The Mitsui Fudosan Group has set “harmonious coexistence” and “linking diverse values” as its principles. Based on these principles, we pursue coexistence with existing communities and engage in community development that addresses area characteristics, development size and other elements.
LaLagarden Nagamachi
In the retail properties business, the Mitsui Fudosan Group is aiming for retail properties that serve as the “core of the community.” This is the thinking that retail properties are not simply shopping space, but also contribute to regional revitalization through the provision of a venue for people to interact and a forum for information exchange by combining an array of service functions that are required in the area.
At LaLagarden Nagamachi (Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi) that opened in October 2009, a “recreational daily community mall for families” has been set as the concept. Based on this concept, facilities that support the locals raise children and their health and other facilities of public interest that make a difference in the community are incorporated.
Special Feature 1: Growing Together
Examples of Public Interest and Other Facilities at LaLagarden Nagamachi
·Asuku Nagamachi Minami Day Nursery
A private nursery school (enrollment limit: 90 children) authorized by the City of Sendai and Sendai City's first establishment of an authorized nursery school within a retail property.
·Clinic Mall
Installed an internal medicine department, dermatology department and dispensing pharmacy to support the health of the locals.
·LaLa Club
A community space available for people engaging in club activities, etc. in the local area to use at no charge.
Shibaura Island Festival
Shibaura Island Jichikai Launches Fully into Action
At Shibaura Island (Minato-ku, Tokyo), the management associations of each of the for-sale condominium towers (Cape Tower and Grove Tower) and Mitsui Fudosan, which operates and manages the rental condominium towers (Air Tower and Bloom Tower), established a Shibaura Island resident community association (Shibaura Island Jichikai) in October 2009.
Shibaura Island Festival was held in November as the first resident-participatory event since the community association was established, and the Shibaura Island Disaster Prevention Plan was also drawn up in May 2010. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will continue to pursue town management in a new form led by residents to realize security and safety, including response in the event of a disaster, and “form sustainable communities” by working together with surrounding communities and taking other measures.
Coexistence with the Community: Social and Environmental Initiatives 2009
Implementation of Programs to Promote Community Activities
At Park City Minami-Senrioka (Settsu-shi, Osaka), construction of which is set to complete in March 2011, a community organization called CLUB EGG will inaugurate and operate with all households as members. Part of a new urban development being advanced at the same time as the establishment of a new station on the large former site of a plant, building of infrastructure and other developments, CLUB EGG is a self-operated organization for supporting tenant activities, such as various events and club activities, to promote the forming of a community right from the beginning when tenants move in.
Furthermore, with the Urban Development Information Center set up within the marketing center as the base of operations, eco activities will be implemented by joining forces with the locals. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will take measures such as those described to support the forming of a community at Minami-Senrigaoka.
“Campaign to Hold 1 Event Per Property” at Condominiums
Mitsui Fudosan Housing Service Co., Ltd. is promoting a “Campaign to Hold 1 Event Per Property” at the for-sale condominiums that it manages. With heightening importance of communities at condominiums, this is a campaign that is being promoted to spark community revitalization. This campaign is implemented at 1,197 of the 1,666 properties, or about 72%, of its condominiums (fiscal 2009 results). This campaign will continue to be promoted with implementation at 100% of its condominiums set as its target.
Examples of Events Implemented
- Fire and disaster prevention drills
- Briefings on equipment in common-use areas
- Rice-cake makings
- Social gatherings and Christmas parties
- Festivals
At Kashiwanoha Campus City, urban development is being advanced based on a partnership among the public sector, private sector and academia. The following introduces some of the activities that the Mitsui Fudosan Group continues to support for the forming of communities.
Another Community “Town Club Activities”
“Town Club Activities” is an attempt to create “another community that is none a home, company or school” through open participation and interaction among locals. Almost 1,000 people have joined 21 clubs (as of September 2010). These are attracting attention as activities that restore community bonds that have been weakening in recent years.
