The Birth of the New Aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI TOWER at Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower
Full-Scale Start of the X-NIHONBASHI (“Cross Nihonbashi”) Project
Create New Industries Based on the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan,
Transforming Nihonbashi into a Hub for the Aerospace Business

December 9, 2020
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, JAPAN – December 9, 2020 – Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, has announced the opening of X-NIHONBASHI TOWER, a new aerospace industry hub, on December 9, and the full-scale start of the X-NIHONBASHI (“Cross Nihonbashi”) project in the Nihonbashi area on the same day. The X-NIHONBASHI project seeks to revitalize and promote business in aerospace-related fields through neighborhood creation.

X-NIHONBASHI refers to a series of projects that will contribute to business expansion in aerospace-related fields by providing spaces and creating opportunities in the Nihonbashi area. In parallel, X-NIHONBASHI will drive innovation not only in space but also on Earth by promoting co-creation activities among the diverse players who will gather in the area from the public, private, and academic sectors.

In the Nihonbashi area, Mitsui Fudosan opened the aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI in November 2018. X-NIHONBASHI has steadily brought together players such as Axelspace Corporation, a startup developing the microsatellite business, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Mitsui Fudosan has worked to promote participation in various aerospace-related projects and attract events and conferences to X-NIHONBASHI. On December 9, Mitsui Fudosan opened X-NIHONBASHI TOWER in Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower. X-NIHONBASHI TOWER will serve as a base to conduct co-creation activities and provide information. On the same day, Mitsui Fudosan also started the X-NIHONBASHI project on a full scale to promote the revitalization of the aerospace business. Through promotion of the X-NIHONBASHI project, Mitsui Fudosan will push ahead with initiatives in the aerospace field, a new strategic category of the third stage of the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan.


Schematic diagram of the X-NIHONBASHI project

■Mitsui Fudosan Promotes the Aerospace Industry Through the Nihonbashi Neighborhood Creation Project

In accordance with VISION 2025, the Group’s long-term vision, Mitsui Fudosan aims to successfully establish a sustainable society through the creation of neighborhoods, thereby solving various social issues.
The aerospace field covers an expansive range of areas. The field encompasses not only research and projects aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the whole Earth using satellite data, and aerospace-related projects such as deep space exploration that expand new horizons for humankind, but also various technology fields such as robotics and biotechnology that are created in the process. There are strong expectations that the solutions created through the development of those technologies will help to solve issues facing all of humankind.
Clearly, the aerospace field is a growth industry. At the same time, the aerospace-related fields are industries that will comprehensively help to solve issues for humankind as a whole and its sustainability. Mitsui Fudosan seeks to drive innovation in these aerospace-related fields from its hub in Nihonbashi, which is Mitsui Fudosan’s core neighborhood creation project. In Nihonbashi, where the spirit of cooperation has long taken root, Mitsui Fudosan will start the X-NIHONBASHI project on a full scale and contribute to co-creation activities among various players.

■ Aerospace: A New Strategic Category for Industry Creation in the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan

In 2016, Mitsui Fudosan started the Nihonbashi Life Science Innovation Promotion Project, as part of industry creation efforts set forth in the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan. With this project, Mitsui Fudosan has been working to energize life science innovation through neighborhood creation in Nihonbashi. This has been done by continuously providing both places (hard aspects) and opportunities (soft aspects), and helping to foster domestic and international cooperation and collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors.
Through these activities, collaboration has been fostered among players who have gathered in the Nihonbashi area from diverse technology fields, spanning life science and many other areas. To further expand this collaboration, Mitsui Fudosan has identified the aerospace field as a new strategic category of “A Focus on Tomorrow’s Innovative Industries,” a priority initiative of the third stage of the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan announced in 2019. The aerospace field was selected as a new strategic category because it has a broad range of peripheral fields and will contribute to the solution of issues on a global scale.

■Overview of X-NIHONBASHI

With X-NIHONBASHI, Mitsui Fudosan will advance the project on the two fronts of (1) providing places and (2) creating opportunities, primarily in the Nihonbashi area.

  1. Providing places
    Mitsui Fudosan will attract players and projects in the public, private and academic sectors in aerospace-related fields to the Nihonbashi area, by establishing workplaces such as offices and shared facilities such as conference spaces and studios.
  2. Creating opportunities
    Mitsui Fudosan will facilitate exchanges between gathered players, support the provision of information, and implement co-creation activities, with efforts including participating in projects and making investments, in addition to organizing and attracting conferences and events.

Looking ahead, Mitsui Fudosan plans to accelerate the project further by increasing the variety of places it provides, opportunities for holding diverse events and providing information, and co-creation projects.

