Japan: Growing tomatoes in the conference room?

Growing crops is no longer reserved for the countryside or for large agricultural fields as urban farming is gaining more and more popularity. With tomato vines hanging above conference tables, leafy greens growing inside seminar rooms and beans sprouting under benches, the headquarters of the staffing and recruiting agency Pasona Group in Japan incorporates urban farming and office activity in a building where crops and employees share a common space.

To make their green facility come to life, Pasona relied on the competencies of the New York City-based Japanese architects, Kono Designs, who refurbished the 50-year-old nine storey-high building located in the hearth of Tokyo and designed the 4,000 square meter space to fit more than 200 species of crops that Pasona has decided to grow. Among the plants are berries, squash, eggplant, and trees with lemon and passion fruit, which act as a social meeting spot. The main lobby also features a full-fledged rice paddy and a broccoli field.

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