Town Creation, Not Real Estate Development. Integrated Trading Company Sumitomo Corporation Engages With Communities.

When I was a college student, I majored in urban engineering. I joined Sumitomo Corporation because I wanted to work on large-scale businesses that are close to end users at an integrated trading company. I spent five years in the Retail Facilities Dept. managing facilities, including development and renovation of various kinds of commercial complexes, and seven years in the Housing & Urban Development Business Dept. working on site acquisition and development promotion for condominiums. Since 2020, I have been involved in the development of complexes for the Utsunomiya Station East Exit District Development project.

MONDAY: Progress confirmation and information sharing in a team meeting

Five members, including myself, are responsible for construction, operation management, and leasing. Although there were limitations due to the pandemic, we took turns visiting the site and share the information that we have gained with our team members afterwards so that we are always on the same page.

I visit the site once or twice a week to confirm the construction progress, have meetings with city officials, and negotiate with tenants.

Through my experience, I’ve learned the importance of trying ideas that aren’t bound by conventional wisdom. In my third year with the company, I was in charge of the renewal of Decks Tokyo Beach in Odaiba, and I negotiated with Bills (a restaurant chain that serves “the world’s best breakfast”), Legoland (a theme park for children), and Madame Tussauds (a wax museum featuring famous figures) to attract them to the complex. In product planning for condominium sales, I created some unique facilities based on my original ideas, such as a condominium library under the supervision of Daikanyama Tsutaya and a lounge coordinated by the Italian company Meridiani. At the root of it all is a sense of trust that if I take on challenges, my supervisors and colleagues will support me. This is still the foundation of my work today.

We were able to open Utsunomiya Terrace, which I took over during the pandemic, with the help of many people including my predecessor. I think that this experience will help to build my confidence as a team leader.

This was a case of urban development for a major regional city through a public-private partnership, and I would like to apply the knowledge that we gained during this project to contribute to regional development in other places. We will also deepen our collaboration with Summit supermarkets, Tomod’s, and 5G businesses to take on the challenge of creating towns that will be loved by residents for the next century, leveraging our strength as an integrated developer and adopting a hands-on approach. At the same time, we would like to look into the possibility of combining urban development and DX towards the next ten years.