News Releases
2006

* Information contained in this news release is current as of its date of announcement. Be aware that information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

Redevelopment of the former Defense Agency site in Roppongi: Completion of framework for "Tokyo Midtown"
Commercial facilities provide “high quality urban lifestyle”, universities from all over the world participate in a new design hub

March 23, 2006
Representative: Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

The consortium comprising the National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company, Sekisui House, Ltd., Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Company, Daido Life Insurance Company and Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. held the framework completion ceremony today for what will be Tokyo’s tallest building, “Tokyo Midtown.”

Additionally, the consortium is pleased to announce that the commercial facilities will be used to offer “high quality urban lifestyle services” to residents of the downtown area and that design-related facilities, tentatively named “Tokyo Midtown Design Hub,” will be established as part of the project. Universities from Asia, Europe and the United States are already scheduled to participate in this design hub.

The concept for the development of this project is "Diversity on the Green". We are creating values through the combination of hybrid functionalities such as offices, commercial facilities, rental housing, hotel and design-related facilities on a vast, green landscape. This project aims to create new values by becoming a hub for human interaction and to act as a platform to transmit cutting edge information to the world.

The concept for the lush and liberating commercial facilities was defined as a "Lifestyle Museum." The objective is to provide people with sensitivity and unique lifestyles living and working in and around the project area with “high quality urban lifestyle services” and have them use those services again and again as well as to provide them with facilities where they can cultivate their sensitivities and live according to their own styles.

The following chart outlines the categories, themes and core tenants for the commercial facilities:

Category Theme Core Tenants
Fashion-related Brand selection shops and stores specializing in fashion merchandise RESTIR (tentative name)
RESTIR Co., Ltd.
Interior-related One of the largest collection of specialty shops in a downtown area featuring interior and lifestyle products with good design taste TIME & STYLE MIDTOWN
PRESTIGE JAPAN INC.
Services/cosmetic-related Quality shops to meet the needs of urban lifestyles, such as a zone to provide health and beauty services and a pet store to provide pet-related services Health and beauty zone Shu Sanctuary (tentative name)
Shu uemura,inc
Urban pet services dogdays roppongi (tentative name)
Dog Planet, Inc.
Dining A wide selection of restaurants, from world-famous international restaurants to bustling, casual shops Conran Restaurant
(tentative name)
Hiramatsu Inc.
Food Sales A 24-hour supermarket and authentic bakeries and stores that provide freshly made sweets to meet the dessert and gift needs of urban residents and office workers Precce Premium
(tentative name)
Tokyu Store Chain Co., Ltd.
Conran Food Boutique
(tentative name)
Hiramatsu Inc.

* See the attached for details on each shop.

As Japan enters its mature phase and continues to shift from an industry-based society to a services-based one, and based on the recognition that design will be the source of international competitiveness, design has been established as one of the themes of development for this project. In addition to the Suntory Museum of Art and 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, a design space tentatively named “Tokyo Midtown Design Hub,” will be established on the 5th floor of the Tokyo Midtown Tower. The Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. (JAGDA) will relocate its office here, and Faculty of Design, Kyushu University will set up the “Design Center of Excellence (tentative name)”. The Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) and others also invited universities from five different countries* and will open an “International Design Liaison Center” to create ties among universities, industry and designers. It will provide a venue for seminars and symposiums and will act as an information desk for these universities in Japan.

* The universities are: Illinois Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology (USA), Delft University of Technology (Holland), Zollverein School of Management and Design (Germany), University of Art and Design, Helsinki (Finland) and Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (China). For details, please see the attachment.

In order to create added value in an environment where design needs are likely to increase, we think that it is important to make design as a top agenda of management, for management personnel to gain a deeper appreciation of design, designers to acquire management perspective and that human resources be trained so that they can perform well in international settings. The educational institutions that have been invited will be involved in training human resources in organizational and systematic design and cooperative academic-industrial projects as well as partnerships with other design-related facilities and office tenants. It is hoped that Tokyo Midtown will become a design-related information center and a place where talent is allowed to flourish.

