Regenerative City: Future Urban Ecosystems Interwoven with Microbes, Moss, and Wood .
2025.05.26
Regenerative City: Future Urban Ecosystems of Microorganisms, Moss, and Wood
What should the cities of the future be like? In this session, which welcomed Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. as a partner, experts in microbiology, moss, and wooden architecture engaged in a heated discussion on the new concept of the regenerative city. The session ultimately led to an answer to the big question, "What is the kind of city planning that people can continue to be involved in?
speaker
Mr. Hiroki Akiyoshi (CEO, VUILD Corporation, Architect, Meta-Architect)
Mr. Misao Itoga (Founder & CTO, Japan Moss Factory, Inc.)
Mr. Kohei Ito (Representative Director, BIOTA Corporation)
moderator
Yukihiro Maru (Representative Director and Group CEO, Liverness Corporation)
Regenerative is "putting the energy on first."
RIVANES Yukihiro Maru The theme of this session is "Regenerative City. Regenerative is a term that we have recently begun to hear, and it is generally accepted as the "next" concept after sustainable. In fact, this session's partner companyTokyo Buildingwas one of the first to set up a project with these words and issued the following release.
I found it very interesting that a large company like Tokyo Tatemono is actively challenging new concepts in this way, and I would like to join LIVERNESS in this project. Today's conference is a "super interdisciplinary conference," and that is exactly what we would like to do regeneratively in the "super interdisciplinary" field. So today, we will invite experts in the three areas of microbiology, moss, and wooden architecture to join us for discussion.
Now, before I introduce the three of you, please allow me to make a short presentation on my own view of what regenerative is. I have tried to view regenerative from a life science perspective (projected slides).
The phenomenon of life is,
(1) Collect organic matter that exists in pieces in a disordered state (high entropy state),
(2) By applying energy to it and condensing it to create order (low-entropy state), cells and organs are produced,
(iii) They are organically connected to form a single living organism.
This can be explained as follows.
In other words, life first artificially creates order by applying large amounts of energy, and within the order created in this way, each cell is born, dies, and regenerates again in a regenerative cycle.
Compared to the concept of sustainability, the focus of sustainability is on energy conservation, reduction, maintenance, etc., in other words, "how much energy is not applied. On the other hand, from a life science perspective, the major point of regenerative medicine is to "apply energy first". This contrast is the biggest difference between sustainable and regenerative, and I personally think it is an interesting aspect of the new concept of regenerative.
90% of life on earth, excluding plants, is actually microorganisms
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. From here, we will talk to three specialists. First, Mr. Ito of BIOTA, please introduce yourself and tell us what the microbiology experts think about regenerative medicine.
Mr. Kohei Ito, BIOTA BIOTAis a company with a vision of "creating healthy and sustainable lifestyles," and as part of its mission to achieve this goal, the company is committed to "increasing the 'microbial diversity' of living spaces. Microorganisms are generally considered to be very niche. However, in fact, when compared by weight, microorganisms account for the overwhelming majority, more than 90% of all living organisms on the earth, excluding plants. In other words, if today's theme, Regenerative, is about ecosystems and biodiversity, then it is the microorganisms that we should first turn our attention to.
Mr. Kohei Ito Representative Director, BIOTA Co.Researcher and entrepreneur of microbial community in urban environment. Engaged in skin microbiology research as a special research student at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences at Keio University in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan since high school. 2015, entered the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University. He is engaged in bioinformatics research combining informatics and biology and has published several papers in international journals. Currently, he founded BIOTA, Inc. and is promoting research and business to create healthy cities with microbial diversity.
Microbes, which support the foundation of the ecological pyramid, play the role of "ecological decomposers. If regeneration is interpreted as "a phenomenon in which some substance is input and some output is regenerated from it," then microorganisms that decompose substances can be said to be the initial starting point of regeneration. In addition, it is said that microorganisms contribute to the maturation of human immunity and the suppression of infectious diseases.
