Basic Policy

The use of as many plants as possible which are native to the region in property development is a growing trend as society shifts toward a goal to co-exist with nature.

In the midst of these trends, Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping has defined Harmonic Plants^® guidelines for selecting plants species based on greening areas with the concept that using indigenous and local species in greening plans is in the best interest of natural revitalization. The Company has been promoting this model up until now.

Importance of plant selection for landscaping

There are plants that have grown in Japan since long ago (native plants) and plants that have come to Japan from abroad (migration plants) for trees. Among these migration plants, there are species that will overrun areas where native plants live due to their characteristics, which endanger the biodiversity of the region (invasive plants*).

Garden vegetation plans are separated into four areas that take into account the conservation level (protected areas, conservation areas, satoyama areas, urban areas) to select plant species based on these areas. For example, in urban areas when building gardens for residences, the colorfulness is represented by selecting a balance of greening plants from non-invasive migration plants around a main selection of native plants, including garden variety plants. In addition, the Group has in place a policy of not using invasive plants that clearly have an adverse impact on local ecosystems and a division responsible for coordinating technology at Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping Co., Ltd. checks that such species are not used.

* Specified alien species and alien species requiring caution as stipulated by the Invasive Alien Species Act

Approach to Planting Areas

Contributions to Property Development

Forest Garden Hadano Receives the First ABINC Certification As a Detached Housing Complex

Sumitomo Forestry strives in the residential property development business by providing roughly 350 high-quality single-family spec homes each year through technical expertise accumulated in new custom-built housing and landscaping businesses. We develop long-lasting properties by taking advantage of nature with the goal of realizing a sustainable and prosperous society.

Forest Garden Hadano, a detached housing complex in Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture, received the first ABINC (Association for Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community) certification under the detached housing complex and city area category in 2018. The ABINC certification system certifies results of biodiversity preservation activities of companies to promote coexistence of nature and people. The certification began the certification of office buildings and commercial facilities from 2014 and has expanded its scope to include housing complexes and factories. Furthermore, detached housing complex and city area category and logistic facilities have been newly added.

The property design of Forest Garden Hadano is green property that coexists with life. It realizes rich greenery through the use of local tree species and Harmonic Plants^®. Consideration toward sustainable circulation of water utilizing spring water was one of the major factors of receiving the certification.

Elderly care facilities in which building and landscape coexist in harmony with nature

In 2023, Grand Forest Denenchofu, a private nursing home, which boasts a lush and pleasant living environment opened in Denenchofu, based on the concept of "coexistence with natural environment." We have created a characteristic garden so that residents, who spend most of their lives in the building and tend to have fewer opportunities to feel nature, can feel nature and live a healthy and comfortable life. On the first floor of the building, there is a large opening and stairwell, which is integrated with courtyard, creating a space where you can feel as if you were in nature surrounded by greenery. There is an ornamental flower bed and a vegetable garden to grow vegetables on the rooftop, so that you can use it as a place of open communication under the sky. Garden vegetation is designed to allow visitors to feel changing of the seasons and appearance of living species by planting colorful flowers, fruit and healing plants, mainly local species. Environmentally sound plans have been highly praised and ABINC certification has been obtained to certify results of biodiversity conservation initiatives.

UR Urban Renaissance Agency Tokiwadaira Danchi
Community connected with greenery

The UR Tokiwadaira Danchi, located in Matsudo city, Chiba prefectures, covers an area of approximately 20 hectares. More than 60 years have passed since its construction, and it has grown into a rich green space with approximately 4,300 high trees. In order to promote communication among residents of the complex and other local residents, the Urban Renaissance Agency organized a garden tour in characteristic green areas of the complex and a photo exhibition of the complex's greenery surroundings. This garden tour, which has been held twice a year (spring and autumn) since fiscal 2021, has become a very popular activity. It has provided an opportunity for participants to rediscover the appeal of the complex while providing an opportunity for active communication. We also strive to expand the community through garden tours for local elementary schools and partnerships with universities and other companies in the city. We will continue to use lush green environment as a place for communication with residents of the complex and for environmental education for local elementary school students. Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping supports planning and management of utilization of this green space.

Awarded the Silver Prize at the National Urban Greening Sendai Fair

At the 40th National Urban Greening Sendai Fair held in 2023, Sendai Branch of Housing Division of Sumitomo Forestry and Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping jointly participated in the garden exhibition contest and won the Silver Prize for "Forest Work Table," which allows visitors to feel breath of nature.

