Despite Tokyo¡¯s reputation as a concrete jungle, about 3.3 percent of the city¡¯s land is used for agriculture, with 60 percent of farms located in urban areas. Just a short train ride from Shinjuku reveals hidden pocket-sized fields, rows of vegetables and fruit sandwiched between golf ranges, convenience stores and houses.
The 20-minute walk from Mitakadai Station to Yoshida Noen farm in Mitaka, a suburb northwest of Tokyo, is no exception: Small allotments start springing up with increasing regularity the further one gets from the station. While most rows are currently barren, waiting for warmer spring climes, Yoshida Noen¡¯s fields are already filled with growth, dotted with green fronds and rows of impressively large hakusai Chinese cabbages.
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