Therefore, we are promoting our planting design business under the "Re-Wilding" brand to build microbial ecosystems in cities. In terms of enriching nature, people tend to talk about "untouched nature" or "preservation of nature," but in fact, "appropriate human intervention" can be more effective, as is the case, for example, with the Meiji Jingu forest. Therefore, I hope that regenerative design will enrich the ecosystem through repeated human economic and urban activities.
For example, in one of BIOTA's recent cases, we worked on the planting of trees in an office. In the six months between land reform and planting, the biodiversity of the area increased five-fold, or 100-fold in terms of the number of microorganisms. I believe that focusing attention on microorganisms that are invisible to the eye but play an important role in regeneration will lead to environmental restoration in the long run.
Moss, present for 500 million years, contributes to forest regeneration
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Then there's the moss expert, theJapan Moss FactoryMr. Itoga, please.
Mr. Misao Itoga, Japan Moss Factory I am someone who has consistently studied moss. I am launching Japan Moss Factory in 2019 with the vision of "protecting the earth with moss". More specifically, I am developing a technology to mass cultivate protoplasts, which are formed when moss plant spores germinate, and by utilizing these protoplasts as an adsorbent for toxic metals such as lead, I aim to solve water pollution caused by anti-waste water.
Misao Itoga Founder & CTO, Japan Moth Factory, Inc.D. from Hiroshima University in 2002. worked as a researcher at RIKEN Plant Science Center in 2003 and as a senior researcher at Environmental Resource Science Center of the same institute in 2013. established JAPAN MOSS FACTORY, Inc. in spring 2019. Awards received include the Incentive Award from the Bryophyte Society of Japan, the Mining Industry Association of Japan Award, and the Grand Prize of the 5th Agritech Grand Prix.
However, rather than talking about our business today, I would like to talk about moss that grows in the spaces around you to help you learn more about it.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. (Looking at the projected slides) So the moss introduction by Mr. Itoga begins (laughs).
Ligustrum japonicum As you say, it is an original moss illustrated book. This is Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto, very famous for its checkered moss garden by Mirei Shigemori. And Saiho-ji Temple is commonly known as "moss temple". You may have seen this picture before, but do you know what kind of moss it is? The moss that makes up the beautiful scenery of Saiho-ji Temple is called "Hosoba Okina Moss.
There are many other types of mosses, such as "Haigoke," "Umasugi Moss," "Tachigo Moss," and "Iwadare Moss," ....... The one that is planted on rooftops to mitigate the heat island effect is called "Ezo-sunashi moss," a type that looks very different when it is dry and when it is wet. I love the dry look because I can't classify it without seeing the dry look. To you all, "moss is moss," but to me, that classification is the same as "mammals are nice.
venue (Laughter)
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. I can feel the passion tremendously, but at this rate, the session theme will become "moss city" instead of "regenerative city" (laughs).
Ligustrum japonicum Yes, it is time to start summarizing (smile). There are three phyla of mosses: senesceae, thais, and hornworts, which are collectively called "moss plants. There are 2,000 species in Japan and 20,000 species worldwide. One of the main characteristics of mosses is that they are terrestrial plants that grow on various substrates. They do not float in the air, but are always attached to something.
Finally, to talk about the connection with regeneratives, the presence of moss can cause new and different plants to sprout from it. In the phenomenon of "fallen tree renewal" in technical terms, moss grows on the trunk of a fallen tree, and when another plant seed falls on it, regeneration begins from there. In other words, moss contributes to forest regeneration.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Thank you very much. By the way, a space where moss grows is also a comfortable space for people. So, moss can be an indicator of the comfort of a town, can't it?
Ligustrum japonicum You are right. I think moss can be a symbol of a comfortable space.
Toward a society that builds its own communities with wood from its own region
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Last but not least, we are specialized in lumber and construction.VUILDMr. Akiyoshi of After all, when it comes to towns, architecture cannot be left out. How do you view regenerative from an architectural point of view? Please give us your best regards.
