Matsugi Hinata Green Space on the TMU Minami-Osawa Campus Receives Certification as a Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site

On June 30, 2026, the Matsugi Hinata Green Space on the Minami-Osawa Campus of Tokyo Metropolitan University was officially certified as a Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site under Japan's Act on Promoting Activities to Enhance Regional Biodiversity. In addition, a certificate presentation ceremony was held on July 29 at the Kanto Regional Environment Office in Saitama Shin-Toshin, where the Director General of Administration of Tokyo Metropolitan University received the certificate on behalf of the university.

A Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site is a certification system under which competent ministers (the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) recognize areas where biodiversity is being conserved through private-sector initiatives, such as corporate forests, “satochi-satoyama” landscapes, and urban green spaces.

At the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted as a new global target for 2030. The framework includes the “30 by 30” target, which aims to effectively conserve at least 30% of the world's terrestrial and marine areas as healthy ecosystems by 2030 in order to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and achieve a Nature Positive future. In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment began certifying Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites in fiscal year 2023 to support achievement of this target. Furthermore, in April 2025, the Act on Promoting Activities to Enhance Regional Biodiversity came into effect, establishing the certification system in law. Certified areas are registered in the international database as OECMs*. This year, 56 new sites were certified as Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites, bringing the national total to 610 certified sites.

* Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs):
Areas outside legally designated protected areas, such as national parks, that contribute to the effective and long-term conservation of biodiversity.

◆ Overview of the Matsugi Hinata Green Space

The Tokyo Metropolitan University Matsugi Hinata Green Space, newly certified as a Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site, is located at 1-Chome Minami-Osawa, Hachioji City, Tokyo. The site consists of a 13-hectare green belt situated on the southeastern slope of the university's 43-hectare Minami-Osawa Campus, which stretches approximately 1,500 meters east to west and 400 meters north to south. Historically, forests in this area were periodically harvested for firewood and charcoal production, resulting in the maintenance of extensive secondary woodlands. Today, the green space is dominated by deciduous trees in the beech family, such as Konara Oak and Kunugi Oak. The evergreen Shirakashi Oak is also a major constituent species. Numerous herbaceous plants cover the forest floor in early spring, while flowering shrubs such as Yamabuki, or Japanese Kerria, bloom along the forest edges, making the site a valuable remnant of the region's natural environment.

During the 1960s and 1970s, agricultural land in the area was abandoned and gradually reverted to woodland. Subsequently, while the Tama New Town development project transformed the surrounding region, green space conservation was incorporated into the development plan. As a result, much of the original topography was preserved, allowing residential areas and green spaces to coexist. In 1991, Tokyo Metropolitan University relocated to the site and has since managed the green space with a focus on preserving the landscape while utilizing the university's expertise in the natural sciences to ensure appropriate stewardship.

Within its 13 hectares, the green space contains a diverse mosaic of habitats, including grasslands, deciduous forests, evergreen forests, and wetlands. The site supports a rich diversity of plant species, including grassland and forest-edge plants, deciduous trees, evergreen trees, wetland plants, climbing plants, fruit-bearing plants, and ferns. The site also provides habitat for numerous animal species, including mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and insects.

＜Official Logo for the Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites＞