Create a New Face for Tokyo as a “Waterfront City” Through a Joint Public-Private-Community Initiative
Began Providing Information About Nihonbashi River Walk, an Area Covering Five Redevelopment Districts Centered on the Nihonbashi River and Their Surroundings

June 11, 2025
Nihonbashi River Walk Area Management (General Incorporated Association)
Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Yaesu 1-Chome North District Urban Redevelopment Project Association
Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-Chome District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Nihonbashi 1-Chome East District Urban Redevelopment Project Association
Nihonbashi 1-Chome Blocks 1 and 2 District Urban Redevelopment Project Association
Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.

Key Points of this Release

• “Nihonbashi River Walk” is the name of an area encompassing five redevelopment districts and their surroundings, centered on an expansive space with a close affinity to water and a riverfront pedestrian network extending approximately 100 m in width, including the river width, and 1,200 m in length.
• Nihonbashi River Walk Area Management (General Incorporated Association) was established this spring to advance neighborhood creation in the area.
• VISTA was opened as a presentation hub for neighborhood creation, with a range of new initiatives planned going forward. The goal is for Nihonbashi River Walk to become a new face of Tokyo as a Waterfront City.

The area management company for the area along the Nihonbashi River, the developers promoting five redevelopment projects, and Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Metropolitan Expressway”) will conduct a variety of initiatives at Nihonbashi River Walk as a joint public-private-community initiative. As part of these efforts, they will open VISTA as a presentation hub for neighborhood creation and begin providing information on a full scale.

This news release also announces that Nihonbashi River Walk Area Management (General Incorporated Association) was established on April 1, 2025 as an incorporated body to promote neighborhood creation in the area.

View of Nihonbashi River Walk from above Edo Bridge after removal of the Metropolitan Expressway viaduct

■ Nihonbashi River Walk Aims to Become a New Face of Tokyo as a Waterfront City

Nihonbashi River Walk is the name of the area encompassing five redevelopment districts and their surroundings, centered on an expansive space with a close affinity to water and a riverfront pedestrian network. In this area, the Metropolitan Expressway Nihonbashi Section Underground Relocation Project and five redevelopment projects are cooperating with one another to advance the creation of a neighborhood open to the sky and river. This initiative is being carried out in unison with the Japanese government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Chuo Ward, Metropolitan Expressway, private-sector businesses including redevelopers, and the community. The combined area of the 5 development zones is approximately 11 hectares. By creating an expansive space with a close affinity to water, the aim is to transform the Nihonbashi-Yaesu area into a new face of Tokyo as a waterfront city.

■ Key Priorities to Be Addressed and Targeted Themes to Be Realized at Nihonbashi River Walk

Government-led discussions and studies have been ongoing for some time on two themes: the nature of the scenery along the Nihonbashi River, and the aging of the Metropolitan Expressway above Nihonbashi.

To enable a wide range of public- and private-sector players to cooperate on infrastructure development and neighborhood creation along the Nihonbashi River, Nihonbashi River Walk will address six key priorities: (1) Create scenery that will become a new landmark of Tokyo; (2) Revitalize bountiful waterfront spaces by preserving the environment and ecosystems; (3) Evolve further as an international city that attracts attention from around the world; (4) Maintain and enhance transportation access, including preserving expressway functions and revitalizing waterway transportation; (5) Promote the chain of innovation nurtured by the community; and (6) Create even more diverse cultures and industries. By pursuing these key priorities as a joint public-private-community initiative, Nihonbashi River Walk aims to realize three themes: a neighborhood with abundant water and greenery, a new face of Tokyo, and a neighborhood that supports its creators.

■ Three Themes of Nihonbashi River Walk　

1．A neighborhood with abundant water and greenery

At Nihonbashi River Walk, the neighborhood will once again open up to the river, creating an urban space where people, the river and the neighborhood come together as one. Comfortable spaces with a close affinity with water will be developed where people can relax and feel more closely connected with the river. Water quality will be improved and green spaces on land will be created. A bountiful waterfront will be formed, with the aim of achieving a harmonious co-existence with nature.

A green plaza will be developed, creating a bountiful waterfront where people can feel closer to nature

Aiming to revitalize bountiful waterfronts that abound with diverse wildlife

2．A new face of Tokyo

The redevelopment underway at Nihonbashi River Walk will strengthen the cohesiveness of the area east of Tokyo Station and significantly enhance its urban functions. Originally a neighborhood where workplaces and residences were in close proximity, it will see further enrichment of its retail, office, and residential environment. New urban functions, including luxury hotels, serviced apartments, and event halls will also be introduced, allowing the neighborhood to evolve into a business hub well-suited to international MICE. By incorporating events that harness the allure of the waterfront and offering the enjoyment of waterway transportation, Nihonbashi River Walk also aims to become a Waterfront City that draws global attention as a tourism destination.

