Government officials from Japan visited the International Garden Cities Institute this week to discuss joint working and study Garden City policies and practice.

Masanori Kobayashi of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is Director of the Policy Research Department, at Real Estate Transaction Improvement Organisation, a government Agency in Tokyo.

 “I have a plan to start new real estate studies centre at the University of Tokyo as a professor in next year,” he said.

Before starting the new programme in Tokyo, came to Letchworth Garden City to discuss the Institute’s programme and discuss potential research collaboration.

With colleague Hayaki Sugiura, his trip to the UK encompassed a tour of Letchworth Garden City with David Ames of our Operations Team, and historian Josh Tidy.

They also looked into affordable housing policies, our real estate transaction system and community development programmes by the UK government.

After his visit, Mr Kobayashi said he would like to discussion possible research collaboration and promote the ideas of Garden Cities again in Japanese city planning and town management.