Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
260 results(5 / 11)
Re-energizing Japan's teikei movement
2021Chika Kondo · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Japan
This paper analyzes Japan's teikei movement (Japanese CSA) and how it exemplifies diverse economies. Through case studies of two teikei groups in the Kansai region, it assesses how changes made by current generations allow teikei to adapt to long-standing challenges, such as the decline of volunteer labor. Despite current members' detachment from strong activist identities, they sustain their organizations through part-time work, community building, and institutionalizing volunteer labor.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomics農家と飲食店,流通事業者の連携による農産物ブランディングの展開 : 国分寺市「こくベジ」プロジェクトを事例として
2021Ryosuke Koda, Susumu Kawahara, 亮輔 甲田, 晋 川原 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan
A case study of the "Koku-Vege" project in Kokubunji City, Tokyo, Japan, investigated agricultural product branding in urban agriculture. The project built upon existing agricultural promotion policies and citizen activities, involving administrative departments skilled in public relations, which fostered broad understanding and empathy for the brand. Continuous communication by agricultural product delivery personnel connecting farmers and restaurants, along with regular government-led events, contributed to changes in restaurant awareness, new relationship building, and expanded brand recognition within the region, demonstrating features that promote intra-regional branding.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyA Study on the Cooperation of Food Business Operators and Farmers in Urban Areas: Participation in the “Farm Mileage<sup>2</sup> Movement” of Narutoya Co. Ltd.
2021Kana Nakatsuka · Journal of Rural Problems · Japan (Higashi-Osaka City)
Higashi-Osaka City implemented the "Farm Mileage2 Campaign" to promote urban agriculture, collaborating with food business operators to jointly develop agricultural products. As a result, residential areas of consumers preferring ethical foods expanded based on the shipping destinations of food business operators. The movement also fostered events for food and agriculture education, promoting understanding of urban agriculture rather than just leisure. Many urban residents were found to desire agriculture near their homes.
Food educationCommunityPolicyFood miles & supply chainCharacteristics of policies based on Basic Law for Urban Agricultural Promotion formulated by local governments located in urbanization promotion area of Tokyo
2021Izumi ARAKAWA, Noriko Akita · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Japan (Tokyo)
This study identified the characteristics of local plan policies based on the Basic Law for Urban Agricultural Promotion, formulated by local governments. The survey covered 310 local governments in 11 prefectures across three major Metropolitan areas. Tokyo had a large number of local governments formulating local plans and implementing various policies, with differences observed between cities and wards. "Branding of agricultural products" was one policy independently formulated, while "Promotion of agricultural cooperation between rural and urban areas" was not adopted by any local government.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsEffects of Urbanization on Farmland Size and Diversified Farm Activities in Japan: An Analysis Based on the Land Parcel Database
2020Yoshida S. · Land 9(9):315 · Japan
Using a nationwide agricultural land-parcel GIS database for the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas, the study analyzed the synergistic effects of distance from cities and urban sprawl on farmland-parcel size and diversified farm activities such as direct marketing, farming experience, and environmentally friendly practices, via OLS and Poisson regression.
PolicyEconomics野村不動産が都内で農地貸し出しへ 家庭菜園向けに
2020日本経済新聞 · 日本経済新聞（Nikkei） · Japan
A Nikkei report on Nomura Real Estate partnering with JA Setagaya-Meguro to launch, in November 2020, a monthly subscription 'urban experience farm' for home gardening on over 2,000 sqm of productive green land in Setagaya. With about 200 plots of 3.6 sqm where residents and citizens take part from planting to harvest, it highlights how supported rental farming links the preservation of shrinking urban farmland with citizen participation in agriculture.
CommunityFood educationPolicyOrganic cycleAssessment of Genetic Diversity Based on Phenotypic Traits and Microsatellite Markers in Brassica napus L. Landrace in the Kanto Region, Japan (Norabona)
2020Tsuge Kazuki, Chen Ruikun, Yoshioka Yosuke, Motoki Satoru · The Horticulture Journal, 89(1): 12-21 · Japan
Using phenotypic traits and 24 SSR markers, this study assessed the genetic and phenotypic diversity of 'norabona', a traditional Brassica napus leaf-and-stem vegetable of the Kanto region, documenting diversity within this Japanese landrace.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityGenome sequence and analysis of a Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus) cultivar named 'Sakurajima Daikon' possessing giant root
2020Shirasawa Kenta, Hirakawa Hideki, Fukino Nobuko, Kitashiba Hiroyasu, Isobe Sachiko · DNA Research, 27(2): dsaa010 · Japan
The genome of 'Sakurajima Daikon', a giant-rooted traditional Japanese radish from Kagoshima, was sequenced and analyzed using long reads, providing a genomic foundation for trait studies and conservation of this landrace.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversity一般企業の農業参入の研究動向と今後の論点：農業参入企業の農業経営展開を中心に
2020Onaka K. · 農業問題研究 (Journal of Rural Issues) · Japan
Critically reviews research on general firms' entry into agriculture amid farmland deregulation in Japan, discussing the rising number of entrant companies, regional disparities, and the development and challenges of corporate farm management.
EconomicsPolicyPotential of a Small Indoor Plant on the Desk for Reducing Office Workers' Stress
2020Toyoda M., Yokota Y., Barnes M., Kaneko M. · HortTechnology · Japan
Real-office study in Japan showing that intentional contact with a small desk plant reduces office workers' psychological and physiological stress, supporting planting and gardening interventions in the workplace.
