An elementary school in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, is taking part in an experiment to grow plants covering its outer walls as a way to beat the heat.
Sixth-graders tend the plant bed during breaks from class, checking the progress of cucumbers and dishcloth gourds whose stems extend over a net stretching from the ground to the third floor.
The students at Takashima No. 5 Elementary School have been keeping an eye on the garden plants since the school year started in April.
Itabashi Ward is regarded as an "advanced" locality in a growing "green curtain" movement aimed at setting up nets outside school buildings, public facilities and homes to grow plants. The idea is to block the sun in the summer and keep rooms cool, holding down the use of air conditioners to save energy.