In Tokyo, the world’s largest mega-city, urban residents create gardens in small public spaces outside apartment buildings, shops and homes. Even a crack in the sidewalk can be a place to grow a flower.
Most Japanese consider urban gardening so common as to be unremarkable. But by creating green spaces in dense urban areas, Tokyo residents have created a livable city connecting urban residents to the environment and to each other. Tokyo’s urban green spaces can contribute ideas that improve urban life in United States and global cities.
Tokyo’s streets are already more green than most developed and developing cities. Overlapping rail and subway lines provide fast, convenient and clean movement. Stations are connected to residential neighborhoods by 商店街 (shoutengai, or pedestrian-only commercial streets) and a web of 路地 (roji, small streets and alleys). Residents garden in median strips, in front of homes and apartments, and on balconies. Tokyo has many rivers and parks.
宮崎 駿 Miyazaki Hayao, the creator of Totoro and Spirited Away, has been active in preserving green space in Suginami, Tokyo and in imagining a greener urban life. This is his illustration from Totoro no sumu ie, 1991.
Green urban spaces are essential for livable cities, with human and environmental benefits. These include improving human health by lowering obesity and diabetes; reducing our carbon footprint; safe-guarding harbor, bay and ocean waters; providing habitat for city wildlife; connecting neighbors and communities; growing local food; and improving the quality of life and desirability of urban living.
A view of vernacular residential greening in Nakano, Tokyo:
Kirai, A Geek in Japan, the English translation of a Spaniard’s blog, documented how a Tokyo young woman is growing tomatoes in a small median strip:
Posted by Fred Harriman on March 28, 2009 at 1:50 am
It’s great the way people grow morning glories and moon flowers in the summer, and I love it when they splash water on the pavement to keep things cool. Natsukasiiii!
Posted by Brent on September 18, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I love seeing greener cities and a greener Tokyo. However, I’m more than a little concerned about the toxicity of growing edible plants in proximity to car exhaust. Having wrote that, Tokyo air is not so clean anyway. Comments?
Posted by Brent on September 18, 2009 at 11:05 pm
i mean, the toxicity of the plants, not growing them…
Posted by palmsundae on September 20, 2009 at 5:43 am
I agree with you that the photo on this page, of tomato plants growing next to a busy road, does raise questions about fumes and food. However, I wonder if Tokyo’s overall air quality is that bad.
And, surprising to most visitors, Tokyo’s streets are laid out so that main arteries are heavily trafficked, while many residences are on small streets and alleys with minimal automobiles. It is actually amazing that you can walk around so much of Tokyo in the middle of the street with no fear of being run over.