urban development that will continue 100 years into the future. Create a model city that can be proud of to the world.
Mitsubishi Estate and MarunouchiUrban development will continue 100 years later.
We create a model city that can be proud of to the world.
Marunouchi, a business district that leads the Japanese economy; Otemachi, a global financial center and hub of media companies; and Yurakucho, where you can find a variety of attractions from shopping to gourmet and entertainment. Mitsubishi Estate is promoting forward-looking urban development in the three areas collectively known as the OMY area. The first step was urban development in Marunouchi, which began with the modernization of the Meiji era. While inheriting its ideals and vision for the future, we aim to be a “model city” of the world that always realizes the most advanced and rich urban activities and urban culture. We have increased the value of the community while maintaining and rebuilding its functions as a business district. Today, not only business people from Japan and the world, but also creative talents, artists, and individuals and families with a wide variety of people and companies gather to make new discoveries that enhance business and QOL, and to create innovations that lead to the future.
Taku Tanikawa
Area Management Planning Department Unit Leader
We realize urban development by conceiving with “area” instead of “spot”
In 1890, when Mitsubishi received a request from the Meiji government to obtain the Marunouchi Payment, they invested a huge amount of money to purchase a wilderness area of more than 350,000㎡ of Marunouchi owned by the Ministry of the Army. Forced to withdraw from the shipping business, Mitsubishi decided to boldly shift its business field from sea to land and explore new businesses from scratch amid predicament. Since we acquired a vast land with nothing, we will consider the entire area as a “area” rather than a “spot” idea to develop each building, and envisioned urban development that would sustainably increase the value of the area with a long-term perspective and business stance that warns against overdevelopment.
“Three Principles” (The Spirit of Mitsubishi) that underlie the business of Mitsubishi Group are:Corporate Responsibility to Society = Expected to contribute to society, Integrity and Fairness = Promoting fair and dignified business, Global Understanding through Business = To develop business from a global perspective. Mitsubishi Estate has positioned “We contribute to society through urban development” as our basic mission. Regardless of the situation, we consider our social corporate mission, devote ourselves to fair play, and engage in business from a global perspective as a principle of action. Even if our business changes and diversifies with the times, this unchanging cornerstone is the pioneering spirit that overlaps with the origin of our founding, and we believe that our founding business of urban development is a social contribution.
The goal of Mitsubishi Estate's urban development in Marunouchi is to constantly create a beautiful, human-centered town that serves as a global model, and a cutting-edge business district that serves as a model case for the rest of the world. In the 1950s, the development of a functional business center was started with the vision of the Meiji period to “create a model town” in Japan as well as in Europe and the United States. With the subsequent growth of the Japanese economy, until the 1980s, building reconstruction was promoted to increase the size of buildings to meet office demand. After that, with the advent of a full-fledged global era, we aimed to create new urban functions, and since the 2000s, we have been promoting area management along with skyscrapers, and are working on the “reconstruction of Marunouchi” from both hard and soft aspects.
Mitsubishi Estate's aspirations for urban development, which have been passed down through the ages and generations, still live on in each and every employee as part of our DNA. Taku Tanikawa, unit leader of the Area Management Planning Department, talks about his feelings about participating in historic urban development as follows.
Tanikawa
I feel that Marunouchi area has been shaped by the cumulative efforts of many of our predecessors, who have devoted themselves to the challenges of the time. I also feel like I am working on one of the layers of a long history. While keeping a firm eye on the long-term vision of urban development that has been passed down from our predecessors, I am focusing on thinking through every problem that is in front of me.
For example, Marunouchi area had a relatively small amount of spatial space due to the concentration of buildings, so it was necessary to create more "urban space." Therefore, we focused on public spaces such as roads. By using public spaces to hold events, it became possible for many people to see and participate, leading to the creation of new bustle. From now on, I would like to continue to develop a urban development that appeals to a wide range of people, including families and young people, as well as people who work in this town.
Building owned by Mitsubishi Estate in the OMY area
Citizens work together to grow Marunouchi area with the consensus of the community
Amended for the 6th time Marunouchi development guideline
In urban development that is conceived from the perspective of “areas,” it is important to create an overall concept that links private land with public land. For this reason, in Marunouchi area, the government, landowners, and businesses that provide urban infrastructure work together, and it is important to promote urban development throughout the area through consensus and cooperation among stakeholders. However, the road to Mitsubishi Estate's finding the direction of urban development was not a smooth one.