List of Clubs of “Town Club Activities”
Kashiwanoha Picnic Club
Club / Motto Camera Club / Pétanque Club / Marche Club / Kashiwanoha Hachimitsu Club / Machi no Kisha Club / Pinocchio Club / We Love Todai Pips / Kashiwanoha Picnic Club / Itoseiho Club / Bambi Club / Clubhouse no Otetsudai Club / Kashiwanoha Jitensha Club / Motto SetsuyaClub / Kashiwanoha Nature Kids Club / Minna Isshoni Rizumingu Club / Kashiwanoha Tango Club ...and more
Communication Incubate Cafe AGORA
AGORA opening party attended by Kashiwa City Mayor, researchers of The University of Tokyo and Chiba University, TEP members and others
Support of Startup Companies on the Tsukuba Express Railway Line
Many university and other academic institutions and research facilities are located on the Tsukuba Express (TX) railway line. TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP) was established in November 2009 to engage in “community-based startup support activities” that were unprecedented in Japan by matching researchers and entrepreneurs aiming to commercialize cutting-edge technologies or business models in the area with local residents willing to support such as a business partner.
Communication Incubate Cafe AGORA was opened in front of Kashiwanoha Campus Station as the base of TEP activities in February 2010, and over 170 members have already used the facility since. The activities of TEP are believed to make the TX railway line an attractive region as an industrial cluster and also contribute to revitalization of the local economy.
LAZONA Kawasaki Plaza
The awards of The Fourth Japan SC Awards (2010) organized by the Japan Council of Shopping Centers (JCSC) were announced in March 2010. LAZONA Kawasaki Plaza (Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi) was named for the Gold Award. This follows an earlier winning at The Third Japan SC Awards (2008) when it was honored with the New Face SC Award.
LAZONA Kawasaki Plaza was highly evaluated for bringing back to Kawasaki the customer traffic that had been flowing towards Tokyo and Yokohama, being directly linked to the station yet also establishing an open space that serves as a place for citizens to rest, having recast Kawasaki's image as an industrial belt, increasingly focusing on environmental and barrier-free measures and other aspects.
Intentions are to not only be a place to shop, but rather to keep evolving as a retail property that is able to continue delivering even higher added-value as a “life solution community” that proposes new lifestyles by satisfying the demand and diversifying needs specific to the area.
Cleanup activities of the Roppongi cleanup association
Employees of offices for each of our businesses that are spread all over the entire nation participate in cleanup and other activities to interact with the local communities and to contribute to the areas. In addition to “Roppongi wo Kirei ni Suru Kai” (Roppongi cleanup association), where Tokyo Midtown staff, tenants, etc. participate in local volunteer activities, office building, retail property, hotel and rental housing staff, etc. also participate in local cleanup activities.
<Office Buildings Business>
Employees pick up litter from the block around Nihonbashi 1-chome Building (Chuo-ku, Tokyo). Furthermore, at Shinjuku Mitsui Building (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), employees, along with partner companies, volunteer to pick up litter on the first Monday of each month under the name “55 Clean-tai” (55 clean squad). In the future, hopes are to turn this into an initiative of the entire office building by having the workers of tenant companies also participate.
<Retail Properties Business>
To deepen cooperation with communities, employees of retail properties and voluntary staff of retail tenants are the main participants. LaLaport KASHIWANOHA (Kashiwa-shi, Chiba Prefecture), Urban Dock LaLaport TOYOSU (Koto-ku, Tokyo), MITSUI OUTLET PARK Yokohama Bayside (Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi), MITSUI OUTLET PARK Osaka Tsurumi (Tsurumi-ku, Osaka-shi) and LaLagarden Nagamachi (Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi), among others, engage in these activities between once a week to once a month.
<Rental Housing Business>
Local staff of Park Axis Aoyama 1-Chome Tower (Minato-ku, Tokyo), together with Aoyama Itchome Chokai (Aoyama 1-chome town council) and other local organizations established a “Minami Aoyama wo Kirei ni Suru Kai” (Minami Aoyama cleanup association). They carry out cleanup activities every week and attach warning stickers to bicycles that have been parked in prohibited areas, among other activities.
The president down to Mitsui Garden Hotel general managers from all over Japan clean up hotel surroundings
<Hotel Business>
As part of social philanthropic activities, staff of each of the offices of Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier (Chuo-ku, Tokyo), Mitsui Garden Hotel Chiba (Chuo-ku, Chiba Prefecture), Mitsui Garden Hotel Kashiwa (Kashiwa-shi, Chiba Prefecture), Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka Yodoyabashi (Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi) and Mitsui Garden Hotel Sendai (Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi) engage in cleanup activities of the local areas.
In August 2009, the attending members of meetings of general managers cleaned up early in the morning around Mitsui Garden Hotel Sendai.
