See photo at http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2007/06/kitchen_gardens_1.html
1000 yen = US$8.37 Kitchen gardens enjoy a comeback in Japan By Yaeko Abe, printed in the Asahi Shimbun, June 22, 2007 Across the world, backyard vegetable patches have traditionally been the preserve of bearded baby boomers. In recent years, however, a rustic urge has been catching on in Japan. People of all ages and interests have been getting down on their hands and knees to cultivate the earth. Some do it to put fresh, pesticide-free vegetables on the table. Others simply want the satisfaction of growing their own produce. In response to booming demand, allotment gardens that make use of fallow farmland are cropping up everywhere. There are up to 3,000 across the nation--the little "kitchen garden," it seems, is making a comeback. Urban vegetable gardens that cater to members only are being created in front of railway stations in major cities. Tokyoites are now able to grow vegetables in patches that straddle railway lines. Agris Seijo is a members-only rental farm that opened May 4. The location is prime: the upmarket, residential west side of Seijo Gakuen-mae Station on the Odakyu Line in Setagaya Ward. The "field," which is 20 meters wide and 250 meters long, consists of 300 plots that cover 6 square meters each. The project became possible after the Odakyu Line was relocated underground, freeing up a new "rooftop" space. Agris Seijo is no run-of-the-mill vegetable garden. Members of the urban gardening club pay an annual fee of 136,500 yen, for which they are given access to showers, a clubhouse with a lounge, gardening tools imported from Britain and rubber boots manufactured by a French outdoor goods brand. Fertilizer and other chemicals are also on hand. Members can attend a variety of vegetable-themed lectures on topics as diverse as: baking cakes and confections with vegetables, and the art of vegetable carving. Those too busy to make it to the garden for an extended period of time can pay extra to get someone to tend their crops. An all-inclusive special membership package, which covers this service, costs 525,000 yen annually. Tomoyasu Moriguchi, 42, an official at Odakyu Land Flora Corp., the company that manages Agris Seijo, said: "We hope to offer a wide range of services on the vegetable theme. Our goal is to create a new type of gardening culture." When it comes to urban gardening, Osaka's busy Minami district is a step ahead. Namba Parks, a major shopping and business complex that opened next to Nankai Electric Railway's Namba Station, has a terrace-style garden, "Parks Garden," that reaches from the second to the ninth floors. Tucked away at one end is "Urban Farm," a small vegetable garden that contains 20 plots, each measuring 6 square meters. The annual rental fee is 50,400 yen, which provides access to shower facilities and gardening tools. When it opened in 2003, there were 1,100 applicants for the 20 plots. The company does not advertise, but that didn't stop more than 150 people from putting their names down for vacated plots earlier this year as membership is renewed annually. Almost all the "farmers" are novices. Masahiro Nishibane, 34, a Parks Garden official, helps with the cultivation planning and growing. Pesticides are not allowed. Nishibane said: "It is possible to grow vegetables right here in the middle of a bustling city. I want people to have fun with this." "Igasan no Hatake" (Iga-san's farm) is a "farming-experience farm" in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, that gives citizens guidance and hands-on training. Toru Igarashi, 47, who manages the farm, used to grow cabbages. But his business suffered under the onslaught of imported vegetables, and in 1999 he switched direction, carving his cabbage patch into 122 plots, each measuring 30 square meters, and offering a "farming experience" to people who rented them. Nerima Ward was the first local government nationwide that introduced "farming-experience farms" in 1996. According to the laws at the time, only local governments and agricultural cooperatives could open allotment gardens that leased plots on agricultural land to citizen farmers. So a special system was devised where the farmer would be in charge of selecting the crops and devise a cultivation plan; while users would participate in the cultivation process and purchase the fresh produce. The user pays 43,000 yen a year; ward residents 31,000 yen. It is more expensive than a regular citizens' farm, where Nerima Ward residents can rent a 15 square-meter plot for 400 yen a month. But here, the farmer will take care of all anticipated needs, including the preparation of saplings, fertilizer and garden tools. Igarashi said: "For us farmers, it means we can look forward to a stable income. And I think we have a win-win situation that serves the local government and makes the users happy, too." The "Nerima system" caught on. By the end of fiscal 2005, there were 167 similar arrangements nationwide. Under measures implemented in April 2003, NPOs, corporations and private farmers were allowed to lease farmland in districts designated as special zones. Starting in 2005, the special zones were expanded nationwide. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, there were 3,124 allotment farms, including those that use the "Nerima system" nationwide as of March 31, 2006. The number has almost doubled during the past 10 years. But vegetables don't grow that easily--for amateurs. Several plots, left unattended by owners who have given up or lost interest, have gone to seed. Satoshi Fujita, associate professor at Keisen University's Keisen Institute of Horticulture, commented: "Just because you sow some seeds, that doesn't guarantee a successful harvest. Farming requires a certain knowledge and technique in addition to some physical strength. The agriculture ministry should not only concentrate on increasing the number of vegetable patches but also try to train instructors who can teach the art of growing vegetables."(IHT/Asahi: June 22,2007) Article copyright of the Asahi Shimbun Photo credit: Lizwid _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
