Conservation

Around one quarter of the vascular plants native to Japan are listed as endangered in the Ministry of the Environment’s Red List. Ideally, efforts to conserve such species should be carried out in their natural habitat, but in order to ensure the continued survival of species that are threatened in their native regions, it is also important to temporarily conserve them outside their native regions.

As a part of the National Network of Botanical Gardens for the Conservation of Plant Diversity operated by the Japan Association of Botanical Gardens, and as a registered garden in the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation designated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Shinjuku Gyoen is committed to the preservation of endangered plant species outside their natural habitats.

Conservation and cultivation efforts in the greenhouse focus primarily on the 170 species cited in the Ministry of the Environment’s Red List, of which 140 are deemed critically endangered or vulnerable, including a Jacob’s ladder native to Kyushu, plants from Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands, and orchids. Cultivated endangered plants from overseas include original strains of Western orchids and some 700 non-native plants listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The greenhouse has been carrying out seed conservation efforts for endangered plant species since October 2008. This is an effective way of reducing the risk of plant extinction, as seeds can be stored under stable conditions for long periods while requiring little space. In cooperation with the Japan Association of Botanical Gardens and other gardens, Shinjuku Gyoen collects and stores seeds from all parts of Japan along with data on their natural habitats.

*Individuals participating in collecting and storing seeds require specialized knowledge and skills to enable them to avoid impacting the growth of endangered plant species, identify species, record information on natural habitats, and other related activities. For this reason, participation in the project is generally limited to experts from botanical gardens, universities, research institutions, etc., or organizations collaborating or cooperating with such experts.