The Tokyo Midtown project had been holding a contest for the creation of a logo since last year and received a total of 7,893 entries from persons 9 to 80 years old from 44 different countries. The entries were judged by a committee headed by Masuteru Aoba, Vice President of JAGDA. Graphic designer Atsushi Harano’s motif based on the "M" of Midtown was selected as the winning entry. This design symbolizes the endless possibilities of the town and implies being at the center of Tokyo. It truly captures the concept of Tokyo Midtown. With its universal shape, it is also perfect for various design implementations.

The Grand Opening for Tokyo Midtown will be held next spring. Tokyo Midtown Management Co., Ltd. was established in 2004 for the purpose of managing Tokyo Midtown operations and will commence its activities after the grand opening of the town. In-depth meetings will be held with all parties setting up shop, carrying out business and taking residence in Tokyo Midtown as well as residents of the surrounding area in order to ensure the smooth combination of the hybrid functionalities.

<Attachment 1 > Overall Outline

Location 9-chome Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access Planned direct connection with Roppongi Station on the Toei-Oedo and Tokyo Metro Hibiya lines
3-minute walk from Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
Site Area Approx. 68,900 m2
District Planning Area Approx. 102,000 m2
Total Floor Area Approx. 569,000 m2
Offices: Approx. 330,000m2
Housing: Approx. 111,000 m2 (517 rooms)
Hotel: Approx. 48,000m2 (approx. 250 rooms)
Commercial Space: Approx. 57,000 m2
Others: Approx. 23,000m2
Construction Joint Venture of Takenaka Corporation and Taisei Corporation
(Midtown Tower, Parkside, Gardenside)
Joint Venture of Taisei Corporation and Takenaka Corporation
(Midtown East, Midtown West)
Architecture Chief Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
Master Architect: Skidmore, Owings &amo; Merrill LLP
Landscape Design: EDAW, Inc.
Commercial Wings Design: Communication Arts, Inc.
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Project Schedule Commencement: May 2004
Grand Opening: Spring 2007

<Attachment 2 > Location Map

<Attachment 3 > Site Plan

<Attachment 4 > Exterior Perspective Drawing

<Attachment 5> Panoramic View

South West

South East

<Attachment 6 > Outline of Commercial Facilities, Perspective Drawing and Outline of Shops (partial)

Shop Area: Approx. 22,800 m2
Number of Shops: Approx. 140 (tentative)

Outline of Shops (partial)

Shop Name / Company Specialty Description
RESTIR

RESTIR Co., Ltd.
http://www.restir.com
Fashion One of the concepts with this shop is the "private concierge" service. It will be a luxury boutique that provides excellent hospitality and a selection of high-end brands to meet the diverse demands of urban residents.
TIME & STYLE MIDTOWN

PRESTIGE JAPAN INC.
http://www.timeandstyle.com/
Interior and Lifestyle Goods This shop will offer products to help customers enjoy pleasant and fulfilling lifestyles. The products will be primarily original goods made in Japan, including lifestyle products such as interior goods, furniture and tableware. Art and design exhibitions and musical events will also be held to add to lifestyle enjoyment.
Shu Sanctuary (tentative name)

Shu uemura, inc.
Health and Beauty-related This unique collection of shops by makeup artist Shu Uemura will be developed based on the concept of a “health and beauty sanctuary.”
dogdays roppongi (tentative name)

Dog Planet, Inc.
http://www.dogdays.co.jp
Pet-related This high end shop will provide pet-related products and services such as trimming, aesthetic treatments, a dog hotel, a gym, a dog cafe and dog training consultations.
Conran Restaurant (tentative name)

Hiramatsu Inc.
http://www.conran-restaurants.jp
Restaurant The first Conran Restaurant in Japan. It will feature modern European style mixed with Japanese essence as well as a relaxed dining atmosphere and pleasant terrace seats.
Conran Food Boutique (tentative name)

Hiramatsu Inc.
http://www.conran-restaurants.jp
Food Sales A stylish food boutique blending Japanese taste with a European deli. Everyone is certain to enjoy the excellent products that only Conran can offer.
Precce Premium (tentative name)

Tokyu Store Chain Co., Ltd.
http://www.tokyu-store.co.jp
Food Sales A shop to provide urban residents with Tokyu Store's top class brand, "Precce," among others. It will be a 24-hour urban supermarket offering delivery services and services in foreign languages.

