A home that lives in harmony with nature, starting with a garden in Karuizawa | Gardening that connects to 30by30
- kanaya99
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Living with living creatures begins in a garden in Karuizawa
Building a house in Karuizawa means
Perhaps it is more than just building a building, it is about deciding how to interact with nature.
Clear air, soft light, and the feeling of the forest.
The garden located nearby is the most familiar place that connects life with nature.
The gardens that Kobo Shinshu no Ie works on in Karuizawa are not just beautiful in appearance,
We aim to create a garden where living things come and go and grow over time.
A milestone: the registration of the Nature Coexistence Site
This Karuizawa garden will be completed on December 16, 2025.
It has been officially registered as a "Nature Coexistence Site" by the Ministry of the Environment.
What is a nature symbiosis site?
This space has been scientifically and institutionally recognized as a place where biodiversity is conserved and sustainably managed.
The garden is not a place that is completed at a certain moment, but one that will continue to mature together with nature in the future.
This idea was accepted as a form of innovation.
This initiative is also in line with the international goal of " 30by30 ," which aims to preserve 30% of land and sea ecosystems as healthy ecosystems by 2030 .
The flowers at your feet support the lives of butterflies
Herbaceous plants spread out at your feet, at the lowest point in the garden.
There is a small but definite cycle of life here.
Herbs and Butterflies: A Life-Changing Relationship
Violets
└ Fritillary butterfly (larvae's food plant)
Fujibakama
└ Chestnut butterfly (a nectar source that stops during migration)
Cornflowers and wildflowers
└ Butterflies in general (seasonal nectar intake)
Butterflies don't just fly by. They're born here, grow up here, and then move on to the next place.
The herbaceous plants in the garden support this process.
Trees create a habitat for birds
When you look up, the garden transforms into a three-dimensional space.
The woody plants are arranged like a mixed forest.
It is an essential habitat for birds.
Woody plants and birds | The moment your garden becomes a forest
deciduous tree
└ Perches and breeding environments with good visibility
medium-sized shrub
└ Space for foraging and protection from the wind and rain
Undergrowth
└ Insects gather, creating a rich food environment
In the garden, you can hear the chirping of tits and flycatchers.
It is also proof that nature is at work.
Gardens connect and become part of the local nature
A garden is never an isolated entity.
By gently connecting to the neighboring garden and the forest beyond,
A path for living creatures - a green corridor - will be born.
See nature as a surface, not as a point.
This way of thinking quietly supports the environment of the entire land of Karuizawa.
There is no "completion" in creating this garden.
It changes its appearance with each season,
With each passing year, you become a little richer.
The resident looks out over the garden,
The time spent getting involved and facing nature is
We will increase the value of your garden.
To live a long, stress-free and comfortable life in the nature of Karuizawa.
Kobo Shinshu House will continue to create homes that are in harmony with nature.
For those who want to know more about 30by30/OECM
Ministry of the Environment website
■What is 30by30?
30by30 is a plan to preserve 30% of the land and sea as healthy nature by 2030.
This is an international goal.
This was adopted at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in 2022.
Global goals based on the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.
In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment
Expansion of national parks
Ecosystem conservation in corporate green spaces
Utilization of private forests and satoyama
is currently underway.
In other words--
It's not just "special nature" that needs to be protected.
The gardens and forests beneath our feet can be part of it.
This is important.
■What is OECM?
Next comes OECM (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures).
These are areas that are not protected areas but make a substantial contribution to biodiversity conservation.
for example:
Privately owned forests that are sustainably managed
A residential area with a biotope where butterflies and birds live
Subdivision that maintains a Satoyama-style garden
Corporate-owned regenerated land
These are not national parks.
However, "as a result, nature is protected."
That's OECM.
■ Why is it being discussed in residential areas now?
So far, nature conservation
park
protected forest
wildlife sanctuary
It was an "administratively driven" approach.
However, the reality is that achieving 30 by 30 will be impossible without the cooperation of the private sector.
This is where OECM becomes important.
Especially in places like Karuizawa, where the altitude is high,
In areas rich in biodiversity and where nature and housing are close together,
The residential area itself becomes part of the ecological network.
■ The "Nature Coexistence Site" System
In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment has established the Nature Coexistence Site (OECM Certification System).
The key points of certification are:
✔ Native species of vegetation
✔ Three-dimensional structure of herbaceous and woody layers
✔ Continuously check for living creatures
✔ Clarification of management system
for example
Violets × Asama Shijimi
Eupatorium x Chestnut Butterfly
Quercus serrata forest × Great tit
These relationships are maintained.
Rather than simply being "green," the evaluation is based on whether the ecosystem is functioning.
While we are architectural professionals such as designers and construction managers, all of our employees act as "Shinshu concierges" to support a rich life in Shinshu.
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