Tokyo Metropolitan Government x Biome Launches "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group 2026 Summer Edition"

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Biome Inc. have launched the citizen participation-based living creatures survey "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group 2026 Summer Edition" with the aim of creating a digital wild animal catalog, the "Tokyo Living Creatures Inventory." This survey, utilizing the living creatures collection app "Biome," is an initiative that continuously collects and accumulates information on urban biodiversity distribution using citizen science methods.

Amidst the growing global momentum for nature positivity, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is working to establish foundational information for promoting biodiversity conservation. Investigating the distribution of wild animals requires significant time and effort. Furthermore, surveys conducted solely by experts cannot fully capture the constantly changing ecosystem.

About "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group 2026 Summer Edition"

The summer edition, which began on July 1, 2026 (Wed), is a large-scale survey covering the entire Tokyo metropolitan area. Citizens can easily participate by simply submitting observations of living creatures through the smartphone app "Biome."

Survey Period: July 1, 2026 (Wed) 12:00 PM - August 31, 2026 (Mon) 11:59 PM

Participants: Anyone can participate

Quests: A total of 10 quests are available, ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

*For details, please check the dedicated website.

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded by lottery to those who meet the conditions.

How to Participate: Participate within the app "Biome."

Download the app "Biome" here:

App Store

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id1459658355

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.biome.biome

Three Features of "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group"

Learn about the ecology of living creatures in a fun way with the "Guide" function.

Each quest includes a "Guide" with hints on how to find the target creatures. The pages are filled with information about living creatures, allowing participants to learn about Tokyo's ecosystem while searching for them.

This is the 4th year! Last year's survey results are now public.

"Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group," which anyone can participate in with just a smartphone, collected approximately 140,000 data points in 2024 and approximately xx0,000 data points in 2025.

This initiative is in its fourth year, and the results from fiscal year 2025 are being released today in the "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group 2025 Activity Report."

URL: https://www.ikimono.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/booklet/

Experience the results of "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group" at real events.

At the Great Insect Exhibition held at Tokyo Skytree Town(R), a panel exhibition on the theme of "Tokyo's Insects: Past and Present" will be held. Additionally, classes will be held where participants can learn about the ecology of living creatures from experts. (This is a paid event.)

Why not learn about the ecology of living creatures in Tokyo and experience their charm from various perspectives?

Event Dates: July 11, 2026 (Sat) - August 30, 2026 (Sun)

For event details and class schedules, click here: https://daikontyu-ten.jp/

What is "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group"?

"Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group" is a project aiming to realize a collaboratively created digital wild animal catalog, the "Tokyo Living Creatures Inventory," by having many people participate in living creature surveys to protect Tokyo's biodiversity.

Using the smartphone app "Biome," information collected through citizen surveys accessible to everyone is combined with expert surveys and existing literature/specimen data to create the "Tokyo Living Creatures Inventory." The catalog will be created and published sequentially through collaboration between citizens and experts.

Official Website URL: https://www.ikimono.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/

What is "Tokyo Living Creatures Inventory"?

This is a dedicated website that allows users to display on a digital map where and what kind of organisms inhabit the area. Anyone can easily search and learn about the ecosystem within the metropolitan area. Information gathered from last year's "Tokyo Living Creatures Survey Group" is also extensively utilized.

Official Website URL: https://www.inventory.ikimono.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/

About the Living Creatures Collection App "Biome"

This is a free smartphone application developed to understand the distribution of living creatures and utilize it as foundational information for biodiversity conservation.

It includes almost all species in Japan (approximately 100,000 species) and uses a proprietary name-identification AI to identify creatures from photos. It not only allows users to collect photos of living creatures like a game but is also packed with features that make searching for living creatures enjoyable, such as a field guide, map, SNS, and quests.

As of July 2026, the app has surpassed 1.25 million total downloads, and user submissions have reached over 11 million, with biological data continuously accumulating daily. The collected data will be used for biodiversity conservation.

About Biome Inc.

Biome Inc. was established in May 2017 as a venture company originating from Kyoto University, with the philosophy of "Making biodiversity conservation a social norm." It is engaged in "making environmental conservation a business."

Centered around the development and operation of the living creatures collection app "Biome," the company builds and operates a platform that connects science and society and realizes biodiversity conservation by leveraging unique big data and visualization technology related to biodiversity.

Company Official Website: https://biome.co.jp