Soradofarms

When you think of Tokyo you you think of smog and skyscrapers, and people, lots of people – you don’t really think of green spaces.  But in an effort to ‘green the city’, officials have given up the space on the roof train stations to make community gardens.

The Soradofarms sit atop five train stations that are run by the East Japan Railway Company. The first one in Tokyo is located on top of Ebisu station and was founded four years ago. The small plot of land has a waiting list for commuters keen to have some time in the garden, planting and potting their stresses away.

Makoto Kawada, a spokesperson for East Japan Railway Company, told Fast Co.Exist:

We’re promoting the greening of the city. We started this vegetable garden business out of a desire to contribute to the environmental maintenance and the revitalization of the area along the train line.

For $980, a person purchases a basic plot, which includes amenities such as gardening tools and seeds. When people are not busy, gardening the space is used as a community gathering ground, where locals come to picnic and children play in.

According to Springwise, the company has plans to open up similar gardens at atop or near all their rail stations throughout Japan.

Via psfk