Managing intercultural gardens and its social background in Germany

Abstract

Recently in Japan, intercultural policies that help to enhance communication between immigrants/refugees and local society are required, because of internal globalization. Focusing on a project in Germany called the intercultural garden (IG), which aims to integrate immigrants/refugees into local society, this paper reveals the status and social backgrounds of the establishment of the IG to consider its application in Japan. The results show that the IG originated as a grassroots activity by locals, and then eventually expanded across Germany through the efforts of the supporting organization. Our case study in Hanover indicated that Igs play a role as places for intercultural integration, but face the problem of a lack of participation by local Germans. It is also suggested that the role of the supporting organization and incentivizing the participation of local people are important when introducing Igs to Japan.