In central Fukuoka, Tenjin, a splendid forest like a "mountain" thrives on the former Fukuoka Prefectural Office site. It is the stepped rooftop garden on the Fukuoka ACROS building, facing Mainichi Fukuoka Hall — managed by Mainichi Building Co., Ltd. — across Meiji-dori.
Fukuoka ACROS is a complex next to Tenjin Central Park, a Fukuoka landmark with a symphony hall, international conference facilities, offices, and restaurants. Opened in 1995, the park-facing side is a stepped garden that started with 76 species and 37,000 plants; birds have since brought seeds, and it is now said to hold 120 species and 50,000 plants. At 5,400㎡, it ranks among Japan's largest rooftop green spaces, easing heat-island effects and cutting CO₂.
Waterfalls flow from the fifth to first floors, making you forget you are in bustling Tenjin. Designed with a "mountain" concept, the step garden won the BCS Award (Building Contractors Society) in 1996 and in 2010 was selected among 100 corporate greens supporting biodiversity by the Urban Greening Foundation.
You cannot enter this forest from inside the building; two entrances face the park. Opening hours vary by season — check the website before visiting.
Palaceside Building's rooftop garden has incorporated greenery since opening in 1966, before "rooftop greening" was even a term — a pioneer, in a sense. For office workers in the city, a green rooftop is the best place to unwind. Rooftop greening will surely become standard as we protect the global environment.