Hiroshima Prefecture / Hiroshima Tourism Association /
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. / The Graduate School of Project Design
Announcing the Launch of the “Project Design Research Project for Making Hiroshima Into a Top 10 Global and Top 3 National Tourism Region!”
—Realizing the Regional Revitalization of Hiroshima Through New Tourism Development—

April 21, 2025
Hiroshima Prefecture
Hiroshima Tourism Association
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Advanced Academic Agency The Graduate School of Project Design

Tokyo, Japan, April 21, 2025 - Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, and Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima Tourism Association (hereafter, “HIT”), and Advanced Academic Agency The Graduate School of Project Design today announced the launch of the “Project Design Research Project for Making Hiroshima Into a Top 10 Global and Top 3 National Tourism Region!” (hereafter, “the Project”) as a joint project. The Project is an approximately 9-month study group in which researchers who participated from the public call will output business concepts on the theme of regional revitalization of Hiroshima through new tourism development and build a new business concept plan. Hiroshima International Airport Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “HIAP”) is also supporting the implementation of the Project by cooperating in the program.

Hiroshima Prefecture aims to realize a sustainable tourism industry that is adaptable to environmental change, and it is advancing initiatives to develop a prefecture-wide “All Hiroshima” approach in which each individual prefectural citizenship takes ownership of efforts to boost tourism. The HIT has been entrusted by Hiroshima Prefecture to develop human resources for the tourism sector in Hiroshima and advance regional revitalization through the Project, making use of the corporate version of the hometown tax system (regional revitalization support tax system).

Mitsui Fudosan is working to create neighborhoods that “get better with age” with the aim of enhancing value over the long term. In Hiroshima, it has been involved in the operation of Hiroshima Airport since 2021 and it is working to revitalize the airport and its surrounding area. Currently, it is making donations to Hiroshima Prefecture through the corporate version of the hometown tax system (regional revitalization support tax system) in order to contribute to tourism promotion and regional revitalization as Hiroshima Prefecture launches the Project.

The Graduate School of Project Design is a graduate school for working professionals with the aim of building and practicing project designs and conceptual plans. It advances industry-government-academia collaboration projects all over Japan and engages in research and the development of regional human resources. The Project will provide a curriculum that covers every process from the brainstorming of ideas that will form the basis of individual projects through to the formulation of concepts and the design of plans for realizing these concepts.

Through industry-government-academia collaboration and co-creation, the Project aims to make Hiroshima into a top 10 global and top 3 national tourism region by revitalizing the Hiroshima region through new tourism development and fostering human resources for project designs that will drive the revitalization.

Announcing the launch of the Project at the Hiroshima Prefectural Office on Monday, April 21, 2025
(From left) Risa Tanaka, President of The Graduate School of Project Design; Shotaro Yamabe, Chief Producer at the HIT; Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture;
Ken Matsui, General Manager of Mitsui Fudosan’s Chugoku Branch; Yasuhiro Nakamura, President and Representative Director of HIAP

■Characteristics of the Project

This is a 9-month study group in which researchers who participated in the open call will output group concepts on the three themes of “development of new sightseeing routes,” “creation of sightseeing contents,” and “encouraging the growth of the population involved in tourism” utilizing Hiroshima Airport, as well as individual concepts utilizing the strengths of their companies and themselves, to create a new business concept plan.

1: A unique program that systemizes innovation

The faculty members of The Graduate School of Project Design, Japan’s only university specializing in new project development, will provide their extensive knowledge and methodology regarding innovation to formulate precise project evaluations and plans.

2: Practical project concepts that leverage regional and business resources

Design plans, including customer development, will be developed to be highly feasible and unique by leveraging regional and business resources.

3: A network of leaders and experts in cutting-edge fields

The Project will support innovation by inviting guest lecturers from The Graduate School of Project Design’s network. This includes leaders (government officials, experts, practitioners, academics, and entrepreneurs) in cutting-edge fields such as the SDGs and DX.

4: Co-creation between different sectors

The study program will comprise researchers from different sectors. This will accelerate new value creation in a way that transcends the boundaries between the industry of each participant.

< Application deadline >

Applications must arrive by 17:00 on Monday, May 19, 2025
For more details and to apply to attend a briefing, please visit The Graduate School of Project Design’s website through the link or QR code below.
https://www.mpd.ac.jp/events/hiroshima/ (in Japanese)

* Please refrain from withdrawing from the Project after the selection process has been completed.

■Sustainability in the Mitsui Fudosan Group

Based on the meaning of its “& mark,” “to generate new value with society through cooperation, coexistence and cocreation, we forge ahead, innovating,” the Mitsui Fudosan Group views the “creation of social value” and the “creation of economic value” as two wheels of a cart. Accordingly, we believe that the creation of social value leads to the creation of economic value, and that this economic value then creates even greater social value.
Moreover, we identified six Group Materiality priority issues when formulating our new management philosophy in April 2024. These Group Materiality priority issues are (1) Contribute to industrial competitiveness, (2) Coexist with the environment, (3) Health and Vitality, (4) Safety and security, (5) Diversity and inclusion, and (6) Compliance and governance. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will work to address each of the materialities through its core business activities and contribute to the promotion of sustainability.

(References)
・Group Management Philosophy and Long-Term Vision
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/innovation2030/
・Group Materiality
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/esg_csr/approach/materiality/

* The initiatives outlined in this release are designed to help address the following three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).