Two goats mow weeds on railway operator's plot in central Tokyo
Japanese rail operator JR East is trialling goat grazing in Tokyo's Shinjuku district as an alternative to cutting grass and using herbicides. The two goats have drawn crowds of passers-by.
Two goats have been grazing since October on a vacant plot in Tokyo's busy Shinjuku district, as part of an environmental project by Japanese rail operator East Japan Railway (JR East). The trial, which started on 9 October, is meant to offer an alternative to conventional grass cutting and herbicides.
The animals are one-year-old Nagi and two-year-old Pokke. They have a 900-square-metre plot where they have been steadily eating weeds. The trial is expected to run until around December, unless the goats finish the work sooner.
First within the Yamanote loop
JR East has experimented with goat grazing before, but this is its first such project inside the Yamanote loop, the central railway circle of Tokyo.
Public interest
The unusual sight has attracted schoolchildren, office workers and commuters, many of whom stop to take photos and videos. Footage shows the pair feeding, wandering around their enclosure and resting in a small shelter, apparently unbothered by passing trains.
For local residents, the animals have provided a moment of calm in the daily rush. Tamae Noguchi, who works nearby, said watching the goats eat so eagerly lifted her spirits. Signs ask visitors not to feed the animals so that they can get on with their work.
