Abstract
The greening of the schoolyard for the purpose of physical education is an issue that has largely been ignored in Japan but has finally caught the attention of education experts and the general public. The schoolyard greening project in Japan has entered the second stage of its development, which means that it is now moving from external inducement, where greening is prompted by outside influences, to the stage of internalization, "the incarnation of schoolyards turf," where schools are now taking initiatives on the project. One of the challenges faced at this stage is turf maintenance. Turf maintenance is a permanent task for schools to undertake. Thus, this study particularly focuses on the problem of maintenance, while examining various issues surrounding the schoolyard greening project by referring to previous research and by implementing a survey for the staffs of 46 elementary schools and in-depth interviews with four elementary schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The results revealed a distinct discourse regarding the so-called "schoolyard policy." The essence of this discourse suggests that "the regionality of the school" and the political technique of the school principal are absolutely pivotal in encouraging the autonomous maintenance of the schoolyards by schools as educational institutions. These two conditions were identified as key elements during the "incarnation of schoolyards turf " stage in this study.
