Research & reports

Guolin 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.

東急不動産株式会社, 株式会社マイファーム · 東急不動産 プレスリリース資料 · Japan

Tokyu Fudosan launches an agriculture experience project for Branz owners in Higashimatsuyama using solar-sharing farmland, an official developer-led rental-garden initiative linking resident food education, exchange, and regional revitalization.

Takahashi Y., Yoshida T., Johnson B.A., Shigeto S., Yamagata Y. · Sustainability Science (Springer) · Japan

Uses structural equation modeling on national survey and geospatial data to demonstrate the relationship between urban-to-rural migrants' quality of life and natural capital (farmland, greenspace), providing evidence for the effectiveness of rural in-migration policy.

Ryotaro 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.

Shimpo N. · Landscape and Urban Planning, 251:105148 · Japan

Analyses how a suburban-Tokyo community garden (Seseragi Garden, Hino City) was managed for resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gardeners proactively set rules through discussion and sustained activity, helping maintain food security, physical and mental health, ikigai and social networks, thereby contributing to community resilience.

· 農福連携等推進会議（内閣官房） · Japan

Government vision (2019, revised 2024) promoting noufuku—agriculture-welfare collaboration enabling people with disabilities to participate in society through farming—as national policy, covering awareness, training, facility support, and market expansion via certification.

柏の葉スマートシティコンソーシアム, 国土交通省 都市局 · 国土交通省 都市局（スマートシティ実装化支援事業 報告書） · Japan

An MLIT support-program report documenting the implementation of Kashiwanoha Smart City, advanced by Mitsui Fudosan as co-developer through public-private-academia collaboration (UDCK). It covers the implementation and evaluation of resident-participatory initiatives across health, community and data use.

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

Annual report of the area-management organization after UR Hibarigaoka Danchi regeneration, documenting resident-led activities such as the shared garden and Niwa Marche at Hibari Terrace 118 and strengthened collaboration with developer subdivisions including Nomura, Daiwa, and Sumitomo.

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.

Hayato IIDA, Yasushi Kyutoku, Wakana KUDO, Yoshiki HARADA · Transactions of Japan Society of Kansei Engineering · Japan (Tokyo)

This study investigated whether the UGS (Urban Green Space Scale), an impression evaluation scale for Tokyo's urban green spaces, could assess impressions of two urban rooftop gardens with flat versus stepped spatial configurations. Based on an online questionnaire (N=670), confirmatory factor analyses indicated a poor or unacceptable fit of urban rooftop gardens to the UGS. Exploratory factor analyses yielded different factor structures, suggesting that new scales are required for evaluating impressions of urban rooftop gardens.

Iida A., Yamazaki T., Hino K., Yokohari M. · npj Urban Sustainability 3:4 · Japan

Focusing on Tokyo, the study quantitatively verified how access to local food through urban agriculture relates to residents' subjective well-being, physical activity, and food-security concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. It showed that walkable-distance urban agriculture supported community health and food-system resilience.

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.

川崎市 経済労働局 都市農業振興センター · 川崎市 調査報告書 · Japan

Kawasaki status report on farmland area, producers, productive greenbelts, tourism farms, citizen farms and regional exchange farms, quantifying small-scale urban production and publicly supported experience farms.

Kamiyama C., Hori K., Matsui T., Pretty J., Saito O. · Sustainability Science (Springer) · Japan

Using national surveys from 2015 and 2021, shows that more agricultural areas have higher home food production and neighborly sharing, and that interest in home production rose in urban areas after COVID-19—longitudinally demonstrating the multiple benefits of local food systems.

Bean Casey · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

This paper discusses the current status of the KIT Community Garden project, an honors project at Kanazawa Institute of Technology that began in 2016. The project aims to improve members' English language skills, gardening knowledge, environmental awareness, and establish a deeper connection to the community. The paper covers the garden's state, design principles, recent changes, feedback from current members, and outstanding challenges.

