ビールの原料となるホップを大学の屋上で栽培している市川洋行さん。長年都市部では、緑地不足やヒートアイランド現象が課題となっていることに注目し、成長が早く大きな葉が茂るホップを屋上やテラスなどに栽培することで、少しでも都市緑化に貢献できないかと考え、取り組みを開始。今後もこの取り組みを、学生が社会とつながり、「モノづくり」と「ビジネス」を体感できるツールとして活用したいと語る市川さんの思い描く未来とは？

Mr. Hiroyuki Ichikawa grows hops, which are an ingredient in beer, on the roof of a university. For many years, urban areas have focused on addressing a lack of green space and the urban heat island effect. He started this initiative, thinking he might be able to contribute, even a small one, to urban greening efforts by using roofs and terraces to grow hops, which mature quickly and have large leaves. Mr. Ichikawa says he intends to continue utilizing this initiative as a tool that allows students to connect with society and gain hands-on experience in both manufacturing and business. What kind of future does he envision?