VUILD Mr. Hiroki Akiyoshi I practice architectural design research and also run a company as an entrepreneur. In fact, the construction field is an industry that accounts for 37% of the world's CO2 emissions, and there is a shift toward wooden construction around the world. Under such circumstances, VUILD has established a system in which 260 wood 3D printers are placed throughout Japan and connected via a network, so that when people input data on what they want to make, the output is delivered from machines all over the country. This system allows local people to create the towns, furniture, and daily necessities they envision using their own local wood. We have also formed business and capital alliances with general contractors, architectural design firms, and office supply manufacturers.
Mr. Hiroki Akiyoshi CEO, VUILD Corporation, Architect, Meta-Architect In 2017, he founded VUILD, an architectural tech startup, aiming to "democratize architecture". He covers a wide range of design areas from things to things, including digital fabrication and social design. Major awards include the Under 35 Architects exhibition Gold Medal award (2019), Good Design Gold Award (2020), Archi-Neering Design AWARD 2021 Grand Prize (2022), Archi-Neering Design AWARD 2023 Grand Prize (2024), Minna no Kenchiku Grand Prize (2024), iF Design Award Gold Award (2025), etc. His publications include Meta-Architect - Architecture for the Next Generation (2022).
We also leverage our expertise in digital fabrication and computational design to make it possible for anyone to build and shorten the construction period. For example, we have built reconstruction houses in Noto with the help of volunteers, and we have built buildings using only trees cut on the island. This has resulted in a 40% cost reduction versus existing construction methods, and a 40% CO2 emissions reduction by reducing the use of concrete, among other things.
When the concept of architecture is completely changed in this way and people are able to "build it themselves," local people are able to connect with each other and create a society together. In addition, when people become able to handle the trees in front of them, they become interested in the trees themselves and begin to think about the forest and the earth. What VUILD is doing is to regenerate the starting point. That is what we are thinking about.
Project to regenerate the "middle belt" of a large city.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Well, this is where this session comes in. Actually, we can't make it public yet, but the three of us and LIVERNESS are about to team up for a project. As a stage for this project, we have decided to borrow part of a space in a building in Yaesu from Tokyo Tatemono.
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Yukihiro Maru Representative Director and Group CEO, Liverness, Inc. D. in Agriculture, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo. 2002, while still a graduate student, founded LIVERNESS with only undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering. He has developed Japan's first "Science Delivery Experimental Classroom" into a business. He runs a "knowledge manufacturing business" that creates new businesses by combining technologies and knowledge from different fields. As the instigator of one of Asia's largest deep-tech venture ecosystems, he works to solve global issues by discovering deep issues from around the world. He has also been involved in the launch of numerous ventures, including Euglena.
What kind of space is it? It is not indoors, outdoors, or on a rooftop. It is the "middle zone. Do you understand? It is the space just before you come up from the subway station and enter the building. From the opposite direction, it is the space between exiting the building and going down the stairs into the subway station. What would happen if we could make this in-between place, where outside and inside connect, regenerative?
When people come up from the subway and enter this space, they feel the richness of nature and become energized. People who have been outdoors on a bad weather day feel very comfortable when they enter this space. In such a way, in the middle of a big city, ...... will create a place where moss and microorganisms can live in abundance, using wood from Japanese forests, and where the space and the earth seem to be connected. We will start such a project!
Today is a very interdisciplinary conference, so if there is anyone here who would like to "add their own ideas as well," I would like to invite you to participate. Actually, while looking at the poster presentations, I found someone who is doing very interesting research. Is the person who was presenting "Live Terrarium" in this hall? (Looking around the hall) Yes, he was over there. Please introduce your research.
venue My name is Mai Nishibori, a graduate student at Kyoto University of Advanced Sciences. I am examining the effect of artificial objects that imitate nature on people's relaxation, and I am working on the creation of a "live terrarium" that can be placed close to people to make them feel nature. As one of the elements of this project, I am conducting experiments to verify how people feel when they experience a water flow that emits "1/f fluctuation" and natural sounds.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. It is still interesting. However, would you like to try the same experiment in the space of a building in Yaesu, not on a scale that can be placed close to you?
western moat Can you pull me to such a place ......?