HealthWelfare緑地協定による自主管理型開発公園の空間的特徴と所有者の維持管理意識 ‐神戸市のマンション開発事例を対象としたケーススタディ‐
2020福本 優, 大平 和弘, 藤本 真里, 赤澤 宏樹 · 都市計画論文集 55巻3号 pp.777-782 · Japan
A case study of self-managed development parks under green-space agreements in private developer condominium projects in Kobe, analyzing spatial typologies and owner maintenance attitudes and showing the need for design guidance toward open green management including community gardens.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversity郊外部住宅地の再生に向けて―上郷ネオポリスにおける取組―
2020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.
CommunityPolicyHealth一般社団法人まちにわ ひばりが丘 2019年度 活動報告書
2020一般社団法人まちにわ ひばりが丘 · まちにわ ひばりが丘 公式活動報告書 · Japan
A milestone report marking transition from developer-led (Daiwa House, Sumitomo Fudosan, Cosmos Initia, etc.) to resident-led governance at former Hibarigaoka Danchi, documenting operation of Hibari Terrace 118 with its shared garden and the evolution of machizukuri.
CommunityPolicyEconomics合計1000㎡の空き家・空き地を、好奇心でつながるコミュニティ農園に。「みんなのうえん」の金田康孝さんに学ぶ、住みたい街のつくり方
2020greenz.jp · greenz.jp · Japan
An in-depth feature by the social-design media greenz.jp interviewing Minna no Uen founder Yasutaka Kaneda, detailing his shift from architecture to farming and how he turned about 1,000 sqm of vacant houses and lots into a curiosity-driven community garden.
CommunityEconomics地方創生政策とその問題点
2020森川洋 · 人文地理（人文地理学会）72(3), 299–315 · Japan
A critical examination of Japan's 'regional revitalization' policy (against depopulation and Tokyo over-concentration), arguing that rural decline cannot be halted without dispersing Tokyo's functions, and weighing both the importance and the limits of 'small hub' development.
PolicyEconomicsExercise and Horticultural Programs for Older Adults with Depressive Symptoms and Memory Problems: A Randomized Controlled Trial
2020· 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.
ElderlyHealthThe process from the start-up to independence of the Civil Agriculture Organizations as farmers in Urban Agriculture
2020Ikuko Omi, Tôru Nakayama · Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan · Japan
This study documents the five-year process of establishing and developing civil agriculture organizations to enable suburban residents to participate in urban agriculture. It identifies various conditions necessary for success, including initial investment, cultivation training, farmland conditions, and sales. The study also clarifies the relationship with local government and farmers, and notes that members began developing their own agricultural techniques once the organization's operations stabilized, revealing diverse roles and issues within these groups.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyPeri-urban agricultureThe history and management of a community garden established on vacant land by an NPO
2020Naomi 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.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsImpact of urban agriculture on business
2020Takeshi 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.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageThe 2022 problem and urban farmland preservation, urban agricultural policy
2020Seiichiro Shiozawa · The Japanese Journal of Real Estate Sciences · Japan
This study examined the "2022 problem" in Japan, concerning the potential mass conversion of farmland designated as Production Green Space into residential land. It notes that these concerns have receded due to legal amendments and system establishment following the 2016 Basic Law for the Promotion of Urban Agriculture. The study suggests that future urban development should utilize urban farmland to increase regional value, proposing three key actions: establishing cooperation between urban farmers and residents, creating district-specific community development systems, and promoting appropriate land use.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunityAgricultural development and its new trends in Japan.
2020Keshav Chandra · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · Japan
In Japanese agriculture, women's participation is progressively increasing, and there is a close relationship between attracting youth to agriculture and achieving food self-sufficiency. Urban agriculture is developing as a new trend in Japan. New trends such as organic farms, robotics agro, urban agriculture, and increasing women's participation are emerging, which can accelerate the pace of agricultural development in Japan.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureCommunityNeeds Analyses to Allotment Garden fr om the Perspectiv e of Food and Agriculture by Focusing on Child-rearing Generations
2020Tomoko Imoto, Nobutaka ISHITSUKA, Cheligeer, Kiyohide Morita · JOURNAL OF RURAL SOCIETY AND ECONOMICS · Japan
This study investigated allotment garden use among child-rearing generations in Japan, identifying preferences for "free space (play area)," "staff to answer questions," and "events." A questionnaire survey of first-grade parents revealed a high potential demand for allotment gardens, with preferences for lower fees, play areas, cultivation guidance, and events. However, an analysis using a cross-effect model found a disconnect between preferences for garden use and food preferences, as those who buy domestic products generally did not value events, indicating a "food-agriculture gap."
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityElderlyPolicyRelationship between Community or Home Gardening and Health of the Elderly: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey in Japan
2019Machida 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.
HealthWelfareCommunityFood educationノウフクJAS（障害者が生産行程に携わった食品の日本農林規格）
2019· 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.
WelfarePolicyOrganic cycleEconomicsHealthFarm Diversification and Sustainability of Multifunctional Peri-Urban Agriculture: Entrepreneurial Attributes of Advanced Diversification in Japan
2019Yoshida 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.
EconomicsPolicyCommunity