Designing an Open Space for Social Inclusion - An Intercultural Garden Project at the University of Tsukuba

Designing an Open Space for Social Inclusion
An Intercultural Garden Project at the University of
Tsukuba
Naomi Shimpo, Mamoru Amemiya
University of Tsukuba
SHIMPO & AMEMIYA / 2017 International Conference of Asian-Pacific Planning Societies / August 24-26, 2017, Nagoya, Japan 1

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/street-food-in-germany-
doner-kebab-kebap-sandwich.html
Important: To create an inclusive society
Migrants, refugee flows in developed countries
Different cultures can lead to misunderstandings and social conflicts
Background

Background
Japan is also trying to attract
outsiders owing to workforce
shortages
But no specific policies
indicating how to integrate
immigrants into local
communities
Already existing conflicts
between local residents and
newcomers (Komai, 2010)
Economist (2010)
https://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/japans_population

Background
“Intercultural garden”
- The concept was developed in Germany since 1990s (Müller, 2007)
- A space where individuals and families from different cultures can work together
- Various learning processes and new ways of interacting beyond conventional
assimilation or integration (Schermer, 2014)
Graz, Austria / 2015 Hanover, Germany / 2016

Background
Intercultural
garden
Past researches focus on mostly
English speaking countries,
where most people originally
have different cultural
backgrounds (Guitart et al., 2012)
Will it work also in more homogeneous countries like Japan?
Community
garden
Women’s
garden
Children’s
garden
Neighbor-
hood’s
garden
Open spaces which are managed and
operated by members of the local
community in which food or flowers are
cultivated

An intercultural garden project at university since April 2016

Purpose of our project
• To manage this garden as a space where people from various countries can
regularly connect in their everyday lives
• To examine the extent to which the garden can promote communication and
mutual understanding
Originally developed as garden in 1999
Area: 700m2
Supply of water and electricity

Purpose of our project
As an educational course too…
“Facilitator training course”
13 students in 2016
(8 Japanese, 4 Chinese, 1 Syrian)
+ other students, researchers, (local residents)
Common language: Japanese
(sometimes English)
Task: to create and manage an open space
for integration in daily life

Activity log in 2016
Mowing in the lawn area
• Regular garden works (1x week)
- Through easy works, students themselves communicate with others who
have different backgrounds
- Open to public, no strict rule, no obligation for participants
Weeding and watering in
the gardening space

Ueru-come party
(Welcome party)
June 18, 2016
• Occasional events
15 participants
(incl. a student from Ukraine and
a researcher from Canada)

Starry Film Festival / October 15, 2016
• Occasional events
App. 30 participants
(incl. students from China,
Jamaica, Chile, Peru, Italy,
Spain and France)

Morning yoga / Every Thursday
• Specific cultural events
Glühwein Party / December 19, 2016
German / Austrian
culture –
App. 26 participants
(incl. ones from
Germany, Russia,USA,
Jamaica)
Conducted by a Japanese student who
learned yoga in India / Some participants
(incl. one from the Philippines)

Feedback from activities in 2016
Easy to attract new comers by occasional events
Hard to involve newcomers with regular garden works
… More important in terms of daily communication
Need more efficient rules and promotion strategies!
• Increase slight sense of responsibility?
(rental plots...)
• Improve spatial visibility from outside?
• Others…
Experiment (action research) based on the
results of this pilot project is needed
BUT

Conclusion
Our pilot garden project so far…
Possibility of an intercultural garden space for attracting both Japanese
and non-Japanese individuals on campus
However…
Additional effort and effective approaches are required to
promote daily communication
For implementation in broader society
• Action research in 2017 and 2018 (Funded by Toyota Foundation)
 Promotion to people outside campus
 Effective rules, activities and spatial features
 Change of participants’ feelings

Designing an Open Space for Social Inclusion - An Intercultural Garden Project at the University of Tsukuba

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