Sandwiched between towering skyscrapers in the heart of Ōtemachi’s busiest intersection is the PASONA headquarters draped in flowers and lush green vines. Since 2010, PASONA’s ambitious urban farming project has become one of the largest farm to table office schemes in Japan. Looking more like a backdrop to a sci-fi thriller than a multinational staffing firm, this conspicuous nine-storey building is home to over two hundred species of plants, veggies, fruits and grains. While a vegetable factory neatly line the seminar halls, you have tomatoes and chili vines dangling from the ceilings of temperature controlled conference rooms. Surely even the earliest Monday meetings will be a pleasant one!
Next time you are in Ōtemachi, stop by the ground floor cafe and have a bite of PASONA’s fresh produce! The first three floors of the farming area is available to the general public but just don’t go around flashing your cameras too much, this is after all an actual office space.
