Isetan Mitsukoshi Group makes the effort of preserving biodiversity through greening rooftop, apiary and agricultural activities.
In the fiscal year of 2017, Iwataya Mitsukoshi began “Iwataya Mitsukoshi Farm” Project. This project is the activity to offer our customer the profound customer services.
In this project, our employee is taking leading part in merchandising such as product development, promotion and sales to deepen the communication with local community to learn the circumstance and the issue around there. The experience will make their service more profound.
They challenged cultivating tea leaves and apiculture on the roof top in fiscal year of 2018, and also cultivating chestnut trees in fiscal year of 2020. This project is getting good chance for our customers to have interests in the circumstance around food and biodiversity.
Rice cultivation at tanada started in the fiscal year of 2017 in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture moved to Take district in Toho-mura(village), Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture in the fiscal year of 2020.
Tanada in Take area used to be famous for the habitat of fireflies. Torrential rain which hit northern Kyushu region (where Fukuoka Prefecture located) in 2017 devastated there. Since then, the fireflies are barely seen.
The member of “Isetan Mitsukoshi Farm” Project started to cultivate rice at tanada to help the revival and preservation of tanada in Take district in 2020.They will continue the activity till the day when the fireflies come back.
scene of rice-plating.
Working with local residents.
Commercialize rice harvested from Tanada and sale as gift items.The difficulties of rice plating and moving at tanada is spoken in the conversation with our customers. Those conversation become the nice opportunity for our customers to have interests in the circumstance around foods and biodiversity.
In addition to cultivating Yame-tea in Chikugo City, Fukuoka started in 2018, the project challenges its cultivation in Kasahara district, Kuroki-cho, Yame City, Fukuoka where the origin place of Yame-tea in fiscal year of 2020.
The tea field in the Kasahara district, which make the most of the slope of the mountain about 300 meters above sea level, has good water handling and good sunshine.
On the other hand, the location makes difficulties to work and care. The nature there will become the place where not variety of creatures can live if we leave the field as it is. The field will be overgrown with trees and weeds, and the sunlight and ventilation are deteriorated.
The tea field of “the Iwataya Mitsukoshi Farm” is a place where a variety of creature can be grown by cutting grass and preparing trees around the field. Those care makes the sunshine to reach the field and the wind to refresh the air.
Tea field in Kasahara district, origin of Yame-tea.
2Launched in 2017 as the 20th anniversary project of the Fukuoka Mitsukoshi Store, apiculture on the roof top is operated as “The Iwataya Mitsukoshi Farm” project since 2018.
Apiculture on the roof top in Tenjin, Kyushu’s largest commercial area, is an effort to realize the blessings of nature created by the cooperation of people, insects, plants, and other creatures.
Preliminary inspection.
Honey just squeezed out.
We tell our customers the bless of the nature experienced at the rooftop by selling harvested honey, sweets used those honey and such.The harvest of chestnuts held in late August this year became hard labour for its extremely hot temperature. It was over 35 degree Celsius. The high temperature decreased members’ strength, but taught severity of product development.
harvest the chestnuts with producers.
夕焼けが美しい水辺
Attempt for roof top greening (Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store, Mitsukoshi Ginza Store)
All the gardens, including the roof top garden at Nihombashi opened in May 2019, are certified as “Oasis* in the city by SEGES (Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System).
I Garden.
Ginza Terrace.
Nihombashi Garden.“I Garden” located at Isetan Shinjuku Main Store is a 2,050 a square metre garden created with the image of mixed forest where humans, plants and animals coexist. Approximately 350 species of seasonal plants are planted in three zones: Spring, Summer and Autumn.
Spring Garden.
Summer Garden.“Ginza Terrace” located at Mitsukoshi Ginza Store is a public space that offers relaxation and healing opportunities for all visitors to Ginza under the theme of “Touching the Nature, Enjoy the Nature.” There is a lawn, named “Terrace Garden” where grasses of the four seasons spread, and “Terrace Farm” where pupils from elementary school nearby plant seedlings to harvest. The area is full of the place for eating and drinking and, resting spaces for children.
“Nihombashi Garden” at Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store consists of five zones: “Gathering Space”, “Waterfront with seasonal scene”, “Playing Field”, “Traditional Sacred field for Tutelary God” and “Seasonal Forest.”
The roof top greening contributes to biodiversity by ①Restraining the temperature rise of the surface, ②saving energy, ③cleaning and healing the Air, as well as connecting the green space around with ecological networks. “I-Garden” proves the preservation of biodiversity in the urban city helps improvement of living environment not only for living creatures but also for human beings by experimentation of thermograph and the investigation on effectiveness on ecosystem service (the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and from healthy ecosystem).
Thermogram of I Garden. The Temprature of greened part is low.
Warbling white-eye.
Giant asian mantis. （Hierdula patellifera in Latin.)We also settled solar panels there. These panels generate the electricity about 60,000kWh annually, which contains the reduction of CO2 23t annually. The open lawn plaza and plants on the roof top of the city centre are recognized as places where visitors can relax and even customers with children can play with peace of mind.
Our customers resting on our lawn.*Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System which recognized and evaluated the measures for urban greening by Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure, a non-profit incorporated foundation.