The area east of Tokyo Station will become even easier to get around by promoting the Nihonbashi River Walk redevelopment.

Creating an urban space that brings together people, the river and the neighborhood

3. A neighborhood that supports its creators

Since the Edo period (1603-1867), the Nihonbashi- Yaesu area has been a neighborhood of innovation, welcoming and supporting challengers from across Japan. Many of the innovators of that time have become today’s long-established businesses. The area has continued to foster new challengers, with the new and the old growing together through mutual encouragement and healthy competition. Through initiatives at Nihonbashi River Walk, challengers from a wide range of fields, including finance, life sciences, space, and food, will gather in the area. The chain of innovation will remain unbroken and continue to expand.

Nihonbashi to become a space business hub Around 300 events are held annually.
(Image provided by cross U (general incorporated association))

The concentration and growth of companies involved in various food industries will continue.
(Image provided by Luna Robotics Inc.)

■ Established an Area Management Organization to Promote Neighborhood Creation Across the Area. Began Providing Information on a Full-scale

In April 2025, Nihonbashi River Walk Area Management (General Incorporated Association), an incorporated body, was established to connect the five redevelopment zones currently underway in the Nihonbashi-Yaesu area, and to promote cohesive neighborhood creation. By effectively using various newly created spaces and providing information, the association aims to enhance the area’s value.

Through the operation of the newly launched official website and collaboration with VISTA, the association has begun providing information about Nihonbashi River Walk on a full scale and will contribute to fostering vibrancy across the area.

• Official website (in Japanese): https://www.nihonbashiriverwalk.jp/
• Members of Nihonbashi River Walk Area Management (General Incorporated Association) (order is immaterial)
  Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Yaesu 1-Chome North District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-Chome District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Nihonbashi 1-Chome East District Urban Redevelopment Project Association, Nihonbashi 1-Chome Blocks 1 and 2 District Urban Redevelopment Project Association

■ Provide Information in Collaboration With VISTA, a Presentation Hub for Neighborhood Creation

VISTA is a presentation hub jointly operated by Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd. and other related companies. Through videos and models, it provides an understanding of the future vision and features of Nihonbashi River Walk, a project involving the concerted efforts of diverse stakeholders. It also features graphic displays that present an overview and key aspects of the underground relocation work for the Metropolitan Expressway Nihonbashi section, as well as community resources and the potential of the Nihonbashi-Yaesu area. As a presentation hub for neighborhood creation, VISTA offers detailed information on the area and serves as platform for exploring the neighborhood’s future.

■ Participating companies: Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd., Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd., TOKYU LAND CORPORATION, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

* Please note that photography or audio or video recording inside VISTA is not permitted except by authorized individuals.

■ The History of the Nihonbashi River and Background of Nihonbashi River Walk

■ The Nihonbashi River at the heart of people’s lives and its transformation over time

After Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo Shogunate in 1603, the Gokaido Roads and a network of waterways were developed. Water transportation supported the distribution of goods and the movement of people throughout the country, with the Nihonbashi River playing a central role in this transportation. Riverside fish markets and entertainment venues along the river bustled with people, and the Nihonbashi River was at the heart of people’s lives. In the modern era, the distribution of goods at riverside fish markets gradually shifted to land-based transportation, and an iconic scenery for the era began to emerge along the river, including modern architecture and gas lamps. Ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the Metropolitan Expressway was constructed above the Nihonbashi River to ease traffic congestion in the city center amid the advancement of motorization. This marked the transformation of the scenery along the river into its present form.

Riverside fish market viewed from Nihonbashi Bridge in the 19th century (Image provided by IMAGINE NET GALLERY)

Nihonbashi Bridge in the early 1920s
(Image provided by The Christian Polak Collection /©Collection Christian Polak)

Present-day Nihonbashi Bridge

■ Two themes have been discussed in parallel: the nature of the scenery along the Nihonbashi River, and the renewal of the Metropolitan Expressway

The scenery along the Nihonbashi River has changed over time. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Expressway, which carries approximately 100,000 vehicles through this section each day, has been in service for more than 60 years since it was constructed, and it continues to deteriorate through aging. For these reasons, many expert panels have been convened to discuss and examine the maintenance of the Metropolitan Expressway and the nature of the scenery along the Nihonbashi River. In the community, a signature petition regarding the scenery along the Nihonbashi River has been conducted and a wide range of public- and private-sector players have addressed these two themes. In 2006, a recommendation was made asserting that private-sector redevelopment and the underground relocation of the Metropolitan Expressway are inseparable. It called for the private sector to take the lead in neighborhood creation, with the public sector responding by relocating the Metropolitan Expressway underground. In 2012, a proposal was put forward to remove the viaduct of the Inner Circular Route and relocate the expressway underground. Furthermore, in 2016, the area along the Nihonbashi River was added to urban revitalization projects under the National Strategic Special Area framework. In 2017, the following year, Mr. Ishii, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism at the time, and Governor Koike of Tokyo announced the start of a detailed study on the underground relocation of the Nihonbashi section of the Metropolitan Expressway. At the time, Governor Koike emphasized, “I want all stakeholders to join forces so we can leave behind a vision for Tokyo that we can be proud of even 100 years from now.” Subsequently, a working group led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism developed detailed plans for the underground route and project scheme.