Perspective Drawing of Commercial Facilities

“Galleria”, Main Center of Commercial Facilities

Entrance of “Galleria”

<Attachment 7 > Outline of Design-related Institutions participating in “(tentative name) Tokyo Midtown Design Hub”

Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO)
http://www.jidpo.or.jp/about/index.html
JIDPO is a ?ole comprehensive design promotion organization·in Japan, established in 1969 responding to request of the Design Council of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Since its establishment, with cooperation of administrative organs, related industries as well as designers, JIDPO has been continuously conducting design promotional activities including the ?esign Year· the ?ood Design Award (so-called G-Mark)·and publication of quarterly magazine ?esign News·and so forth.

Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. (JAGDA)
http://www.jagda.org/
JAGDA was established in 1978 as a sole nation-wide organization of graphic designers. It became a corporate aggregate under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1984. JAGDA has over 2,300 members both home and abroad and through exchanging and application of graphic-design-related information and expertise, it aims to contribute to amelioration not only in the world of graphic design but also life-oriented culture and further development of industries.

Design Center of Excellence, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University (tentative name)
http://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/
In order to establish university identity (UI) of the Kyushu University, Design Center of Excellence under initiative of Faculty of Design of Kyushu University will conduct promotional and interactive activities in Tokyo based on strategic program with ?utting-edge and high degree design·as a concept. Based on 38-year accumulated expertise and distinguished skill over art engineering and design, the Design Center will conduct the following activities based on the following themes: Design Strategy, Design Science, Space Architecture, Contents Design and Acoustic Design.

International Design Liaison Center
Profiles of universities comprising the Liaison Center

University Description
Illinois Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology Location: Chicago, Illinois USA
Established: 1937
Students: 125
Departments: 4 (Master, PhD)
Delft University of Technology (Holland)(Participating Department: Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering) Location: Delft, Holland
Established: 1842
Students: 13,417
Departments: 29
Zollverein School of Management and Design (Germany) Location: Essen, Germany
Established: 2004
Departments: 2 (Master)
University of Art and Design Helsinki (Finland) Location: Helsinki, Finland
Established: 1871
Students: Approx. 1,800
Departments: 6 (BA, Master, PhD)
Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (China) Location: Beijing, China
Established: 1956
Students: Approx. 1,700
Departments: 3 (Master, PhD)

<Attachment 8> Logo and Profile of Designer

The “M” motif symbolizes an entrance to a new universe and a town with a bright future and endless possibilities. It has a spacious and three-dimensional feel, and the inward-oriented shape causes one to think of the depth of the town facilities and the endless possibilities therein. The space in the center occupied by the letter “M” symbolizes the towns place at the center of Tokyo. Moreover, the simple, universal shape is an international standard and has great potential for various design implementations as a new expression of Japanese tradition.

Committee: (honorific titles omitted, alphabetical order)

Chairman Masuteru Aoba (Vice President of JAGDA)
Members Tadao Ando (architect)
Hideki Azuma (creative director and copywriter)
Toshiyuki Kita (chief judge of the Good Design Awards 2005 Committee)
Issei Miyake (designer)

Profile of the Designer
Atsushi Harano

1964 Born in Tokyo and raised in Kita-Kyushu City, Fukuoka Graduated from Kokura High School
1988 Graduated from the Living Design Department of Kuwasawa Design School with a major in graphic design Worked at an advertising company
1990 Entered Flappers' Company where he has since been involved in editing and creating marks and logos

<Attachment 9> Profile of Tokyo Midtown Management Co., Ltd.

Name Tokyo Midtown Management Co., Ltd.
Location Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Capital 100 million yen (wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui Fudosan)
Representative Toshihide Ichikawa, President
Employees 19 (as of March 2006)
Business description Leasing, management and operation of real estate properties primarily related to Tokyo Midtown town management operations. Functions include interior and exterior decoration, design for exterior construction works, management and contracting security guards.