Research & reports

Naomi Shimpo · Toshi keikaku hokokushu/Toshi keikaku houkokushuu · Japan (Tokyo)

This paper investigated the establishment and management of a community garden opened by an NPO on vacant land in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. Interviews and document analysis revealed that the garden was established to cultivate traditional vegetables to foster human interaction, and the NPO status was acquired to receive municipal subsidies and potentially resolve property tax issues. NPO status is considered advantageous for the economic stability of community garden operations.

Takeshi So · The Japanese Journal of Real Estate Sciences · Japan

This study discusses urban agriculture in Japan from three perspectives: suburban farming, urban farming, and isolated farming operations within urban areas. Despite its historical impact on urban planning, urban farmland has dramatically decreased and currently hinders real estate business and new business creation. It is suggested that economic rationality and public interest should be prioritized, and tax incentives for urban farmland should be reconsidered in a stepwise manner.

Shingo YOSHIDA · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

This study examined the interaction between farm development and diversification in 18 peri-urban farms in Japan's Kanto region. Farm structural diversification was categorized into four types: highly diversified, complementary enterprise, search and selection, and non-diversified. Farms exhibiting entrepreneurship, management skills, and active social networks achieved development across all categories. Diversification in highly diversified and search & selection types interacted with the internal farm environment, but had little impact on management in complementary enterprise types.

Yumiko Fujiwara, Kaoru Matsuo, Shigeaki TAKEDA, Hiroyuki KAGA · Proceedings of The City Planning Institute of Japan Kansai Branch · Japan

A literature review and interviews with resident-led edible landscape initiatives in Japan examined the role of edible landscape in regional revitalization. Edible landscape was found to have taken on a comprehensive regional-revitalization role encompassing food security, educational effects, economic effects and community regeneration. Across the process from planting to eating edible plants, the edible theme appeared able to draw in collaboration with public bodies, businesses and resident groups beyond existing local community ties.

· 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.

Yoshida S., Yagi H., Kiminami A., Garrod G. · Sustainability 11(10):2887 · Japan

The study analyzes the sustainability of multifunctional peri-urban agriculture through the lens of farm diversification and farmers' entrepreneurial attributes. It identifies the characteristics of advanced, highly diversified farm businesses and discusses factors supporting the persistence of peri-urban agriculture in Japan.

国土交通省 · 国土交通省 都市局 · Japan

A national casebook organising interim uses of low-/under-used land (event space, gardens, greenery) until development advances, including cases like Kawasaki's planned-road 'Kisetsu-no-komichi' and Yokohama's soil-storage reuse.

Kashiwagi J. · 農業経営研究 (Journal of Farm Management Economics) · Japan

Using case studies of a manufacturer (Company G) and a food-service firm (Company T) running fully controlled artificial-light plant factories in Japan's Kanto region, analyzes how inexperienced firms raised productivity, exploring corporate urban vegetable production.

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.

世田谷区 · 世田谷区 農業振興計画 · Japan

Setagaya's ten-year agricultural promotion plan adopted in 2019, setting basic policies and concrete measures for municipal urban agriculture including citizen farms and contact farms using the Urban Farmland Lease Facilitation Act, agriculture-welfare collaboration and sixth-industry support.

Akira Tabayashi, Toshio Kikuchi, Toshiaki Nishino · Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi) · Japan

This study discusses strategies for sustaining and developing agriculture in Japan, based on 10 sample studies across various regions, including urban agriculture in Tokyo. Key strategies include ensuring capable farm operators, promoting rational farm management with advanced technology, maintaining stable income sources, establishing multiple sales channels, and forming producer-consumer networks. The research highlights the importance of locational, physical, economic, social, cultural, and political conditions, particularly accessibility to large cities and favorable physical conditions for production.

Ryo Iizuka, Kei Ota, Toshio Kikuchi · Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi) · Japan (Kodaira City)

This study explored the growth and sustaining strategies of urban agriculture based on diversified agricultural management and interactions with urban residents, using Kodaira City, Tokyo Metropolis, as a case study. Analysis of previous literature, public survey data on the spatial distribution and classification of agricultural management patterns, and interviews with farmers revealed interactions between farmers and urban residents. In Kodaira City, interactions exist between farms and urban residents based on agricultural management, with distinct patterns influenced by local characteristics. These interaction styles prevent excessive competition, attract stable customers, and enable sustainable management.

Yusuke Aoki, Norihiro Nakai, Mamiko Numata · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan

This study investigated the possibility of applying development rights transfer to preserve urban agricultural land in a depopulating society, focusing on transferring development rights from urban agricultural land to city centers. The research calculated transfer rates using land price ratios and the land residual method, then applied these rates to hypothetical projects. It was found that in areas like Marunouchi and Ginza, a single project could transfer all development rights for Setagaya Ward's agricultural green spaces, while other areas required a combination of multiple projects.

