Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
49 results(1 / 2)
空き地を活用したコミュニティガーデンの価値とその創出要因の解明
2025· 日本建築学会計画系論文集 90巻832号 pp.1219-1230 · Japan
A paper clarifying the value of community gardens created on vacant land and the factors that generate that value; focusing on intergenerational exchange and collaborative activity, it analyzes the effects of reusing vacant spaces in complexes and neighborhoods on local community.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityAdaptive trait divergence of annual plants in response to urban habitat diversity in a megacity
2025Nakata Taichi, Naoyuki Nakahama, Nobuko Ohmido, Atushi Ushimaru · Journal of Ecology · Japan (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe)
This study investigated the effects of urban habitat diversity on plant trait diversification in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe megacity, Japan, using a common garden experiment with seeds from 23 Commelina communis populations from rural agricultural lands, urban agricultural lands, parks, and roadsides. Urban habitats generally exhibited higher soil pH and land surface temperature. Urban populations, particularly those from roadsides, showed distinct traits such as increased plant height, larger plant height/width ratio, fewer shoots and leaves, and/or larger leaves compared to rural populations. QST-FST comparisons and trait-environment relationships strongly suggest that local adaptation to hot, shaded, and/or eutrophic urban environments drove the observed trait divergence among various urban populations.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeThe Application of Leisure Constraints to Community Garden Activities Having Different Themes in Japan
2025Ryotaro HAYASHI, Yasushi Kyutoku, Atsuya SHIMAZAKI, Yoshiki HARADA · Transactions of Japan Society of Kansei Engineering · Japan
This study investigated the applicability of the leisure constraint model to community garden programs in Japan, using an online questionnaire (n=732) on participation constraints across four activity scenarios. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the model can be applied to Japanese community garden practices. However, exploratory factor analyses revealed many extracted factors had vague or inconsistent question combinations, suggesting a need for future research to construct a community garden-specific leisure constraint model.
CommunityHealthFood educationBiodiversityAn Inventory of Vascular Plants in the Elementary School Garden on Okinoerabujima Island.
2025基博 川西, 143997, Motohiro Kawanishi · Kagoshima University Repository · Japan (Okinoerabujima Island)
A survey of flora in seven elementary school gardens on Okinoerabujima Island, Japan, clarified the distribution of vascular plants and compiled a list for educational use. The survey identified a total of 480 species, comprising 211 native, 100 exotic, and 157 cultivated plants. The school gardens were characterized by a large number of native species, including rare and endangered herbaceous plants, indicating their high potential for nature education.
Food educationBiodiversityGlobally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in Japan: investigating selected agricultural practices and values for farmers
2024Nath T.K., Inoue M., Yim E.W., Takahashi S. · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Japan
Using empirical data from two Japanese GIAHS sites, documents features of traditional agricultural practices and their values, including conservation of local crop varieties and revitalization of discontinued farming for rural livelihoods.
Heirloom & landracePolicyBiodiversityCommunityIntroduction to heirloom vegetables in Kyoto prefecture (Kyo-yasai), Japan
2024Mimura Y. · Journal of Ethnic Foods 11: Article 26 · Japan
Reviews the history, preservation, branding, and scientific research on Kyoto's heirloom vegetables (Kyo-yasai), highlighting how farmers, researchers, and municipalities sustain traditional landrace cultivation amid urbanization pressures.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityPolicy「有明ガーデン みんなの菜園プロジェクト」開始のお知らせ
2024住友不動産商業マネジメント株式会社, 武蔵野大学工学部サステナビリティ学科 · 武蔵野大学 / 住友不動産 共同プレスリリース · Japan
At Sumitomo Fudosan's Ariake Garden commercial facility, a resident-participatory container garden is launched jointly with Musashino University as a social experiment including urban permaculture workshops and wellbeing evaluation.
CommunityHealthBiodiversity横浜都市農業推進プラン2024-2028
2024横浜市 環境創造局 · 横浜市 都市農業振興基本法に基づく地方計画 · Japan
Yokohama's latest five-year local plan under the Urban Agriculture Promotion Act, organising policies for sustainable farming, farmland preservation, citizen farms, harvest experiences and local consumption building on Midori Up and Megumi-no-Sato programmes.
PolicyCommunityFood educationBiodiversityEconomics環境報告書（令和６年度）
2024東京都国分寺市 · 国分寺市 環境報告書 · Japan
Kokubunji's annual environmental report under the basic environment plan, evaluating urban farmland preservation, local consumption and biodiversity while documenting municipally supported programmes such as the Citizen Agriculture University and citizen farms.
PolicyBiodiversityCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleHabitat diversification associated with urban development has a little effect on genetic structure in the annual native plant Commelina communis in an East Asian megacity
2024Nakata Taichi, Naoyuki Nakahama, Nobuko Ohmido, Atushi Ushimaru · Ecology and Evolution · Japan (Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe)
In Japan's Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe megacity, the genetic diversity and structure of 24 Commelina communis populations were investigated across diverse habitat types, including rural agricultural land, urban agricultural land, urban park land, and urban roadsides. The establishment of diverse habitat types through urbanization was found to have no impact on C. communis genetic diversity and little impact on its genetic structure. This is likely due to the plant's high selfing rate and ability to adapt to urban conditions.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkageグリーンインフラ推進戦略2023
2023国土交通省 · 国土交通省（令和5年9月策定） · Japan
The core strategy of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism aiming to mainstream and 'build in' green infrastructure across all sectors with the public and private sectors working in tandem. It sets out seven perspectives—collaboration, community, technology, evaluation, finance, global and digital—and positions a broad range of spaces, including urban farmland and everyday greenery, as multifunctional green social infrastructure for stormwater management, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, health and community.
