April Kanagawa Ward is full of flowers! “Flower Town Project”

　In this visit to Director General people and towns (outside site), we visited the event "Hanamachi Sampo" hosted by the Hanamachi Project. The Hanamachi Project was launched in the spring of 2022 by graduates of Kanagawa Ward community development University under the keyword "Flower, Greenery and Parks."

　FlowerSugeta, Rokukakubashi and Higashikanagawa,Kanagawa Ward, where participants can freely visit the map.
　In this tour, we visited three flower spots in the Higashikanagawa area, Mt. Takamichi, Saiseikai Higashikanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital, and Saiseikai Kanagawa Hospital. The facilities are sympathized with the desire to fill Kanagawa Ward with flowers! In particular, hospitals have a “horticultural club” in which medical staff and local people volunteer to maintain flower beds. As for the maintenance of flower beds in the hospital that the patient started as one of the rehabilitations, I heard an episode that the patient himself became well.
　Horticulture that touches flowers seems to have the power to restore the mind and body. Also, looking at the beautiful flowers creates communication with nature. I felt once again that activities through flowers not only soften people, but also have the potential to connect people.

　In the future, he hopes to expand this event throughout Kanagawa Ward and put more effort into the 2027 International Horticultural Exposition. We hope that Kanagawa Ward will be filled with flowers and become a city full of smiles and conversations.

April, 2023

Masayoshi Hibino, Director of Kanagawa