Mitsuhito HOSAKA, Takeshi Sato · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan

This paper reviewed research trends on urban farming in Tokyo, focusing on public benefits of Tokyo's agriculture and farmland, agricultural business management, and the effects of urban farmland policies like the Amendment of Productive Green Land Act. The research identified the necessity for sustainable academic research, improved databases for quantitative analysis, and economic evaluation of intensive agricultural production technology.

賢二 徳田, 春霞 李 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Kawasaki City)

This study examined the current state of urban agriculture in Kawasaki City and the effectiveness of its multifaceted agricultural innovation policies. In Kawasaki City, while urban farmland is decreasing due to population growth and urbanization, there is a movement towards high-value-added agriculture utilizing ICT, as well as promoting local production for local consumption through new variety development, improved distribution channels, market mechanisms, and collaboration with local retailers. The city aims to improve agricultural management and enhance value creation as an industrial policy, and to ensure appropriate use and conservation of urban farmland as a social policy, thereby building a high-value-added supply chain.

· 農林水産省 · Japan

Official explanation of the 2018 Urban Farmland Lease Facilitation Act, which lets motivated urban farmers, companies, and NPOs lease productive greenland to cultivate or open community farms, excludes statutory lease renewal, and preserves the inheritance-tax deferral after leasing.

Sioen G.B., Terada T., Sekiyama M., Yokohari M. · Sustainability 10(2):435 · Japan

Using GIS grid-cell analysis, the study quantified vegetable-weight and key-nutrient self-sufficiency for each land-use pattern in Tokyo, showing how mixed agricultural and urban land uses contribute to resilience. Tokyo's fruit-and-vegetable self-sufficiency was estimated at 4.27% currently with a potential of 11.73%.

平江 良成, 小泉 秀樹, 後藤 智香子 · 都市計画報告集 17巻2号 pp.195-201 · Japan

With an author from Tokyu Corporation, this interview-based study analyzes how private firms participate in suburban housing-area regeneration and the conditions required, arguing that developers must engage through composite services including community facilities and new business formats.

国土交通省 都市局, 八王子市「東京クラインガルテン」検討協議会 · 国土交通省 都市と緑・農が共生するまちづくりに関する調査 · Japan

Using Hachioji as a case, this MLIT report examines leveraging private vitality for vacant homes, farmland, and green space, including site visits and interviews on corporate kitchen gardens and business simulations for rental gardens around housing areas and danchi.

藤井 至, 稲葉 修武, 藤田 武弘 · 農業市場研究 27巻1号 pp.12- · Japan

Based on hearings with all Nerima experience-farm operators and user surveys, this paper analyzes how publicly subsidised experience farms support farm management and community exchange, empirically showing effects on profitability, successors and local understanding.

名古屋市 · 名古屋市 農業振興基本方針 · Japan

Nagoya's basic urban agriculture policy positioning publicly operated citizen farms — Nogomi, community and Minori gardens — and resident-farmer connections as core pillars of municipal support.

特定非営利活動法人 Co.to.hana, 金田 康孝 · 国土交通省 都市と農・緑が共生するまちづくりに関する調査（平成29年度） · Japan (Osaka)

Co.to.hana's second-year MLIT study codifying how to reproduce Minna-no-uen's effects — activity data analysis since 2011, international comparables, intermediary-organisation needs, trial social-impact metrics, published as this report and at minnanouen.jp/research.

肇 石原, Hajime Ishihara · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

This paper compared urban agriculture promotion basic plans formulated by six prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi, as of October 2017. The analysis revealed policy challenges concerning the scope of inheritance tax deferment, the lending and borrowing of agricultural land in urbanization promotion areas, and the participation of non-farmers in agriculture. It concluded that the national government urgently needs to address these issues, and local governments should propose systems tailored to local conditions.

マリコ ソヤ, ミチコ コバヤシ, Mariko Soya, Michiko KOBAYASHI · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Niiza)

In Niiza City, the development of processed local vegetables is not advanced. This research matched the needs of Niiza City with the seeds of a university, leading to the industry-government-academia collaboration for the development of a "carrot dressing" using Niiza City's certified autumn-winter carrots. Students from the Department of Food and Nutrition were involved from cultivation to prototyping and design, resulting in manufacturing in March 2017 and sales in April through collaboration with local companies.

Ryo Kawabe, Hiroshi Sakazume · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Nagakute City)

This paper analyzes the importance of social capital in the sixth industrialization of urban agricultural areas, using a case study from Nagakute-cho (now Nagakute City), Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The study found that the sixth industry is an efficient strategy for managing and demonstrating the multiple functions of urban agriculture, farm villages, and agriculture itself, with social capital being a crucial driving force. Nagakute City's initiatives, based on the "Countryside Valley Initiative," were successful, leading to the emergence of an integrated form of social capital combining government-led bonding with bridging among various local residents.