PolicyBiodiversityCommunityHealthElucidation of genetic variation and population structure of melon genetic resources in the NARO Genebank, and construction of the World Melon Core Collection
2023Shigita Gentaro, Tran Phuong Dung, Pervin Mst. Naznin, Duong Thanh-Thuy, Imoh Odirich Nnennaya, Monden Yuki, Nishida Hidetaka, Tanaka Katsunori, Sugiyama Mitsuhiro, Kawazu Yoichi, Tomooka Norihiko, Kato Kenji · Breeding Science, 73(3): 263-275 · Japan
Genotyping-by-sequencing of 755 melon accessions in the NARO Genebank identified ~39,000 SNPs to clarify genetic relationships and population structure and to construct a World Melon Core Collection, supporting conservation and use of genetic resources.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityPolicyHolobiont Urbanism: sampling urban beehives reveals cities' metagenomes
2023Hénaff E., Najjar D., Perez M., Mason C., McMeekin P. · Environmental Microbiome, 18:23 · United States (Brooklyn) / Australia / Italy / Japan
A pilot using three rooftop beehives in Brooklyn, NY, comparing hive substrates (honey, debris, swabs, bee bodies) to map surrounding urban metagenomes, then extending to hive debris from Sydney, Melbourne, Venice and Tokyo. Each city shows a distinct metagenomic profile, positioning rooftop beekeeping as a tool for reading the urban environment.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunity大阪府摂津市 防災協力農地看板設置事例
2023大阪府摂津市, 農林水産省 · 農林水産省 農山漁村振興交付金事例 · Japan
Settsu City grant case installing signage for disaster-cooperation farmland, showing a municipal public-support model linking urban farmland's disaster and green functions with conservation of citizen farms.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityねりま都市農業プロジェクト検討会 報告書
2022練馬区 · 練馬区 調査報告書 · Japan
Final report of Nerima's review panel building on the World Urban Agriculture Summit, organising directions for publicly supported urban agriculture under four pillars — circulation, environment, fairness and collaboration — including farmland conservation, agriculture-welfare links, ward allotments and outreach.
PolicyCommunityFood educationBiodiversity名古屋農業振興地域整備計画書
2022名古屋市 · 名古屋市 農業振興地域整備計画 · Japan
Nagoya's agricultural revitalisation area development plan, setting the institutional framework for municipally supported urban agriculture through conserving quality farmland, modernising facilities, promoting farmer-led citizen farms and collaborative local land use.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityEconomicsFor the love of insects: gardening grows positive emotions (biophilia) towards invertebrates
2022Amelie M. Vanderstock, Cecilia Grandi-Nagashiro, Gaku Kudo, Tanya Latty, Shoko Nakamura, Thomas E. White, Masashi Soga · Journal of Insect Conservation · Japan
An online survey was conducted with 443 adults in Japan to investigate the association between nature and gardening experiences, demographics, species identification knowledge, and biophilia (liking) and biophobia (dislike, fear, and disgust) towards invertebrates. Frequent gardeners were found to be more likely to express biophilia and perceive invertebrates as beneficial, and generally less likely to express biophobia. The results suggest that gardening can serve as a pathway to foster appreciation for invertebrate biodiversity in urban settings.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityAnalysis of the Description of the Multifunctionality of Farmland in the Administrative Plans of Local Municipalities
2022Yosuke Masuda, Takashi Oka, Erika Yoshinari, Takaaki Nishida, Tadashi Ikeda · Ecological research monographs · Japan
This research collected eight types of administrative plans from local governments across Japan related to the multifunctionality of farmland and reviewed the extent to which they describe these functions. Findings revealed that farmland's multifunctionality was incorporated into many municipal plans, with municipalities of a certain population size and high financial strength index tending to mention these roles more frequently. However, descriptions of functions like "disaster mitigation and response" and "water and food supply" in times of disaster were less common.
PolicyBiodiversityUrban–rural linkage秋田県における在来ナス品種の遺伝的類縁関係および導入経路
2021中川 睦司, 高橋 秀和, 上田 健治, 渡辺 明夫, 赤木 宏守, 櫻井 健二 · 園芸学研究（Hort. Res. (Japan)）, 20(4): 379-385 · Japan
Using SSR markers on four Akita native eggplant varieties and 46 domestic landraces, phylogenetic and population structure analyses inferred the genetic relationships and likely introduction routes of traditional Akita eggplant cultivars.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityAssessment 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都市と緑・農が共生するまちづくり 優良取組事例集
2019国土交通省 都市局 公園緑地・景観課 · 国土交通省（MLIT）報告書 · Japan
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism casebook compiled to advance both compact urban structure and the 'coexistence of cities with green and agriculture'. It catalogues urban-farming and green-space initiatives — including resident-participation rooftop gardens, allotments and farming-led town-making by private developers and municipalities — and provides the policy backdrop for developer cases.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityFood educationConstruction of a core collection of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) based on genome-wide SNP and SSR genotypes
2019Miyatake Koji, Shinmura Yoichi, Matsunaga Hiroshi, Fukuoka Hiroyuki, Saito Takeo · Breeding Science, 69(3): 498-502 · Japan
Analyzing 893 eggplant accessions in the NARO Genebank with genome-wide SNPs and SSRs, the authors built a core collection; Asian accessions formed the center of diversity, supporting efficient conservation and use of genetic resources.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityPolicy横浜都市農業推進プラン
2019横浜市 環境創造局 · 横浜市 都市農業推進計画 · Japan
Yokohama's urban agriculture promotion plan, linked to the Midori Up programme, organising policies and results for publicly supported citizen farming infrastructure including diverse citizen farms, cultivation experience farms, harvest farms and Megumi-no-Sato districts.
PolicyCommunityFood educationBiodiversity