Tokyo station hires two goats to mow its weeds, and commuters can't look away

Tired of weeds around its station, a Japanese rail company has hired a very different kind of grounds crew: two goats.

At Yotsuya Station in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, JR East has put two white goats on a patch of green space of about 900 square metres. Their job is to eat the wild grass that keeps growing back. The idea came from station staff, and it offers an alternative to regular manual weeding.

Nagi, a one-year-old male, and Pokke, a two-year-old female, started grazing on 9 October. A small shelter has been set up so they can rest. Staff provide their water and food and check on their health regularly.

The pair quickly became a local attraction. Commuters and students stop to watch, and some take photos and share them on social media.

The trial is planned to run until December. If the goats finish the grass sooner, it will end early. JR East also plans to bring the goats back to the same station next spring.