Hua Xu, Miki U. Kobayashi · Journal of Architecture and Planning (Transactions of AIJ) · Japan

A study (2023, Japan) conducted a psychological-evaluation experiment in which participants viewed a 360-degree view of the landscape of rooftop gardens in the Shibuya commercial district of Tokyo, examining the relationship between spatial composition and psychological evaluation. Three axes were first identified from the psychological evaluations of the rooftop garden landscape. For inward-facing rooftop gardens, the comfort factor increased with larger floor area and more plants; for street-facing rooftop gardens, the comfort factor decreased when floor area was small and the view was dominated by buildings, roads, and fences with little vegetation.

三牧 浩也（柏の葉アーバンデザインセンター 副センター長） · 国土交通省 スマートシティ官民連携プラットフォーム 講演資料 · Japan

A presentation by the deputy director of Urban Design Center Kashiwanoha (UDCK) explaining the public-private-academia town-building of Kashiwanoha Smart City, in which Mitsui Fudosan participates. It outlines the collaboration framework among citizens, companies and universities and the resident-participatory approach centered on health and community.

李 靖儀, 木南 莉莉, 古澤 慎一, 木南 章 · 地域学研究 52巻2号 pp.231-254 · Japan

A Tokyo-centered survey on involvement and evaluation of rooftop farms finds high satisfaction among participants but low uptake, using SEM to analyze institutional and design policy needs for spreading private-development rooftop farms such as Mori Building's Roppongi Hills.

横浜市 環境創造局農政推進課 · 横浜市 市民調査報告 · Japan

Results of Yokohama's e-survey on citizen farms, capturing user motivations, satisfaction and challenges as baseline data for municipal policy improvements including the citizen-farm map and stronger outreach.

厚 板谷, 大輔 野上, 公文 佐藤 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan (Asahikawa)

This study, involving 20 preschool children from one kindergarten in Asahikawa city, Japan, examined how diversifying snow surfaces in a school garden affected physical activity intensity during winter outdoor play. Five trials were conducted in December and January-February. Activity intensity in snowy mountains was more prominent in the December control trial (less snow) than in the January-February experimental trials, but various play promotions increased activity in rough snow.

Kimihiro Hino, Takahiro Yamazaki, Akiko Iida, Kentaro Harada, Makoto Yokohari · Landscape and Urban Planning · Japan (Tokyo)

This study evaluated the contribution of five types of activities in productive urban landscapes (PULs) to physical activity among 80 Tokyo residents using accelerometers and activity diaries. Older participants frequently engaged in these activities, spending a high percentage of their total energy expenditure, with satoyama woodlands averaging approximately one-third of national weekly recommendations for older adults. Total daily energy expenditure was significantly higher on workdays (1.18 to 1.36 times non-workdays), and hourly energy expenditure in PULs was comparable to public parks.

Naomi Shimpo · Toshi keikaku hokokushu/Toshi keikaku houkokushuu · Japan

This case study reports how Toyama City, Japan, launched a municipally led community garden program using neighborhood block parks (gaiku koen), the smallest category of urban park in Japan. Growing and harvesting vegetables and fruit in urban parks had generally been regarded as inappropriate on public-interest grounds, but the city persuaded the responsible ministry that community gardens benefit urban residents, particularly older adults, and meet existing needs of these parks. As a result, management of the community gardens was transferred, through official procedures, to resident-run park stewardship associations (koen aigokai).

Harada K., Hino K., Iida A., Yamazaki T., Usui H., Asami Y., Yokohari M. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), 18(2):542 · Japan

A cross-sectional study comparing 783 urban-farming participants with 1,254 non-participants in Tokyo. Participants in both allotment and experience-farm programs reported significantly better self-rated and mental health, highlighting the health value of regular social interaction in urban farming.

千葉 舞優, 西村 亮彦 · 景観・デザイン研究講演集 No.17 · Japan

Using Odakyu's regenerated Hoshinotani Danchi as a case study, this research examines the planning and operation of community spaces including the Hatamusubi rental farm, Kissaten Laundry café, and childcare support facilities, showing how movement between facilities generates small-scale exchange including the surrounding area.

Toyoda 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.