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The Green Toshima revival project
Toshima city
Japan

The Problem

Toshima is a city with the highest population density in Japan and there are few green space compare to other cities in Tokyo. There are no large spaces to plant big trees or many flowers in the city. So, Most Citizens of Toshima City gave up to live with nature.
To boost interest for environment, many citizens need to participate and carry out the environmental project voluntarily.But only few citizens were interested in normal tree-planting campaign. So we needed to organize high-impact project.
For changing citizens’ behavior, it is the most important to make experience to change surrounding environment themselves. So, we made effort to involve so many citizens in experiencing tree-planting. We expected their interests for environment would deverop real actions.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
There are 31 elementary schools and junior high schools (public school) in Toshima and about 10,000 students learn there. We challenged the project that all students in Toshima did tree-planting in all school at the same time. Some schools in other cities had tried to plant trees before. But it was the first attempt that all students in the city joined the tree-planting event at same time.
About 400 people from many associations and companies in Toshima City supported students as a volunteer. All participants felt that environment of Toshima City improved through the afforestation. In near future, Our city will change into the rich environmental place where insects and birds can live comfortably.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
At first, everyone thought it was impossible to find the place to plant tree in Toshima city. However, professor Akira Miyawaki, who is very famous phytosociologist and supervisor
of the project, said that there were proper places if we searched. The mayor of Toshima City asked many groups such as volunteer members, NPO and campanies in our city, and at last, the executive committee for tree-planting project, whose name was "Green Toshima", was established.
Then schools insisted it was impossible to plant trees in school area because there remaioned only small spaces. In addition, as schools had received the complains about trees from neighborhood (for example, tree leaves), they worried about the tree-planting project. But committee member's aspiration for Green Toshima moved school officials and they admitted and cooperated tree-planting.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The project is called “The green Toshima revival project”. This is the movement to increase plants and trees in Toshima city which had covered with concrete and asphalt.
First approach for the project was “Forest in the schools”. This was held from 28 April to 8 May in 2009. About 10,000 students of all elementary schools and junior high school in Toshima city planted tree seedlings themselves in their school sites. Various citizens, companies, and NPOs joined and supported this project.
All concerned of the project realized this "Forest in the schools" very meaningful. After this event, some schools adopted observation of trees and underground microbes in their curriculum. Tree-planting project is giving opportunities for children to search natural things in urban area.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
In September 2008, the mayor of Toshima city thought it was impossible to increase green area. But Prof.Akira Miyawaki encouraged to him that trees grew up everywhre.
In December 2008, mayor asked many group and companies in Toshima city and the executive committee was estabilished.
From January to March 2009, committee member had meeting so many times and continued discussing about various problems for the project.
In Feburary, first plan was offered to school. This project, which children did tree-planting, started from April after cautious consideration for the plan.
In 2010, adults did tree-planting in the welfare instruction in Toshima City. After school, there were a lot of children who support tree-planting.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
It was hard to break down fixed idea that large area is necessary to plant trees. Many people doubted about Prof.Miyawaki's method which plant various seedlings in the high dentisy. City officers visited the member of the executive committee many times and explained Prof.Miyawaki's idea and finally they approved it.
And some people regarded fallen leaves as disgusting waste. City officials told them fallen leaves were not waste but a prat of nature and it was nice to feel nature in the urban city.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The knowledge and knowhow of phytosociology is important resource.We learned them from Prof.Miyawaki.
As Tokyo Metropolitan Government(TMG) regarded Green Toshima project as advanced and unique, TMG supported our project and gave large amount subsidy for tree seedlings or school site maintenance. Toshima City and TMG strongly collaborates in this project. And we appeal neighbor cities the Green Toshim project to share with our great experience.
We were short-handed af first but executive committee and many organizations supported and worked as a volunteer. Especially, Children are very important participants. Their smile had many citizens become our green-supporters.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
2 years have passed since we started “The green Toshima revival project”. But still only a few people joined this project for the whole of citizens of Toshima city.
For attracting as many citizens as possible, we made reports about the project and hold the forum to spread great effect of tree-planting such as environmant and disaster management. We hope many citizens join and enjoy tree-planting.
This project got a lot of media attention and reported by them and many municipalities inquired us. We share the fact that Toshima city with the highest population density in Japan can do the greenery project.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
In the process for promoting a creative project, we face not a few difficulties. If we had negative thinking, it would be impossible to success this project.
For realizing citizens’ hope “We want to change Concrete Jungle Toshima City into Green Toshima City”, we have made effort to think positively and to fight the difficulties. The executive committee member also discussed about their concern earnestly and finally had positive attitude for the project.
As there were many opinions about the project, we had experienced some conflict among the committee.
But the difference of opinions means there are a lot of methods to improve the project.
It is a precious treasure that citizens voluntarily proposed their idea and opinions and shared motivation to implement the tree-planting project.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Toshima city
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Yousuke Tsunematsu
Title:   Director of Environmental Policy Section  
Telephone/ Fax:   +81-3-3981-1596
Institution's / Project's Website:   +81-3-3981-6207
E-mail:   yousuke-01-tsunematsu@city.toshima.lg.jp  
Address:   1-18-1 Higashi Ikebukuro
Postal Code:   170-8422
City:   Toshima city
State/Province:   Tokyo
Country:   Japan

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