The award-winning work created a biophilic design space that is comfortable for people, with a wooden roof-shaped arch and deck that people relieve themselves on, and a terrarium that echoes sound of water on a table with sunlight seeping through the trees. This product is made with consideration for the support of local industries. For example, "Akiho stone," which is a material produced in local prefecture, is used. Besides, many species native to mountains and fields of Sendai City are used for plants, and grass from "Kibo no Shiba PJ," which is a restoration business of the devastated coastal area of Higashi-Matsushima City, is used for lawn.

Education for Biodiversity Conservation

Publish of an Illustrated Guide to Home Trees Revised Edition

A total of 46,000 copies of Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping's “An Illustrated Guide to Home Trees” have been printed since the first edition published in 2013, with two revisions afterwards. An Illustrated Guide to Home Trees introduces more than 500 types of garden trees that add color to our lives. This book provides information such as time of flowering and autumn leaves and the area where planting is possible to let people know attractiveness and characteristics of each tree.
The revised edition I was published in March 2017, following the establishment of the Invasive Alien Species List by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and taking into account further impacts on the ecosystem. We also restructured Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping's own criteria for invasive species.
The revised edition II was published in March 2021 with partially altered content in response to the modification to the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act and the addition of original varieties, and contains 508 species, including six original varieties.

(1) Revision of descriptions in response to the revision of the Plant Variety Protection and Seedling Law
The "Variety Registration Number" and other information were added to the original trees for sale and the trees registered as varieties in the illustrated book in compliance with the modification of the Seed and Seedling Law, as registered varieties are now obliged to be labeled.

(2) SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) initiatives were added
Through its green business, Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping Co., Ltd. is implementing initiatives in line with the SDGs, such as protecting biodiversity through the concept of "Harmonic Plants" in the consideration of sustainability, and creating comfort, enjoyment, and beauty in society by constructing homes and communities that harness the "Power of Greenery". We are putting these initiatives into action. These initiatives have been included in this revision.

Recognition of Contributions to Environmental Consciousness

Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping has begun assessing carbon storage by trees in residential gardens as part of its efforts towards a decarbonized society. Trees play an important role towards a decarbonized society as they can absorb CO₂ during their growth and continue to fix it as carbon.
Combined with Harmonic Plants^®, a guiding principle of Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping, the aim is to create gardens that take into account local biodiversity, while also looking at the environment of the entire planet.
At Sumitomo Forestry's model house in Yonago, plantings were mainly of native species in accordance with the Harmonic Plants^® guidelines. As a model case for LCCM housing, carbon storage in gardening was also assessed.
The amount of carbon storage was calculated for trees, wooden decks and wooden fences as materials that can be used for carbon fixation in gardening. The garden at the Yonago model house fixes approximately 6.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (equivalent to the carbon storage of about 21 trees of 40-year-old cedars in an planted forest).
In the future, the system will be developed to enable simpler assessment, and preparations will also be made to enable recognition of the fixed volume that increases as properly managed trees grow.

Overseas Landscaping Businesses

Expansion of Landscape Business in Australia

In 2022, Sumitomo Forestry acquired Regal Innovations, a landscape business* in Australia, as a subsidiary. The Company is also involved in leading development and construction projects in urban Sydney, and efforts to address environmental issues through the creation of landscapes in harmony with nature in the design and construction of commercial areas, public facility housing exteriors, green zones and parks. In 2023, “The Drying Green”, an urban park in Sydney, for which our company was in charge of implementation design and construction, won a Gold Prize in the Australian Good Design Prize. The entire site, looking like a folded paper, creates a three-dimensional terrain with mountains and valleys. It is designed so that slope created by the three-dimensional terrain captures warm winter sunlight into grass area while blocking sight line and noise from the park surroundings. In addition, a large green space has been secured by wall greening to create a comfortable space. For wall surface greening, the knowledge of Regal Innovations, which has abundant construction results, such as a technique for supplying sufficient oxygen to the roots of plants and a device for improving the efficiency of construction and maintenance, is utilized. Technological exchange between Japan and Australia has also begun, including the sharing of garden vegetation and green space management know-how by Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping, and design proposals for landscape design. In the future, we will combine this with our construction and real estate business to promote more environmentally sound development in Australia and other countries.

* Landscaping projects collectively, including housing exterior works in residential areas and urban and infrastructure developments