NIJINOIRUKA Nursery school Hikawadai

Tokyo, Japan

Photo © Shinichi Yamaguchi

Photo © PLATdesign

Photo © Shinichi Yamaguchi

Public + Private Gardens

Landscape Architects: PLATdesign

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Year: 2015

We designed this “little forest” or “children’s forest” in a garden tucked behind the nursery school building. Our image for this forest was somewhere between the wild nature of a real forest and the orderly greenery of a park. The plantings, which include 14 types of trees and over 20 types of shrubs and ground cover, can be enjoyed in all four seasons. In addition, the ground is constructed from soft materials of varying densities so that plants can eventually grow from all different places. The backdrop for the garden, which also serves as a boundary between it and the surrounding neighborhood, consists of walls constructed from blackboards and shelves, and vertical greening made up of hanging tin pots, adding character to the space.