Nothing tastes better than your own grown veggies and fruits, so check out shared gardening in Japan! Sharebatake.comis a Japanese website that aggregates local shared gardens where you can pay a membership fee of typically 11,000 yen and a monthly fee for garden space (usually 6-10,000 yen for garden space 3-9 square meters). A great activity to grow your food but also help build community and help the earth! If you have a plot of land in Tokyo, you can also list it as a shared garden on Sharebatake.com. Tokyo urban grading is a great sustainability project for the entire family!
Shared Gardening in Japan – Sharebatake.com
There are shared gardens all over Japan, with many being located in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. On Sharebatake.com, you can search via this handy map for one near you. Once you find the location, size, and amenities you desire, you can apply to rent the space. Sharebatake.com will work with you to arrange the rental. Pretty simple process but does need some Japanese language skills.
Once you have found a garden near, you can see the fee structure for space, and then amenities available such as water, toilets, rest area, BBQ area, parking, and also the distance from trains. I recommend if you have a car, to find one with parking. It makes it much easier if you are transporting seedling, compost, and other heavy materials. Most shared gardens also have shovels, water hoses, and other major equipment. Each shared garden has advisors who are volunteers and can help with advice on setting up and working your space most efficiently! Many of the share gardeners are families with young children and retirees. An enjoyable and passionate group of people!
Our family has been urban farming on our roof for the past four years, and we can grow many of our salad items and herbs from April – November. July and August are the toughest periods due to the heat and limited rain, so best to get an early start in April/May with greens and then move to hardier veggies for the summer. Because of the Kanto area climate, you can usually plant seedlings in early September and get a robust autumn harvest. We are also avid composters with our veggies and fruits, which provides us a constant supply of soil instead of lugging bags home.
Sharebatake.com Facebook Page – Japanese page sharing information on Shared Farming
JapanGardening Facebook Page – English page for people who love to garden in Japan
Shared Gardening in Japan – Sharebatake.com
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