Gorgeous Gardens Planted Atop Train Stations Let Commuters Go Green

For green thumbs living in big cities, indoor gardening is always an option, but sometimes budding horticulturalists long for a plot of earth big enough to grow something larger than chives and basil. In space-challenged Tokyo, a novel invention means locals can get their hands dirty, planting and pruning as part of their daily commute.

Thanks to the East Japan Railway Company, rooftop gardens called Soradofarms are set to come to every train station in the city. Makota Kawada, a railway spokesperson, told FastCoExist that the gardens were started "out of a desire to contribute to the environmental maintenance and the revitalization of the area along the train line." The first Soradofarm popped up on top of Tokyo's Ebisu Station four years ago. Now there are five of the gardens across the city.

When you show up, the only thing you have to bring is yourself. All the equipment is provided, and the Soradofarm will even hook you up with vegetable seeds. If you're a complete novice and have no idea how to work a hand trowel, don't worry, the support staff also offer classes teaching the basics. As you might expect, folks who come to the garden are also eager to share tips with one another.

The gardens aren't free, however. Renting a three-meter plot at a Soradofarm will run you just over $100,000 yen (about $980) per year. If you're too busy to maintain what you've planted, you can pay a little extra and get the staff to pull any pesky weeds, or even harvest your crops.

Just as New York City's High Line has become a staple of Gotham life, Tokyo's Soradofarm gardens have turned into popular community gathering places. That makes demand for a plot in one pretty high. The railway company plans to expand the idea nationally to each of its stations, enabling more of Japan's residents to feel the warmth of soil instead of asphalt.