Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
10 results
A study on the utilization characteristics of agricultural activity spaces developed in urban parks
2026Guolin XU, Shigeto YANAI · Japanese Journal of Landscape Architecture · Japan (Yokohama City)
This study investigated the utilization characteristics of agricultural activity spaces in urban parks, focusing on parks with allotment gardens in Yokohama City, Japan. Using the line transect method for behavioral observation, the study identified user characteristics and types of use. The results indicated that establishing agricultural activity spaces within urban parks promotes park use among older adults, may contribute to functional specialization by providing targeted health promotion and recreational functions for the elderly, and increases visitors’ length of stay.
CommunityElderlyHealthCommunity Gardens as a Source of Social Capital for Earthquake Preparedness
2025Naomi Shimpo · · Japan (Kobe City)
This chapter presents two case studies of community gardens in old neighborhoods of Kobe City, Japan, to demonstrate their establishment process and the social connections formed. Community gardens serve as open spaces for evacuation and food sources after earthquakes, and daily gardening activities can build social capital crucial for mutual aid in a crisis. The cases illustrate the potential for social capital building through community gardening, particularly for foreign and elderly residents, and highlight the need for city government support for such bottom-up disaster preparedness efforts.
CommunityWelfareElderlyPolicy縮減都市北九州市民の都市農業活動に関するアンケート調査
2025李 錦東 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Kitakyushu)
Kitakyushu City has faced challenges due to continuous population decline and aging since the 1980s, while some shrinking cities abroad have used urban agriculture to solve local issues. This study conducted a questionnaire survey targeting Kitakyushu citizens to clarify the current status and needs regarding their urban agricultural activities. The research aims to provide considerations for promoting urban agricultural activities in Kitakyushu.
CommunityElderlyPolicyUrban–rural linkageAction Research in a Tokyo Suburb
2022Mariia Ermilova, Mitsunari Terada, Isami Kinoshita · · Japan (Tokyo)
From March 2016 to 2021, a five-year action research project was conducted in Matsudo, a Tokyo suburb, Japan, by two PhD students from Chiba University in collaboration with a local neighborhood association. Through cultivating culturally significant plants like herbs, vegetables, and flowers, and utilizing them for crafts and cosmetics, local women, the elderly, and children developed new skills, gained financial support, and social confidence. These activities expanded from edible landscape cultivation in planters to the creation of eight gardens, providing alternative forms of community participation.
CommunityElderlyFood educationPeri-urban agricultureExercise 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.
ElderlyHealthNeeds 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 educationCommunityElderlyPolicy農業経営・交流の両面からみた農業体験農園の役割─東京都練馬区農業体験農園を事例として─
2018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.
CommunityEconomicsFood educationPolicyElderly[Relationship between fruit and vegetable gardening and health-related factors: male community gardeners aged 50-74 years living in a suburban area of Japan].
2017Daisuke 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.
CommunityHealthElderlyThe Characteristics of Allotment Garden Uses through the Comparisons between the Urban and Rural Areas
2002Nobuyuki MINO, Isao NAKASE · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Japan
A study investigated the usage patterns of allotment gardens in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. In urban allotment gardens, users were predominantly in their 60s, utilized gardens frequently and from nearby, and derived satisfaction primarily from agriculture and forestry. In multi-natural residential areas, users were slightly younger, mainly in their 50s, engaged in more diverse uses, and found satisfaction not only from agriculture and forestry but also from landscape and community interaction. From these findings, it was considered that allotment gardens in multi-natural residential areas have the potential to be a core for urban-rural exchange, with agriculture, forestry, and the surrounding environment functioning as mediators.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityElderlyAnalysis of the User Radius and Attitudes of Allotment Gardens for the Aged.
1997Yasunari Miyake, Yasuo Matsumoto · JOURNAL OF RURAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION · Japan (Gifu)
This study investigated the user radius and attitudes of allotment garden users for the aged in Gifu City, Japan. The average user radius was 1,280m, with 10 out of 19 gardens having a radius of 1,000m or less. A significant negative correlation was found between user radius and residential density within 1km, and the absence of gardens in the city center led to an expansive user radius. Over 90% of users continued to use the gardens with high satisfaction, but distance significantly affected usage frequency and time spent, with assessments declining dramatically beyond 1,500m.
ElderlyCommunityPolicy