At a business event
At a space and astronomy event for the general public
At a conference

■ Examples of Aerospace-related Activities in Nihonbashi

1. Providing places

1) X-NIHONBASHI TOWER (newly opened)

Location 7F, Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, 1-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Period From December 2020
Outline X-NIHONBASHI TOWER was opened on December 9, 2020. X-NIHONBASHI TOWER has offices, a conference and co-working space that can accommodate up to around 150 people, and a studio fitted with online streaming equipment. In addition, the aerospace startup ispace, inc. has a mission control center for moon exploration in the facility.
Entrance
Main lobby
Studio
Conference space
Meeting room

2)Aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI

Location 7F, Fukushima Building, 1-5 Nihonbashi-Muromachi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Period From November 2018
Outline The aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI was opened as part of a space innovation partnership with JAXA (J-SPARC: JAXA Space Innovation through Partnership and Co-creation). X-NIHONBASHI is tenanted by aerospace business players, such as aerospace startups. More than 200 events and conferences are held annually at X-NIHONBASHI.
Conference space
Entrance
Business events

2. Creating opportunities

(1) Business events
1)Founding Symposium of The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Cooperation
Location X-NIHONBASHI TOWER
Period 2020年12月11日
Outline In collaboration with the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Mitsui Fudosan is promoting collaboration between academia and business based on the theme of co-creation in the aerospace business. The kick-off event will be held at X-NIHONBASHI TOWER on December 11. In addition, Mitsui Fudosan will continuously promote activities through participation in the Aeronautics Business Co-Creation Committee, which has been newly set up within the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences.

2)SPACETIDE YEAR-END

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Partner
Location Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference, X-NIHONBASHI TOWER (Studio)
Period From December 4, 2020 to December 9, 2020
Outline Mitsui Fudosan has attracted the year-end event of SPACETIDE, one of Japan’s largest space business conferences, to the Nihonbashi area. The event’s main conference is held at Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference, while some online content is streamed from the X-NIHONBASHI TOWER studio. This event has been held in Nihonbashi for three consecutive years since 2018.

(2) Town events for the general public
1)SORA FES TOKYO NIHONBASHI

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Special sponsorship
Location Fukutoku Garden and other venues
Period From November 7, 2020 to November 8, 2020
Outline SORAFES is a B2C space and astronomy event originating in Kyoto and brought to Nihonbashi. Since 2019, SORAFES has been held as an outdoor event based on the themes of the cosmos and starlit sky. It is held as an area-wide event with the cooperation of Fukutoku Garden, Naka Dori Street and Coredo Muromachi. SORAFES has been held in Nihonbashi twice following last year’s event.

2)NIHONBASHI THE SPACE

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Organizer
Location Nihonbashi Muromachi area(COREDO Muromachi Terrace Oyane Hiroba (large, covered terrace) and other venues)
Period From November 25, 2020 to January 17, 2021
Outline NIHONBASHI THE SPACE is an art and entertainment event based on the theme of aerospace. The event features extensive content designed to familiarize people with aerospace, such as illumination art linked with shooting stars, talk sessions with aerospace professionals and exhibition events for satellite and rocket mock-ups.

(3) Business programs
1)Tokyo Moonshot Challenge

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Cooperation
Location Aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI and other venues
Period From August, 2019
Outline Mitsui Fudosan participates in Tokyo Moonshot Challenge, a service creation program using aerospace IoT. The program is co-hosted by Cisco Systems G.K. and Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management and supported by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Tokyo Moonshot Challenge will be undertaken with the Nihonbashi area as the testing field.

（4）Participation in consortiums
1)SPACE FOODSPHERE

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Participation
Location Aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI and other venues
Period From April, 2020
Outline Mitsui Fudosan has been participating in SPACE FOODSPHERE, a co-creation program to solve food issues on Earth and in space, as an initial member. As a program member, Mitsui Fudosan is responsible for building food-related spaces, in addition to providing a base for activities and supplying information.

2)Space Port Japan

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Participation
Location Aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI and other venues
Period From November, 2018
Outline Mitsui Fudosan joined the Space Port Japan Association (SPJ) as an initial member. SPJ aims to open spaceports in Japan and make the country an Asian hub for the space travel business. SPJ is located in the aerospace industry hub X-NIHONBASHI.

(5) Support and investment in aerospace ventures
1)Investment in Axelspace Corporation

Mitsui Fudosan’s role Investment
Outline Mitsui Fudosan invests in Axelspace Corporation through a corporate venture capital (CVC) entity. Headquartered in the Nihonbashi area, Axelspace Corporation is a startup that conducts an aerospace business using microsatellites.
*CVC: 31VENTURES is a business entity that conducts co-creation activities with startups by providing support centered on investment, office space and community, for the purpose of strengthening Mitsui Fudosan’s core businesses and developing new businesses.

■Mitsui Fudosan Group’s Contribution to SDGs　

https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/esg_csr/
The Mitsui Fudosan Group aims for a society that enriches both people and the planet under the principles of coexist in harmony with society, link diverse values and achieve a sustainable society, and advances business with an awareness of the environment (E), society (S) and governance (G), thus promoting ESG management. By further accelerating its ESG management, the Group will realize Society 5.0, which the Japanese government has been advocating, and contribute significantly to achieving the SDGs.

* The initiatives covered in this press release are contributing to two of the UN’s SDGs.

Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Information on reference materials

Please download this reference in PDF format from the following web address:
http://www.x-nihonbashi.com/pdf/X-NIHONBASHI_book_202012.pdf