A CASE STUDY ON THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ESTABLISHING TURFGRASS ON PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS IN JAPAN

摘要

This case study investigated historical trends and attitudes in public school grounds containing turfgrass in Japan.Few schools in Japan had turfgrass areas before 1960.In the 1970’s,national and local governments attempted to establish turfgrass areas on school grounds for recreation.In smaller local regions,these “school turf” areas remain,but most disappeared in the urban areas due to improper maintenance and intense wear.In earlier decades the work associated with turfgrass maintenance was considered manual labor and therefore socially undesirable.Currently,there is a resurgence of interest in establishing natural turfgrass areas on school grounds,especially for sports,fitness and recreational activities.A change in attitude toward turfgrass maintenance has now involved parents and neighboring residents who help maintain school turf areas.Although only 5% of public schools in Japan have dedicated turfgrass areas,in recent years there has been a 46% increase in the number of schools establishing turfgrass areas.Thus,installing turfgrass to school grounds in Japan has had positive environmental,recreational and societal benefits.