ROLES OF HOME GARDENING: A CASE STUDY IN REMOTE ISLANDS OF OKINAWA, JAPAN

Abstract

As economic development and urbanization progress in urban areas human relationships tend to suffer and the number of people suffering mental health problems tend to increase. To solve such problems, the role of home gardening or community/ allotment gardening have gained attention. Although self-sufficient home vegetable gardening has been common for a long time in Japan, this is no longer the case in urban areas. In order to determine the role of gardening and to initiate gardening in urban areas, investigations were conducted in rural areas; six remote southwest islands in Okinawa Prefecture, where people still lived traditional life styles. Interview results of 161 gardeners indicated that almost all gardeners share produce with their neighbors and/or relatives, and they believe they can strike up friendships/companionship through gardening, although some regional difference was evident. Most of the gardeners surveyed enjoy cultivating vegetables and/or fruits, and they believe that working in the garden daily and consuming garden produce is healthy. A certain gardener also indicated that produce from his garden is always shared with community members. The role of home vegetable gardening for community activation as revealed through this investigation should be utilized to achieve a healthy and fruitful urban life.