How urban farming is helping cultivate patience in Japan

Robyn Natsuko Shinozaki, founder of Green Neighbors, teaches communities about where their food comes from and reconnecting them with nature through urban farming. Based in Japan, Robyn’s journey highlights how farming within city environments, while not a solution to global food challenges, offers a valuable way to introduce people to agriculture, ecosystems, and the value of patience.

Shifting focus from food production to community benefits

For Robyn, the focus of urban farming isn’t on producing large quantities of food but on the educational and community benefits it brings. She sees it as a way to teach people in cities like Tokyo, where traditional farming is less common, about the effort and dedication it takes to grow food. This approach encourages an understanding of the work involved in getting food onto the table, helping people to see themselves as active participants in the food cycle rather than passive consumers.

Preserving traditional farming knowledge in urban settings

Through her workshops, Robyn collaborates with farmers so as to showcase their craft and directly tell their story. She hopes to bring in more traditional farmers into the program, to ensure their expertise is passed down to future generations. This work is particularly important in Japan, where many farmers are ageing and fewer young people are entering the field. By bringing traditional farming knowledge into urban settings—even through small-scale efforts like balcony gardens—she helps keep this knowledge alive and accessible. 

The importance of patience

One of Robyn’s key lessons is the value of patience, particularly for urbanities who may not be familiar with the natural rhythms of growing. In today’s world, where food is readily available at any time, it’s easy to overlook the time and effort needed to grow it. Robyn’s approach to urban farming creates opportunities for hands-on learning, giving people a chance to connect with nature and understand that growing food is a process that requires time, care, and perseverance.

Robyn also emphasizes that farming involves trial and error, an important lesson for both children and adults. She teaches that setbacks are part of the process and that nature cannot always be controlled. This understanding helps foster resilience and a sense of adaptability that extends beyond farming into broader aspects of life.

Shaping future generations through urban farming

In the end, Robyn’s work shows that urban farming can shape how future generations view agriculture, their environment, and their communities. To make urban farming more approachable, she believes that the power of community is important. Sharing growing tips, encouraging one another and showing their fruits of labor. There will be mistakes for sure! But a community to lean into helps you overcome them and try again. 

Robyn and many other experts are part of the Sky Farm Island community, where we share knowledge and show the many positive ways in which urban farming influences our societies across the world.

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