On October 14, members of KASA Sustainability, the Environmental Politics of Agriculture class of Autumn 2024, and Sophia alumni and collaborators led by Ms. Jun Kuniyoshi gathered to celebrate another season of campus farming. Making the most of green spaces around Buildings 6, 9, 10, and 11, we planted a diverse selection of plants for fall, all grown organically. For us, farming on campus is about more than planting seeds; it’s about fostering a sense of community, re-connecting with the earth, and leaning into more sustainable ways of being.
Campus farming on Yotsuya Campus
Our campus farming journey began in 2015 with potted plants. After nearly a year of communication with the university’s Property Management Office, we received permission in March 2021 to plant directly in campus soil. Our main garden outside Building 10 has since grown, and this fall we are nurturing plants like carrots, broccoli, beans, chives, garlic, lettuce, daikon radishes, turnips, strawberries, herbs, and even experimenting with tane dango, a unique Japanese planting method!
What is tane dango?
Tane dango, or seed balls, make planting accessible to everyone by embedding seeds in small balls of soil. Developed as part of a post-disaster initiative following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, tane dango allow seeds to be easily planted in various locations without being affected by wind or rain. Introduced by the Japan Home Garden Association (公益社団法人日本家庭園芸普及協会), this method has become popular across Japan. Each seed ball sprouts multiple flowers, creating a bouquet effect and making it ideal for sloped areas, garden beds, and potted plants. During our planting workshop, each student had the chance to make their own tane dango with guidance from five experts who joined us on the day.
Our growing gardens and community
In addition to our main garden outside Building 10, this fall, we are also utilizing five planters in the Building 9 Commons Rooftop Garden, where we are growing various types of lettuce and anemones in tane dango. Our campus farming also extends outside campus. Along Kojimachi Avenue, we grow seasonal flowers in two garden plots. Recently, a passerby shared that she looks forward to seeing different flowers blooming each season—an encouraging reminder of the connections we are cultivating with our surrounding community.
We are especially grateful for the support of Jun Kuniyoshi, a horticulturalist and Sophia alumna who discovered our garden outside Building 10 in early 2023. Seeing potential in our small plot, Ms. Kuniyoshi reached out and offered to support our efforts. Since then, she has provided seeds and seedlings each semester, and from spring 2024, she became even more involved as an advisor. With her expertise, she is helping us improve our soil quality and guiding us in more effective gardening practices.
As we continue growing our campus gardens, we aim to nurture values such as collaboration, reciprocity, and resilience—learning alongside the soil and plants. We look forward to sharing more updates soon, and if you are on campus, feel free to stop by and visit our gardens!
Photo credits: Wei-Yi (Zoe) Lee
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