Approximately 440,000 signatures were collected seeking “scenery that restores an open sky above Nihonbashi,” and were submitted to the government by a community group

Removal of a bridge pier for the Edobashi (Edo Bridge) expressway entrance and exit

■ A Wide Range of Public- and Private-Sector Players to Cooperate on Developing an Area that Attracts Global Attention

Nihonbashi River Walk is a project in which coordination between infrastructure development and neighborhood creation serves as a major pillar, following examination and discussion among diverse public- and private-sector stakeholders. Going forward, tunnel construction and redevelopment will proceed in parallel, with viaduct removal scheduled for completion around 2040 after the expressway has been relocated underground. The removal of the viaduct will reunite the sky and the river, giving rise to a lush waterfront space in very close proximity to Tokyo Station, where people can enjoy nature and riverfront scenery across a stretch approximately 100 m wide and 1,200 m long.

By around 2040, removal of the Metropolitan Expressway viaduct will restore a lush waterfront space that reunites the sky and the river

The Nihonbashi River area and its surroundings will always be lively day and night, emerging as a new face of Tokyo that attracts global attention.

(Reference) The Five Redevelopment Projects to Be Carried Out as Part of Nihonbashi River Walk

① Yaesu 1-Chome North District

With direct access to Tokyo Station and serving as the gateway to Nihonbashi River Walk, the high-rise building will have offices, a hotel-in-residence, an advanced support facility for financial professionals, and retail facilities. A newly developed plaza of approximately 10,764 ft² (1,000 m²) and a vibrant space with a close affinity with water will form the starting point of the walkable network along the river. Aiming to become an international financial hub, the area is also expected to serve as a venue for networking and social interaction after conventions.

② Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-Chome District

A neighborhood will be created where even more people come and go for business and shopping. The high-rise building will have offices, residences, and retail facilities, as well as flexible offices and conference rooms that serve as support facilities for life sciences. Muromachi-koji, the central axis of the zone, will be redeveloped as a pedestrian space. At the same time, retail stores facing the underground walkway will also be developed. In the riverfront zone, low-rise retail facilities and a promenade will be developed, creating a vibrant waterfront space along the Nihonbashi River.

③ Nihonbashi 1-Chome East District

Nihonbashi is evolving into a place not only for working, but also for staying and living. South of Edo Bridge, two high-rise buildings will stand as an international business hub. The buildings will feature strategic national housing, serviced apartments, and various facilities that support daily life, along with enhanced residential functions. Along the riverfront, a plaza of approximately 21,528 ft² (2,000 m²), green space, and a viewing terrace will be created. A cross-deck will also connect the site to the Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District.

④ Nihonbashi 1-Chome Blocks 1 and 2 District

Serving as the gateway to Nihonbashi, this area will be developed into a base for providing information where numerous people come and go. A communication hub will be created that shares information on various cultures and fosters interaction among visitors. The area will also attract inbound visitors as a post-convention destination for MICE events. A plaza, pedestrian network, and other amenities will be created on the waterfront. The area will be connected to the adjoining Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District and Yaesu 1-Chome North District via decks and underground passages.

⑤ Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District

This area will be a new Tokyo landmark open to the sky and the river. The high-rise building will have offices, retail facilities, large-scale halls, a luxury hotel, residential facilities, and more. The Nihonbashi Nomura Building along the river will be reborn through preservation and renovation. A lively space unique to this riverside location will be created through features such as terraces, decks, open-air cafes, boat docks, plazas, and promenades.

(Reference) Overview of the Metropolitan Expressway Nihonbashi Section Underground Relocation Project

The Metropolitan Expressway above the Nihonbashi River was constructed prior to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to ease traffic congestion in the city center and has now been in service for more than 60 years since its opening in 1963. Due to the heavy use of this section, carrying approximately 100,000 vehicles per day, the structure has sustained significant damage and requires renewal.

In renewing the expressway, the three-dimensional road system will be employed to develop a tunnel beneath existing buildings. The underground relocation project will be undertaken in tandem with the aforementioned redevelopment zones, helping to further enhance the area’s appeal.

Click map to enlarge

Note: All computer-generated images and renderings used in this release are conceptual and do not represent the actual details of the plan.