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Of course. Let's do it!
western moatYes, please do! But the charm of live terrariums is that they can be placed on a small scale. ......
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. OK. Then let's propose both to Tokyo Tatemono. So, Mr. Nishibori has decided to participate in the project. Please give a round of applause to everyone in the audience! (Applause from the audience)
Creating a beautiful garden in Yaesu and nurturing it with everyone in the community
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. The project has been gaining momentum, just like the best part of a super interdisciplinary conference. In the midst of all this, in fact, Mr. Akiyoshi has already come up with an idea.
Saturn (god of harvests and wealth) Yes, I am interested in the moss. What impressed me when I heard about moss from Mr. Itoga beforehand was that trees and life can be nurtured even on limited land, as in the case of Kyoto's temples and fallen tree renewal. My idea was that it would be interesting if we could apply that technique in a large city and in a high location. Specifically, I would like to place huge unused lumber in this intermediate area to resemble the masonry of a Japanese garden. This is because, although thinned wood can be used for offices and interior decorations, huge trees that cannot be used as standard lumber are thrown away in the forest because no one can use them. If we could make those big trees look like stones and process them into a structure that moss could adhere to, we could create a beautiful garden in the middle area of the city.
Also, as the theme is regenerative, this beautiful garden is not finished when the construction is complete. New life will be introduced into this garden through watering and management by office workers and people living in the surrounding area. Soil may grow here through the power of microorganisms. We also envision actions to disperse the life grown here to the city or return it to the forest.
The middle area, sometimes called an interfering area or semi-outdoor in different expressions, is also what the old Japanese would call an "enko-gawa" (veranda). We would like to realize this eden-like space in a prime location in a building in Yaesu, and link it to area regeneration, regional regeneration, and global regeneration.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. Thank you very much. It is a wonderful idea. Mr. Ito and Mr. Itoga, please let us know what you think.
Ito. In a city, I think it is important to have a kind of environmental capacity to harbor living creatures. If we can create structures and plantings that can be stacked vertically using Akiyoshi's technology, they will become habitats for a variety of creatures, and biodiversity and ecological regeneration will be possible even in a small area of a city.
Ligustrum japonicum I am, of course, in favor of the idea of using giant trees to grow moss on structures. I would like to spread it not only in Yaesu, but all over the city. Also, I have brought some seeds of the mukuroji tree to this meeting today. I will hand them out to those who are interested, so please come and plant these seeds at the demonstration site in Yaesu.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. That is interesting. Now everyone in this hall is a part of the project.
Saturn (god of harvests and wealth) At the beginning, Mr. Maru talked about how "regeneratives put energy at the beginning," and I think it is important to consider how much thought and enthusiasm people can put into the project. I would like this project to be a place where everyone can take the time to nurture the project, where we do not end up providing a finished product from the beginning, but rather start from there.
Furthermore, since this team includes researchers such as BIOTA and Japan Moss Factory, we will take and analyze data properly in the process of raising them and decide on subsequent actions to be taken. I believe that this will make the project a project that even more people will feel that they want to be involved in.
suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc. You are right. The theme of this session is "Regenerative City," but technology alone is not enough for urban development. It is essential that people continue to be involved and continue to put energy into it. I hope that many people will participate in this project, which is a great effort not only by us but also by Tokyo Tatemono, and I hope that companies that have offices in Yaesu will get involved as much as possible. If Yaesu can become a global pioneer of what a regenerative city means, then the possibilities will expand even further. I believe that today's session was the very first step toward creating a regenerative city. Thank you very much for your kind attention!
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