Tokyo's Minato Ward to Subsidize Rooftop Greening

On December 1, 2003, Tokyo's Minato Ward, one of the 23 wards comprising Metropolitan Tokyo, began providing subsidies for some of the costs associated with the planting greenery on the rooftops and balconies of buildings and on the tops of wall-type fences. The subsidy scheme is part of the Ward's effort to improve the living environment and to "become an area where people and nature coexist."

Buildings eligible for the subsidies include all new and existing structures with lot areas of less than 250 square meters, as well as existing structures which have lot areas greater than 250 square meters and which will exceed standards set for greenery by both Minato Ward and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government upon completion of the greening efforts. Subsidy amounts will depend on which part of the building will be planted with greenery. For rooftop greening, the Ward will provide either half the associated costs or 20,000 yen (app. US $180.00) per square meter, whichever is less, up to a maximum of 300,000 yen (app. US $2,700.00).

In its "Minato Ward Comprehensive Plan regarding Green Space and Water," revised in March 1999, the Ward aimed to raise its percentage of green space to 20% during the opening decades of the 21st century. However, a 2001 study found that the percentage of green coverage was only 18.46%, slightly less than the 1995 level of 18.55%.

In recent years, more importance has been placed on the presence of green coverage, as it has been shown to make urban areas more resistant to major fires, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and preserve the water cycle. Realizing the value of green space, Minato Ward has designated its entire land space as "Important Area for Greening," as provided for in Japan's Law for the Conservation of Green Belts around the National
Capital Region.



Posted: 2004/01/30 09:33:46 AM
Japanese version