Rooftop offer people casual farming

Rooftop gardens on buildings have been attracting attention, as they offer casual farming in major metropolitan areas. One day, I saw a man and a woman holding large daikon radishes in their hands and looking very happy as they came out of Tachikawa Takashimaya S.C., a commercial facility in front of Tachikawa Station.

I thought they bought daikon from the supermarket in the facility, but they said they were harvested from the “field” on the roof.

I took the elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, I found a row of large planters, each as tall as an adult’s knee. Broccoli, spinach, komatsuna mustard spinach and other vegetables were growing in the sunlight in containers covered with white netting to protect them from insects.

The rental farm Sharebatake Garden opened on the rooftop of the facility in October last year. Currently, about 60 “farmers” are growing vegetables.

Agrimedia Co. based in Meguro

Ward, Tokyo, which develops agricultural businesses, started the business to make it easier for people to enjoy farming experience. It now operates 137 farms nationwide, mainly in major metropolitan areas.

By paying a fee, users are given two planters to use as their own “fields.” All necessary tools, such as shovels and watering cans, vegetable seeds and fertilizers are provided, so users can take care of vegetables on their way to work or shopping.

There is no need to worry about getting your clothes dirty because the vegetables are grown in planters.

An agricultural specialist is stationed there three days a week, so there is no need to worry even for people who do not know how to grow vegetables. The farm is said to be attracting increasing attention as a way to better utilize land in the city center.

“It gives me a rhythm to my life and a sense of accomplishment. I never thought tilling the soil could be so much fun,” said Katsuko Kamiyama, 75, who visits the farm every weekend.

At her suggestion, I bit into a piece of freshly picked broccoli and felt its subtle sweetness spreading in my mouth.

Above: Vegetables in large planters grow vigorously in the sunlight on the rooftop of Tachikawa Takashimaya S.C. in Tachikawa, Tokyo. Left: A visitor in everyday clothes has harvested daikon radishes in his hands.

Above: Users of the rooftop garden listen to the advice of an expert, left. Right: Almost everything necessary for cultivation, from tools to seeds, is available.