The "Ginza Imo ROCK Project" grows sweet potatoes on the rooftops of buildings around Ginza and produces and sells shochu.In cooperation with this activity sponsored by Ginza Mitsubachi Co., Ltd., students of the Faculty of Human and Social Studies at Chiba University of Commerce (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture) are growing sweet potatoes on the planter installed on the roof of Building No. 1 of the university.
This project is being carried out as part of activities aimed at improving the environment, such as promoting green rooftops in Ginza and controlling the heat island phenomenon that spreads in urban areas.The harvested sweet potatoes become a product called "Ginza Imojin", a potato shochu, and are sold at department stores in Ginza.The Faculty of Human and Social Studies has been participating since the project started in 2015, and is providing sweet potatoes for 20 planters cultivated on the roof.
This project, which aims to commercialize greening and shochu through sweet potato cultivation, is a great learning opportunity for students as an example of social business.In addition to environmental issues, it also has various effects such as new town development in the city center, revitalization of local industries that manufacture shochu, and PR to domestic and foreign travelers visiting Ginza as a local production for local consumption product in Ginza. It is expected.
On May 2017, 5, students of the Faculty of Human and Social Studies planted 15 red Azuma seedlings on the rooftop planter again this year.In the future, we will take turns observing the watering and growth conditions, and this year we aim to harvest 40 kg, which is higher than last year's 30 kg.Students will deepen their understanding of the creation and methods of social business ideas through the process of turning sweet potatoes into shochu and selling them as products.
