Hideharu Kurita

The potential of intra-regional supply and demand of agricultural products in an urban fringe area: A case study of the Kanto Plain, Japan

Abstract Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 109(2):147–159, 2009 The increasingly global reach of industrial agricultural production has progressively distanced consumers and producers. Not surprisingly, opposition to the global food system commonly seeks to re-localize agriculture by cutting the distance between agricultural production and consumption. Analysis of potential foodsheds can provide an important basis upon which to recover local systems of production and consumption. Here, we examine the potential for municipal and micro-level foodsheds in the greater Tokyo mega-region. Similar to other large cities in Asia, the urban fringe of Tokyo has extensive areas of mixed urban and agricultural land-uses which are often seen as problematic, but which may have many merits from the standpoint of sustainable foodsheds. Indeed, our results indicate that many areas on the urban fringe of the Tokyo mega-region bear potential to meet demand for both rice and vegetables within their borders. Moreover, many people could meet their food needs within a short distance of their residence. These results demonstrate the need to examine the potential for micro-level foodsheds on the urban fringe.

Restoring Urban Fringe Landscapes through Urban Agriculture: The Japanese Experience

Abstract This paper advocates the re-establishment of garden zones both in and around cities. Mixed land-use garden zones are conceptualized as spaces where urban residents can craft their own local food cultures and agro-biographies in response to the globalization of agriculture and food consumption. The case for creating garden zones is made by first outlining the legacy of post-war growth and planning policies, which attempted to clearly demarcate the line between urban and agricultural use. And, second, investigating the current demographic shifts which threaten the existence of domestic agricultural production and necessitate a new pro-urban agriculture planning paradigm. To develop this new planning paradigm, the third section looks back at the city of Edo to identify the urban agricultural heritage of what is now the modern-day megalopolis of Tokyo. The fourth section demonstrates the need for multifunctional green spaces by presenting a number of examples of agro-activities in both urban and suburban areas of the greater Tokyo area. The final section concludes the paper with a discussion of the need for a new type of garden zone: a hybrid zone where the mixing of urban and agricultural uses is encouraged.