Documenting Tokyo’s nature, together.

Tokyo Biodiversity Center is a nonprofit organization based in Tama City, in western Tokyo. Our mission is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, mainly in Tokyo, so that future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits of a rich natural world.

Community science is at the heart of our work. Residents, students and naturalists photograph the wild plants, animals and fungi they encounter and share them on iNaturalist. We analyze these records and use them to help local governments, landowners and community groups conserve and enhance habitats.

Certified as a Specified Nonprofit Corporation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on 30 September 2019; incorporated on 8 October 2019.

Tama City Biodiversity Monitoring Project on iNaturalist, records since 2020 (as of October 2026). This is just one of the many community science surveys we run.

Our five fields of activity

• 1. Know biodiversity: research and monitoring
  • Building a biodiversity database for Tokyo from literature and field surveys
  • Running community science surveys with iNaturalist
  • Long-term monitoring of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), an indicator species of urban environments
  • Mapping Tokyo’s biodiversity with GIS
• 2. Conserve biodiversity: habitat management and restoration
  • Helping landowners gain certification as Kyosei Sites, Japan’s national scheme for recognizing OECMs
  • Working with satoyama volunteers to manage secondary woodlands in ways that support biodiversity
  • Carrying out small-scale nature restoration
• 3. Connect people with nature: education and policy
  • Holding regular nature walks, field trips and workshops
  • Supporting local governments in developing and implementing biodiversity policy
  • Offering hands-on programs for the public and students
  • Sharing news about Tokyo’s nature through our website and social media
• 4. Connect and support people: networking and partnerships
  • Supporting community groups with information, equipment and programs
  • Partnering with NGOs, government, businesses and universities for more effective conservation
• 5. Connect Tokyo with the world: international cooperation
  • Supporting international cooperation on biodiversity
  • Taking part in international events to contribute to global conservation efforts
  • Promoting city-to-city collaboration and information exchange on biodiversity

Featured projects

Community science | in partnership with Tama City

Tama City Biodiversity Monitoring Project

Residents record every living thing in Tama City, from birds and insects to plants and fungi, using the iNaturalist app.

View on iNaturalist →

Regional survey | supported by the Tokyu Foundation

Nature Positive Tama Hills

Documenting the biodiversity of the Tama Hills across five cities: Tama, Hachioji, Hino, Inagi and Machida.

View on iNaturalist →

Conservation | since 2020

Japanese Honey Bee Project

Strawberries, apples, blueberries, cherries, almonds, cacao, coffee: without pollinators, these harvests would be lost. In Japan, pollination services are valued at about 470 billion yen a year, and roughly 70% of that is provided by wild insects. To help the native Japanese honey bee (Apis cerana japonica), we installed nine hives at six sites in Hachioji and Hino in spring 2020 and continue to monitor them.

Read more (in Japanese) →

Tokyo Bio Channel

Our YouTube channel showcases the nature of Tokyo, including live streams from the Barn Swallow communal roost on the Tama River.