Tokyo Park Rangers

The Tokyo Park Rangers are instructors who work to preserve the nature of Tokyo by planning activities for the preservation and appropriate utilization of the natural parks within Tokyo Prefecture. There are currently 25 Tokyo Park Rangers working in the Tama area and in the Ogasawara area.

When you think of Tokyo, the first image that comes to mind is probably one of a large metropolis. However, Tokyo also has some of the most bountiful nature in Japan. Tokyo is home to three national parks (Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and Ogasawara National Park), and approximately 36% of the land in Tokyo is designated as natural park land. That gives Tokyo the second largest ratio of natural park land in Japan, behind only Shiga Prefecture.
Unfortunately, however, an excessive number of tourists and hikers, as well as poor manners and illegal activities such as the theft of rare plants, have contributed to an imbalance between the preservation and utilization of Tokyo's natural parks. In addition, the severity of natural destruction in the Ogasawara Archipelago is increasing. For example, the introduction of invasive species has contributed to a decrease in the populations of endemic species, and to deforestation and the stripping of grasslands. Furthermore, this stripping of land leads to soil runoff, which adversely impacts coral reefs.
To address issues such as these, Tokyo has established a unique system of rangers who handle the preservation and utilization of nature in natural parks and in important nature areas.

This symbol was designed by Kunihiko Matsuba, who was at the time a second-year student in the masters' program at Tokyo University of the Arts. The design is based on the shape of the letter "R," for "Ranger."