Tokyo residents campaign for increased tree canopy to combat extreme heat

Residents in Tokyo's Nakano ward are leading a grassroots campaign to increase urban tree canopy cover to combat rising temperatures and extreme heat. Led by Kaoru Morimoto and Susumu Nirasawa, the group organizes expert talks, shares temperature data, and petitions local officials to set specific canopy targets.

A 2024 University of Tokyo study revealed that the city lost canopy cover equivalent to 3.5 times the size of New York's Central Park in less than a decade. In central Tokyo, canopy cover dropped from 9.2% in 2013 to 7.3% in 2022. Experts note that while cities like New York and London are actively expanding their green cover, Tokyo's greenery is shrinking due to the loss of private gardens and the subdivision of large plots for housing.

The initiative comes as Japan faces increasingly severe summers. Between May and August this year, approximately 120 heat-related deaths were recorded, with over 73,000 people requiring emergency medical care. Local activists have demonstrated that the temperature difference between large canopies and heavily pruned trees can be as much as three degrees Celsius.