This audio is generated by AI, so pronunciation and expressions may not be fully accurate. The narration is only in English.
Yakumo no Hatake opened as a community garden in March 2019. The land has been passed down for generations through Utsuyama's maternal family. As urbanization steadily turned the surrounding area into residential neighborhoods, his grandmother held firmly to the belief that the land should remain farmland—a conviction that Utsuyama has carried forward.
Utsuyama explains, "My family originally ran a landscaping business and grew trees here on land designated as productive green space. As maintaining the farmland became more difficult, I began looking for new ways to use it, which eventually led to the idea of turning it into a community garden."
Productive green space refers to farmland designated for planned conservation as part of efforts to maintain a healthy urban environment. According to data from the Bureau of Urban Development, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the capital had a total of 2,773 hectares of productive green space in 2024, of which approximately 1.88 hectares were located in Meguro City.
The Yakumo no Hatake initiative began with a desire to preserve the land as productive green space while putting it to use for the benefit of the surrounding community. The project started by dividing part of the farmland into plots and leasing them as a community garden. Over time, its activities have expanded to include a range of events and markets, evolving into a community-centered space that fosters local connections.
The community garden at Yakumo no Hatake offers plots in 2 sizes: 10 square meters and 5 square meters. The project initially launched with 12 plots of 10 square meters, but in response to user demand, smaller plots were gradually added. Today, all 31 plots are fully occupied, with a waiting list in place due to sustained demand.
Most users of the community garden live nearby and visit on foot or by bicycle. They range widely in age, from young adults and families with small children to seniors, as well as groups such as kindergartens.
According to Utsuyama, most users have little to no farming experience. Some have grown vegetables at home or rented plots elsewhere, but none have farmed on a full scale.
Users with little or no farming experience are supported by farm advisors from MYFARM Inc., which manages and operates the community garden, also a Tokyo Green Biz collaboration partner. The advisors visit the site twice a week, spending about half a day each time to provide practical guidance, beginning with the basics—how to prepare raised beds, plant seeds, and properly use tools, fertilizers, and water. They also offer easy, informal advice on which vegetables to grow and how best to care for them throughout the season, giving beginners the confidence to enjoy growing vegetables for the first time.
The range of vegetables grown at the garden shifts with the seasons. Spring brings a strong harvest of legumes such as fava beans and peas, along with leafy greens including komatsuna, a Japanese mustard spinach, and spinach. In the autumn and winter months, familiar staples like napa cabbage, cabbage, daikon radish, and carrots come into season, joined by crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and onions.
While a few basic rules are in place—such as avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilizers and refraining from planting trees—users are otherwise free to grow whatever vegetables they choose in their own plots. There are no set guidelines on how often they need to visit.
Utsuyama says, "Some people come by several times a week, while others stop in just to pick a few lettuce leaves or snip some scallions for cooking. For some, it's a place they use almost like an extension of their own garden."
The farm regularly hosts events such as markets featuring locally grown produce and workshops focused on farming and food. These events are open not only to community garden users but also to the wider public, offering more people the chance to engage with farmland.
A wide range of events is held each month, attracting participants of all ages. These include participatory activities such as wood-fired pizza making, outdoor matcha tea gatherings, food education programs that take participants from harvest to cooking, and workshops using flowers and plants grown on the site. Particularly popular are the flower-arranging sessions, where participants create wreaths and swags, as well as the traditional mochi-pounding event held at the start of the New Year.
As Utsuyama puts it, "Surrounded by nature, freshly baked pizza just tastes better. In that relaxed, cheerful atmosphere, even children who usually shy away from vegetables end up eating more than they expect."
Many of the market vendors also describe the experience as uplifting.
As Utsuyama reflects, being surrounded by greenery and bathed in sunlight has a way of restoring one's energy. He hopes the market can be a place where people feel free to slow down, relax, and spend time at ease.
Events are sometimes planned by Utsuyama together with the farm advisors, but ideas brought forward by users themselves are equally welcome.
Utsuyama adds, "I want more people to discover what makes this place special and to feel free to use it in ways that matter to them."
In the middle of the city, this landscape offers a rare environment where children—especially those growing up in urban settings—can play freely in nature while learning through experience.
Children who come along for farm work often drift into their own worlds, engrossed in catching insects, gathering fallen branches, getting muddy, or splashing around with water from the well, playing without restraint.
Utsuyama notes that while parents tend to be cautious at first, they soon come prepared with extra clothes, knowing their children will get messy. The children, he says, appear to be having a great time.
Beyond vegetables and flowers, children encounter a wide range of living things—from birds to insects—through direct contact with nature.
Utsuyama also notes that many parents have seen changes at home as a result of these experiences, with children beginning to eat vegetables they had previously avoided after growing them themselves.
At a time when almost any ingredient can be bought at a supermarket, Utsuyama believes there is value in experiencing where vegetables actually come from and tasting them at their freshest. Through that process, he hopes children might develop an interest in farming—opening up new perspectives and possibilities for their future.
Since launching the farm, Utsuyama has seen his network broaden beyond the surrounding community to include people involved in agriculture across Tokyo.
He has built ties with private companies that run community gardens and joined networks of farmers within the city, where he actively exchanges ideas and perspectives on the future of urban agriculture.
In a city like Tokyo, networks and communities that link scattered pockets of farmland play a vital role in bringing together urban farming practitioners like Utsuyama, opening up new possibilities for what urban agriculture can become.
"Many people are surprised to discover that a place this peaceful exists," Utsuyama says. "I'd be glad if more people came to realize that you don't have to go far to find spaces like this—even in the middle of the city."
Looking ahead to the spring of 2026, Utsuyama plans to take on a new challenge: beekeeping. By introducing honeybees, he hopes to support the pollination of fruit trees and vegetables, while also adding the pleasure of harvesting honey.
What began as a community garden exploring ways to sustain urban farmland has since grown into a space that brings people together and strengthens local ties. Connecting people with greenery, Yakumo no Hatake continues to expand the value of keeping farmland in the heart of the city, while pointing toward new models for urban farmland.
Operating on a 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.By working with residents, companies, and a variety of other entities, its efforts aim to transform Tokyo into a sustainable city that exists in harmony with nature.TOKYO GREEN BIZ - Green Urban Development -TMG
