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The acute and rapid concentration of population and industry into the
urban areas of society has had a profound effect on the design and
development of the environments in which we live and work. The
investment of social overhead capital has been unable to keep up with
this increase, the most notable result of which is the lack of public
parks, open recreational areas and other areas that support greenery
such as national parks and arboretums.
A critical task that we face in the modern age is our response to key
issues such as the deterioration of the environment due to high
population density, the rapid increase in automobile traffic, the
increasing severity of pollution levels, and the increasing
vulnerability of urban areas to natural disasters. At the same time, we
must also meet the ever-expanding and diverse demands of society
generated by the improved standard of living and increased amount of
personal free time. This can be achieved by providing sports and
recreational facilities and by managing public parks that support
greenery space, which help to promote the overall health of mind and
body.
Along with managing these parks comes the key question of how to best
manage them so that its visitors can use the park most effectively.
There is great demand for management and administration systems that
are able to carefully factor in the diverse demands of park visitors as
well as the parameters and conditions specific to each park.
Toward this end, thanks to the cooperation of the national government,
regional public institutions and private citizens from all walks of
life, we were able to establish the Parks and Recreation Foundation on
May 1, 1974. The foundation is primarily engaged in conducting general
research and surveys related to park management and administration and
in developing related technologies. We then use the products of our
research and development to proliferate these new technologies along
with a wide variety of instruction, guidance and education.
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| 1. |
Comprehensive research and surveys of parks and green space administration and management. |
| 2. |
Technological development concerning parks and green space management. |
| 3. |
Human resource development of parks and green space administration and management. |
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Diffusion of information and knowledge to promote parks and green space use. |
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Management of National Government Parks. |
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Organization of lectures and study seminar concerning parks and green space. |
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Other activities necessary for achieving the aims and objectives of the Foundation. |
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Survey Research and Technological Development
On management and administration of parks and open space, the
foundation collects and organizes information, conducts survey research
and develops techniques.
Survey research is conducted independently or at the request of
national and local government. Those researches include management and
operation of parks, actual use of parks, citizen involvement in park
activities, cost-effectiveness of park management, promoting park use,
management and operation of auto camp sites, and park systems.
 The
Foundation develops techniques for maintaining/managing parks and green
space as well as techniques for vegetation management. Major techniques
developed by the Foundation include conservation of ecosystem, further
utilization of natural resources, organizational operation of citizen
involvement, maintenance of restored wildlife habitats, utilization of
flowers/ornamental plants, increasing efficiency of park management,
management of forests and grass fields, and recycling.
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Park Management
The Foundation is entrusted to perform daily management and operation
of 14 National Government Parks across the nation. The national and
local governments have asked the Foundation to do various works on
their behalf. These tasks include: (1) taking care of plants and
animals; (2) maintaining and cleaning facility buildings and
structures; (3) providing people with information on park use; (4)
public relations; and (5) collecting admission fee (6) organizing
various events.
National
Government Parks are defined as and classified into the following
categories under Article II, Clause 1-2 of the City Parks Law:
(a) Parks or green spaces, which are facilities affiliated with city
planning and which are established from a broad perspective
transcending municipal jurisdiction districts. Parks or green spaces,
which can also be categorized into (b), are excluded from this category.
(b) Parks or green spaces, which are facilities affiliated with city
planning and which are established as national commemorative events for
the purpose of conservation and utilization of valuable historical and
cultural assets of Japan in accordance with the Cabinet’s
decision.
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Providing Information through Courses, Seminars and Publications
The foundation spreads knowledge and raises public awareness on
greening through publications, courses and seminars, tests and so on.
It also develops human resources. Major examples include test for
plants and plant-related culture, workshop to train instructors of
environmental education, professional training in park management, and
seminars for various visitors, and information exchange through the
Internet, encouraging citizen involvement and encouraging Volunteer.
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Parks and Recreation Foundation Headquarters
203, Edogawabashi BLDG, 47-12, Sekiguchi 1-Chome, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 112-0014, Japan
Tel: +81-3-6674-1188
Fax +81-3-6674-1190
E-mail: webmaster＠prfj.or.jp
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