A Mound of Waste Transformed into a Rich Forest: The Umi-no-Mori Park in the Port of Tokyo Opens in March 2025
Creating a Forest Together with Tokyo Citizens and Corporations
The forest of Umi-no-Mori Park spreads out on an elevated ground some 30 meters above sea level and it surrounds a large field of grass and groves. The park has been undergoing development for around 20 years as part of the Umi-no-Mori Project. During this time, saplings were planted on the reclaimed land filled with waste and construction-generated dirt to transform it into a beautiful forest.
There are very few cases in the world of growing a forest on a waste disposal site built on the sea. Since there were no precedents, Makino said they needed a plan to get citizens, corporations, and NPO members to take part in the project from the development stages so that they could understand the purpose.
"We wanted to create a park that would be loved by the people, where they could interact with nature," Makino explained. "That's why we made one of the concepts 'creating a forest in collaboration with Tokyo citizens' and worked with citizens, corporations, and NPO members to grow and plant saplings. We called for donations and held events, like tree-planting days, so that many people could easily and freely take part in creating the park."
Tree-planting days were held every spring and fall between 2007 and 2015, joined by corporations and people who saw the public invitation for the event. Some of the saplings that were planted were grown from acorns found in parks around Tokyo, which made the participants feel more connected to the forest.
"The saplings that were planted during the events were grown by elementary school students in Tokyo and public volunteers," Makino said. "After all, plants need human care to grow well. And we've actually heard a lot of people say they feel more connected to the forest and are looking forward to its completion after they personally planted and pruned the trees."
Circulating and Recycling Limited Resources
The Umi-no-Mori Project has one other important concept, which is "creating a resource-recycling forest." In order to turn a mound of waste into a forest, Mizuuchi said they had to take special steps to create soil that would allow plants to grow.
"To overcome the issue of the waste's foul smell, the ground here was filled with 12.3 million tons of waste and construction dirt in alternating layers," he explained. "In addition, we mixed the construction dirt and compost to create a planting foundation for soil that would allow plants to grow abundantly. The compost was made from leaves and twigs that were pruned from the trees in parks and along the streets of Tokyo. So we made effective use of what would have just been waste to create a resource-recycling forest."
The resource-recycling forest was created hand-in-hand with the people of Tokyo and corporations with careful consideration for the environment. The project members also took special measures to counter the strong gusts of salty wind that blow along the waterfront.
"This is a tough environment for trees to grow in," Mizuuchi said. "So we planted species like the Japanese black pine and Japanese bay tree, which are resilient to strong winds and salt damage, in the Wind Forest area facing the sea. We also set up windbreak netting and planted trees close together to protect small saplings from being blown over and ensure that the trees that have taken root are able to grow."
They also designed the forest in a way that would allow wildlife like insects and birds to gather.
"Out of consideration for living creatures, we planted tree species that insects and birds could use as habitats and food. You can already spot many insects like butterflies and dragonflies as well as birds like the Eurasian skylark and bull-headed shrike around here."
A Park Where People Can Always Make New Discoveries
The Umi-no-Mori Park offers a fantastic, sweeping view of the metropolis, including Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. At present, preparations for the grand opening are underway, setting up infrastructure, installing playground equipment, and constructing the visitor center. Although the park is closed to the general public until the opening, Mizuuchi said he wanted people to look forward to what is to come, including the grand opening and various other events.
"We'll continue to 'create a forest in collaboration with Tokyo citizens' even after the park opens," Mizuuchi said. "In addition, the park will offer a large plaza for picnics and playing ball games, an interactive grove for wildlife observation, and a barbeque facility to enjoy with friends and family. People can make new discoveries every time they visit, so we hope it will be enjoyed not only by parents with their children but also by a wide range of people of all age groups. We hope to make it a park that people will want to visit time and again."
Marine Park Division, Waterfront Development Department, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Port and Harbor
Operating on the concept that envisions green urban development for the next 100 years, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is pushing initiatives to protect, cultivate, and utilize Tokyo's greenery.
Through the efforts of both individual citizens and various entities, the aim is to transform Tokyo into a sustainable city that exists in harmony with nature.
TOKYO GREEN BIZ - Green Urban Development -TMG
Photos by Akiyoshi Yoko
Translation by Maria Smith