In the 1980s, central Tokyo suffered from a chronic shortage of offices, and existing offices were aging. At this time, Mitsubishi Estate announced the Marunouchi Redevelopment Plan, which proposed the redevelopment of the Marunouchi area, the face of Tokyo, as a new international business center, while at the same time enhancing the amenities of the city. However, because the plan called for bold redevelopment that would involve building taller buildings, it was the subject of much debate among landowners, government officials, and the media. In 1988, the Otemachi–Marunouchi–Yurakucho District Redevelopment Project Council(the Council for Area Development and Management of Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho) was established to provide a forum for landowners to think about and discuss the future vision of the Marunouchi area. In 1996, the Council, Chiyoda Ward, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and JR East, which owns and operates Tokyo Station, formed a public-private partnership to discuss the future of Marunouchi area. Guideline for the Redevelopment of the Area were established based on the consensus reached at this meeting, and are still undergoing revisions as a guideline for urban development that makes the most of the unique character of Marunouchi area.
A roundtable where community initiatives and urban policies work together
Tanikawa
In discussions at organizations that include the governments of Tokyo and Chiyoda Ward, and many landowners who own land and buildings in Marunouchi area, it is important to share a larger vision and be willing to discuss the issues from a long-term perspective. We must not forget that urban development cannot proceed with the will of Mitsubishi Estate alone. First of all, we have to have repeated discussions among landowners, and based on those discussions, we have to communicate with the government and implement new initiatives one by one.
Demonstration experiment of self-driving mobility conducted by the Council for Area Development and Management of Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho
Tanikawa
Even if we impose our own visions and minds, and if we prioritize only our profits, no one will take action. It is necessary to have a stance of repeatedly engaging in dialogue with the people involved while always imagining the other person's position and feelings. Urban development requires both the persistence to continue to tackle difficult situations without giving up, and the concentration to solve the issues at hand. Although it is not an easy task, we are constantly moving forward with a variety of new measures, valuing flexible ideas such as “changing the stereotypical image of Marunouchi as a business district” and “creating a system to attract high school and university students to Marunouchi area.”
As a visionary “urban development producer”
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.'s predecessor, Mitsubishi Joint Stock Company, had a constant vision of “creating a model town” for urban development in Marunouchi, the starting point of our founding. As the social environment, economy, and values change with the times, our working styles and lifestyles will also change dramatically. At the next stage of creating a “cutting-edge affluent business district” aiming to be a city model that is chosen globally by attracting attention to the borderless area, we will evolve the vision of urban development with new ideas, create value in Marunouchi area, and be required to have the ability to produce innovation. While cherishing the unique character of Marunouchi area that has been cultivated over more than a century, we hope to create new values and activities from this area through the free exchange of diverse and creative people and companies from all over the world.
Tanikawa
With approximately 280,000 people working in about 4,300 offices, Marunouchi needs a perspective on urban development that responds to changes in society, keeping a close eye on environmental transitions post COVID-19 now that remote work has taken root. For example, as people come to the office less frequently, they may want to have a meal and talk with colleagues they have not seen in a while. In this case, creating a place that offers a different kind of "food" experience is another option for community development that meets the needs of workers. Some people may also want to leave work early to spend time with family and friends in entertainment or art. In the future, it will become more important to create an attractive town that can satisfy various individual preferences.
Marunouchi area has 28 stations and 13 lines, making it easy to access from anywhere. From the survey, we know that the number of people who come to the town not for work purposes--people who visit Marunouchi area not only on weekdays but also on weekends--is increasing, and their age range is wide. There is also the issue of creating an environment where people from various countries can enjoy this area without stress. More than 100 years have already passed since urban development began in Marunouchi, but while there are issues at that time in any era, efforts that look ahead to the future are required. It is Mitsubishi Estate's job to recreate the city in a way that better fits the way people live. I'm sure it won't change for the next 100 years.
Tanikawa
I feel that Marunouchi area has been shaped by the cumulative efforts of many of our predecessors, who have devoted themselves to the challenges of the time. I also feel like I am working on one of the layers of a long history. While keeping a firm eye on the long-term vision of urban development that has been passed down from our predecessors, I am focusing on thinking through every problem that is in front of me.
For example, Marunouchi area had a relatively small amount of spatial space due to the concentration of buildings, so it was necessary to create more "urban space." Therefore, we focused on public spaces such as roads. By using public spaces to hold events, it became possible for many people to see and participate, leading to the creation of new bustle. From now on, I would like to continue to develop a urban development that appeals to a wide range of people, including families and young people, as well as people who work in this town.