultural activities with urban residents.

Takashi Watanabe, Makoto Yokohari, Ryuto Matsuzawa · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan (Tokyo)

This study clarified farmers' responses to agricultural activities involving urban residents in the Tokyo Metropolis. The findings showed that over half of the farmers engaged in agricultural activities involving urban residents, and those enthusiastic about these activities often demonstrated excellent farm management. Furthermore, municipalities within the target area were categorized into three types based on the proportion of farmers involved in urban resident-associated agricultural activities.

Yuzo Uchida · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan

This study aims to clarify the situation and types of community farms in Japan, their usage patterns, and their impact on the lives of urban residents. It notes the strong demand for community farms for cultivating vegetables and flowers among urban residents. Various types of community farms exist, including allotment gardens, Japanese Kleingartens, self-supplying community farms, and full-scale orchards in the countryside.